Buvaisar Saitiev

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Lore & Background

Buvaisar Hamidovich Saitiev was born on 11 March 1975 in Khasavyurt, Dagestan, within the Russian Federation, and was of Chechen heritage. In 1992, he relocated from his hometown to train at a prestigious wrestling center in Krasnoyarsk. His younger brother, Adam Saitiev, also became an Olympic gold medalist. Saitiev’s life philosophy was shaped by the poet Boris Pasternak; he recited Pasternak’s poem “It is not seemly to be famous” before every match, stating it defined his life both in and out of wrestling. He was a practicing Muslim and had three sons and one daughter. Saitiev is widely regarded as the greatest freestyle wrestler in history, holding nine world-level gold medals—three Olympic and six World Championship titles—second only to Aleksandr Medved’s ten. His senior international career spanned from 1994 to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, during which he competed in eleven World or Olympic tournaments, winning gold in nine and suffering only two losses. He captured World titles in 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, and 2005, and Olympic gold in 1996, 2004, and 2008. His final competition was the 2008 Olympic gold medal match. After retiring, Saitiev served as an acting deputy from Dagestan in the 7th State Duma from 2016 to 2021 and became President of the Chechen Wrestling Federation in 2015, a role he held until his death. He died in Moscow on 2 March 2025 at age 49. The executive director of the Russian Wrestling Federation reported cardiac arrest as the cause; Russia’s minister of sport noted he had been ill and frequently visited medical centers. Saitiev’s widow stated he fell from a second-storey window, indicating a non-accidental death. He was buried next to his father in Khasavyurt following Muslim tradition.

Reader's Guide

His career spanned thirteen years with only two losses at World or Olympic championships, demonstrating remarkable consistency. Competing at the senior international level from 1994 through the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Saitiev entered eleven World or Olympic tournaments and won gold at nine of them, claiming world titles in 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, and 2005, and Olympic gold in 1996, 2004, and 2008. His total of nine world-level gold medals is second only to Aleksandr Medved’s ten, and in 2007 FILA voted him and Aleksandr Karelin the greatest wrestlers in the sport’s history. Despite this dominance, he experienced several notable defeats, including losses at the 2000 Olympics, the 2006 World Championships, and to Makhach Murtazaliev at both the 2007 Russian Nationals and the 2008 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix. His final competition was his 2008 Olympic gold medal match. Beyond his athletic achievements, Saitiev’s life philosophy was shaped by the poetry of Boris Pasternak, whose poem “It is not seemly to be famous” he recited before every match and which he said defined his life inside and outside wrestling. After retiring, he served as an acting deputy from Dagestan in the 7th State Duma from 2016 to 2021 and was President of the Chechen Wrestling Federation from 2015 until his death. His legacy is honored by a street in Grozny, a Russian junior championship held in his memory, and an international tournament in Belgium named after him.

Did You Know?

• Saitiev repeated Boris Pasternak's poem 'It is not seemly to be famous' before every match.
• Saitiev's widow stated he fell from a second-storey window before his death, indicating a non-accidental death.