Aleksandr Medved facts for kids

Medved at the Opening Ceremony of the 1972 Olympics
Quick facts for kids Personal information
Born	(1937-09-16)16 September 1937 Bila Tserkva, Kyiv Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, USSR
Died	2 September 2024(2024-09-02) (aged 86) Minsk, Belarus
Height	190 cm
Weight	104 kg
Sport
Sport	Freestyle wrestling
Club	Burevestnik Minsk
Medal record Men's freestyle wrestling Representing  Soviet Union Olympic Games Gold 1964 Tokyo 97 kg Gold 1968 Mexico City +97 kg Gold 1972 Munich +100 kg World Championships Gold 1962 Toledo 97 kg Gold 1963 Sofia 97 kg Gold 1966 Toledo 97 kg Gold 1967 New Delhi +97 kg Gold 1969 Mar del Plata +100 kg Gold 1970 Edmonton +100 kg Gold 1971 Sofia +100 kg Silver 1965 Manchester 97 kg Bronze 1961 Yokohama +87 kg European Championships Gold 1966 Karlsruhe +97 kg Gold 1968 Sofia +97 kg Gold 1972 Katowice +100 kg

Aleksandr Vasilyevich Medved (born September 16, 1937 – died September 2, 2024) was an amazing freestyle wrestler. He was born in Ukraine, but wrestled for the Soviet Union. Many people, including the sport's main group, FILA, called him "one of the greatest wrestlers ever."

From 1962 to 1972, Aleksandr Medved won many big titles. He earned three gold medals at the Olympic Games. He also won seven world championships and three European championships. He was so respected that he carried the flag for the Soviet Union at the 1972 Olympics. Later, he carried the flag for Belarus in 2004. He even took the Judge's Oath at the 1980 Olympics opening ceremony.

Early Life and Nickname

Aleksandr Medved came from a very tall family. His grandparents were both very tall people. Aleksandr himself was 190 centimeters (about 6 feet 3 inches) tall. He weighed over 100 kilograms (about 220 pounds).

His last name, Medved, means bear in Russian. This nickname fit him well because of his large size and strength. It's a fun fact that his name matched his powerful wrestling style!

His Big Rivalry

Between 1967 and 1972, Aleksandr Medved had a famous rivalry. He often competed against a strong wrestler named Osman Duraliev from Turkey and Bulgaria. They faced each other eight times in the finals of major world events.

Medved won every single one of these matches. One of their closest fights was at the 1971 World Championships. Duraliev was ahead with only 43 seconds left. But Medved managed to tie the score. He won the championship because he weighed slightly less than Duraliev.

Life After Wrestling

After he stopped competing in 1972, Aleksandr Medved moved to Belarus. He had lived there before when he was in the Soviet Army. In Belarus, he became a national coach. He also taught at a university.

After the Soviet Union ended, he took on important roles. He became the vice-president of the Belarus Olympic Committee. He also helped lead the Belarus Wrestling Federation.

Medved received many important awards during his life. These included the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Red Banner of Labour. In 2001, he was named the best Belarusian athlete of the 20th century. In 2003, he was one of the first people to join the FILA International Wrestling Hall of Fame.

He is an honored citizen of Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Since the 1970s, a wrestling tournament has been held there every year in his honor.

Family Life

Aleksandr Medved was married to Tatyana. They had two children, a daughter named Yelena and a son named Aleksei. Yelena became a champion in tennis for Belarus. Aleksei followed in his father's footsteps. He won a junior world title in wrestling in 1987.

Aleksandr Medved passed away on September 2, 2024, at the age of 86.

See also

In Spanish: Aleksandr Medved para niños

Images for kids

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  Medved at the Opening Ceremony of the 1972 Olympics