Freestyle wrestling

Freestyle wrestling (English: Freestyle wrestling, French: Lutte libre) is a sport consisting in a single combat between two athletes according to certain rules; using various techniques (grabs, throws, flips, sweeps, etc.), in which each of the rivals tries to put the other on the shoulder blades and win. In freestyle wrestling, grabbing the opponent’s legs, hooking and active use of the legs when performing any technique are allowed.

Freestyle wrestling in Minsk began to develop only in 1948. The first freestyle wrestlers were athletes engaged in classical wrestling. But gradually a team of young wrestlers specializing in freestyle wrestling is being created in the republic and they successfully enter into duels with the strongest wrestlers of the Soviet Union. In 1953, at the USSR Team Championship in Tbilisi, V.Rodievsky takes 5th place, N. Maksimov – 6th place. The top ten of the strongest are Sh.Nizheradze, P.Grigoriev. N.Bolshakov, V.Sadykhin, and S. Vinokur proved themselves to be mature wrestlers.

In the Republic of Belarus and Minsk in particular, the formation of freestyle wrestling took place under the leadership of two well-known coaches, Honored Coaches of the USSR and the Republic of Belarus, Professor B.M. Rybalko and associate professor of the Department of Martial Arts P.V. Grigoriev, founders of the Belarusian State Institute of Physical Culture (now the Belarusian State University of Physical Culture).They have trained a large galaxy of world-class wrestlers. The main base was at the Institute of Physical Education, where their students studied and improved their sports skills.

In 1959, our freestyle wrestlers, performing at the II Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR, took the sixth team place. The prizes of young wrestlers N.Aksenov (second place), A. Medved (third place), V. Surinov (third place) should be recognized as a great success.

The Belarusian “freestyle wrestlers” achieved great success in 1961, when the national team took the 2nd team place at the USSR championship, at the individual championship of the same year A.Medved and V.Letun won the gold medal, I. Losik – silver, A.Katsovich and N.Aksenov – bronze medals.

At the III Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR, A.Medved received the third gold medal of the champion.

In 1961, A.Medved, the first of the Minsk wrestlers, took part in the World Championship in Yokohama (Japan), where he won a bronze medal.

In 1962, A.Medved became world champion for the first time and then won this title 6 more times ( in 1963, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971 years). At the European Championships, A.Medved became champion three times (in 1966, 1968, 1972).

A. Medved also performs superbly at the Olympic Games, where he wins three Olympic Games (1964, 1968, 1972). In the world, among freestyle wrestlers, only B.Saitiev (Russia) managed to repeat the achievement of A.Medved.

In the seventies of the last century, other freestyle wrestlers also performed successfully. V.Syulzhin twice won the gold awards of the European Championship (1972, 1973), and in 1973 V.Syulzhin became world champion, in 1973 V. Silberman received a silver medal at the European Championship.

Having extensive international experience, A.Medved successfully conducts coaching work as a coach of the national team of Belarus and the USSR from 1972 to 1992. Under his leadership, the Minsk wrestlers “wrestlers” are achieving success in the international arena. In 1991, at the World Championship, V. Orujev became the champion.

In 1993, Minsk athletes made their debut under the flag of the national team of the Republic of Belarus at the European Championship in Istanbul. In the team competition among the 28 participating countries, the Belarusian team took the honorable 7th place.

A. became the European champion.Batyrov (2007), silver medalists V.Matyushenko (1994), A.Medvedev (1997), G.Kontoev (1998), M.Gaidarov (2002, 2004, 2008), A.Batyrov (2006), R.Sheikhov (2007), B.Musaev (2000, 2002), bronze medals u, B.Musayeva (2001), M.Gaidarova (2003, 2009), A.Batyrova (2005), V.Andreeva (2009).

G.Kontoev became the world champion in 2001, M.Gaidarov (2003) won silver medals, A. Medvedev (1994), R.Sheikhov (2006), R.Hajiyev (2007) received bronze medals.

A. Medvedev won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, and M. Gaidarov won a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Alexander Vasilyevich Medved undoubtedly became the most titled Minsk wrestler

ZMS, Three-time Olympic Champion, Seven-Time World Champion, Three-Time European Champion, Nine-time USSR Champion, Three-time winner of the Spartakiads of the Peoples of the USSR, Honored Coach of the USSR and the BSSR.

Specialized educational and sports institutions that develop freestyle wrestling in Minsk

Educational institution ”Minsk State City School of Olympic Reserve“
Address: 42 Sedykh str., Minsk, 220103
Director: Leonid Babko
Tel./fax: +375 (17) 281-41-33
Deputy for Sports Work: Naumovich Alexander Vladimirovich
Tel.: +375 (17) 281-41-93

The institution “School of Martial Arts”
Address: 220004 Minsk ave. Pobediteley, 2, room 46
Tel.: +375 (17) 203-57-12
Director Valery V. Babuk tel. +375 (17) 203-70-27, mobile 6591848
Freestyle wrestling (weightlifting)

State institution “Sports School No. 7 for martial arts of the Education Committee of the Minsk City Executive Committee”
Address: 7 Korolyov str., 220004 Minsk
Tel.: +375 (17) 200-34-86
Director – Nikolay Alfredovich Tychko
Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling, sambo, judo (boxing, taekwondo, kickboxing, wushu)

Establishment of the KSDYUSHOR of the primary trade union organization of the Minsk Tractor Plant
Address: 220009 Minsk, O.Koshevoy str., 2
Tel.: +375 (17) 230-33-61, fax: 2301652
Director – Anatoly Makarovich Shkred mobile:: +375 (29) 117-48-81
Greco-Roman wrestling, table tennis, freestyle wrestling (sambo, football)

Institution “Minsk city School of Trade Unions for Wrestling and Taekwondo”
Address: 11 Beruta str., Minsk, 220074
Tel.: +375 (17) 251-60-80
Director Gritsevich Elena Antonovna,

State institution “Minsk City Olympic Wrestling Reserve Center named after three-time Olympic champion A.V.Medved”
Address: Republic of Belarus, 55 Kalinovskiy str., Minsk, 220103;
Website: http://www.cwm.by/
Director – Palaznik Nikolay Viktorovich;
Deputy Director – Igor Nikolaevich Yaschuk;
Phones and fax: +375 (17) 380-45-02 – educational and sports department; +375 (17) 380-45-03 – Chief accountant;

The institution of the “Wrestling Sports School” of the Department of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Minsk City Executive Committee
Address: 12 Pervomaiskaya str., Minsk, 220030
Tel.: +375 (17) 227-38-93
Director – Eremenko Vladimir Arkadyevich
Greco-Roman wrestling, judo, sambo (freestyle wrestling)

Institution “Minsk Sports School No. 1” BFSO “Dynamo”
Address: 220600 Minsk Dauman, 23-4
Tel.: +375 (17) 227-73-48
Director – Lozikova Tatyana Mikhailovna
Greco-Roman wrestling, biathlon, judo, diving, bullet shooting, table tennis (boxing, tennis, synchronized swimming, modern pentathlon, weightlifting)

State institution “Minsk Regional Comprehensive Specialized Children’s and Youth School of the Olympic Reserve”
Address: 2 Surganova str., Minsk, 220012
Fax: +375 296 69 57
Director – Popok Nikolay Nikolaevich +375 (17) 296-63-12, mob.+375 (29) 668-68-44
Deputy Director – Dmitry Sergeevich Molochko +375 296 61 29, mob. +375 (33) 666-40-03; mob.+375 (29) 658-40-03
Material and technical base: Greco-Roman wrestling hall, Svir sports and recreation center, semi-open shooting range in the town of Maryina Gorka

Educational institution ”Minsk State Regional School of Olympic Reserve“
Address: 11 Geroyev Street, 120th Division, Minsk, 220056
Fax: +375 (17) 266-09-54
Director – Vladimir Ivanovich Taynikov +375 (17) 266-58-40, mob.+375 (29) 163-37-40; mob.+375 (29) 564-76-73
Deputy for Sports Work: Elena Alekseevna Kazak, tel./fax: +375 (17) 266-59-50

Educational institution “Republican State School of the Olympic Reserve”
Address: 55 Filimonov str., building 220114, korp 1
Director Leonid A. Malashenko
Tel./ fax: +375 (17) 267-43-18 – Reception

Educational institution ”Belarusian State Agrarian Technical University“
Address: BGATU 2009, Minsk, Independence Avenue, 99, 220023.
Tel.: +375 (172) 67-47-71, fax: +375 (172) 67-41-16

Establishment of the Republican Center for Olympic Martial Arts Training
Address: 36 Radialnaya str., Minsk, 220070
Fax: 230 64 94
Phone number: +375 (17) 337-39-74, +375 (17) 331-94-75
The director of the center is Alexander Ivanovich Baraulya