Kamandar Madzhidov

Sports: Wrestling (Greco-Roman style)

Born: 17 October 1961, Dmanisi, Georgia.

Honors:

Honored Master of Sports of the USSR

Honored Coach of the Republic of Belarus

Order of Friendship of Peoples

Medal "For Distinguished Labour"

Career highlights:

Champion of the Games XXIV Olympiad (Seoul) in weight up to 62 kg.

World Champion 1986 (Budapest) in weight up to 62 kg.

World Champion 1989 (Martigny) in weight up to 68 kg.

Silver medalist of the 1987 World Cup (Clerman-Ferrand) in weight up to 62 kg.

Silver medalist of the 1993 World Cup (Stockholm) in weight up to 68 kg.

Winner of the World Cup 1983 and 1990.

European Champion 1984 (Jonkoping) and 1985 (Leipzig) in weight up to 62 kg.

Champion of Europe 1991 (Aschaffenburg) in weight up to 68 kg.

Bronze medalist of Europe 1993 (Istanbul) in weight up to 68 kg.

Biography:

Kamandar Madzhidov was born on October 17, 1961 in the city of Dmanisi (Georgia). At the age of 12, the future Olympic champion came to the wrestling section in his hometown. At the end of 8th grade in 1975, Kamandar moved to Baku and entered the sports school. After completing his studies and military service, the athlete moved to Minsk in 1982. The school of Belarusian Greco-Roman wrestling was known throughout the Soviet Union thanks to successful athletes and talented coaches. Kamandar Madzhidov began training in Minsk under the leadership of Viktor Rudenkov, who studied with wrestlers at Belarusian State University. In 1983. Majidov following the advice of a trainer entered the faculty of law of the same university and successfully graduated in 1989.

A year after moving to Minsk, the athlete, representing Belarus, became the prize winner of the USSR championship and the winner of the USSR youth championship. After getting into the USSR national team, Kamandar Madzhidov was selected to participate in the European Championship and won it. In 1986, he also became the best in the world championship in the weight category of 62 kg, which took place in Budapest. The path to the Olympic Games for the athlete was open.

The athlete was ready to defend the honor of the Soviet team at the Games in Los Angeles in 1984, but the USSR boycotted these competitions. Instead, sports games "Druzhba-84" were held. The Greco-Roman style wrestlers' tournament was not much inferior in its level to the competitions in Los Angeles. In the final of the weight category up to 62 kg. Then the really strongest athletes of the planet met – Madzhidov and the Bulgarian Vangelov. The stubborn duel ended in victory for the Soviet athlete.

The same situation was repeated in 1988 at the Games XXIV Olympiad. Again, in the final match on the carpet Zhivko Vangelov and Kamandar Madzhidov fought. The Belarusian athlete defeated the Bulgarian by points with a score of 6-2 and became the Olympic champion. Unfortunately, due to a very high competition, in 1992 the Majidov did not qualify and in 1994 ended his sports career, becoming the coach of the Belarus national team.

Already being a coach, the wrestler returned to the big sport, speaking at the European Championships and the Olympic Games in Atlanta. At the Games XXVI Olympiad in 1996, Kamandar Madzhidov fought for Belarus in the weight category up to 68 kg, winning three and losing two bouts, which ensured him getting into fourth place.

In 2012, the Olympic champion led the Greco-Roman wrestling team of Belarus, which he twice headed earlier (in the late 90s and from 2000 to 2003).