All sports have their own legendary personalities who have no equal. Swimmers - Australian Michael Phelps, sprinters - Jamaican Usain Bolt, and wrestlers - Russian Arsen Fadzaev. On the carpet, he was invulnerable and invincible. For which he received the title of the best fighter of the twentieth century.
Biography: childhood and adolescence
Arsen Suleimanovich Fadzaev was born on September 5, 1962 in the small village of Chikola, in North Ossetia. Ossetian by nationality. The Fadzaev family did not live well. His father worked as a driver, and his mother was a veterinarian.
He became interested in wrestling at the age of 14, which is a bit late by sporting standards. However, I quickly got a taste and started showing good results. Largely due to the excellent physical data. On the carpet, Fadzaev was distinguished by his strength, technique and thirst for victory. The first coach of the athlete was Ramazan Bichilov.
After graduating from high school, Arsen became a student at the Uzbek State Institute of Physical Culture, which he graduated in 1985. After receiving his diploma, Fadzaev was drafted into the army, where he served in the Central Sports Club (CSKA).
Sports career
When Fadzaev moved to neighboring Vladikavkaz, Vasily Kazakhov became his coach. Soon he was replaced by Kazbek Dedegkaev. Arsen took the best from each coach, strengthening his skills. The athlete performed in the weight category up to 68 kg.
Even in his youth, he twice became the champion of the Union, won the Spartakiad of schoolchildren, won the youth championships in Europe and the world. His fights have always been popular, he was followed with interest not only by ordinary people, but also by professionals.
The first world success came to Arsen in 1983. He took part in the fateful confrontation between the USSR and the USA, defeating Andrew Rein, who was very titled at that time, with a score of 11: 0. From this meeting, the countdown of Fadzaev's winning streak began. Over the next five years, he did not lose a single fight. Moreover, Arsen did not give his opponents a single point both in domestic and international competitions. Most of the victories were won by Fadzaev ahead of schedule. He had a colossal advantage over his rivals.
After the Soviet-American duel, Arsen won the World Championship, which was held in 1983 in Kiev. Then it took him only ten minutes for six victorious fights. And in the final meeting, he knocked out his long-time formidable opponent, Olympic medalist Buyandeger Bold from Mongolia. In an interview, the athlete admitted that after the Kiev victory he became more confident in himself and ceased to be afraid of rivals.
After the resounding success, Fadzaev dreamed of the Olympics, which was to be held in Los Angeles in 1984. The news that the Union had decided to boycott this competition in solidarity with other socialist countries came as a blow to him. Even after the end of his career, Fadzaev speaks with pain in his voice about the events of 1984.
In 1985, Arsen became world champion again and also took the World Cup. The opponents were powerless, they could not carry out a single technique against Fadzaev, who progressed even more. In the same year he was awarded the first ever prize "Golden wrestler FILA". The award is given to the best freestyle wrestler.
In 1988, in Seoul, Fadzaev won his first Olympic gold. In the final bout, he defeated Games host Park Jang Sun 6-0.
In 1989, that is, in the new Olympic cycle, Fadzaev decided to compete in a heavier weight, up to 74 kg. The five-year winning streak ended in the same year at the World Championships. Fadzaev himself later admitted that at that time he was so used to victories that he simply relaxed. He lost to American Kenny Monday. Fadzaev's silver was then regarded by the Soviet leadership as a terrible defeat. After that, the athlete returned to the previous weight category, where he began to win again.
On his account the following victories:
- The 1989 World Cup in Toledo;
- World Cup 1990 in Tokyo;
- World Cup 1991 in Varna.
In 1992, Arsen again became the Olympic champion. After winning Barcelona, Arsene decided to take another third gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games. However, the sports leadership offered him to become the head coach of the Russian freestyle wrestling team. Fadziev thought for three days, after which he gave a positive answer.
Having risen at the helm of the national team, he first of all updated the composition. In 1996, Russians won three gold medals in Atlanta. Arsen himself, before the Games in the States, decided to quit his coaching job in order to compete again and take the third Olympic gold. However, he could not get into the Russian national team. Then Fadziev decided to play for the national team of Uzbekistan, where he studied and lived for several years. However, he was not destined to win the third gold: Arsen was defeated by his de-student, the Russian Vadim Bogiev. As a result, Fadzaev became only thirteenth in Atlanta.
Ranks of Arsen Fadzaev
In addition to the medals of regular championships, the wrestler has many titles, including:
- Honored Master of Sports of the USSR (1983);
- Honored Trainer of Russia;
- The best sportsman of the USSR in 1991;
- The best wrestler on the planet of the XX century;
- Honored Worker of Physical Culture and Sports of the Russian Federation;
- Honorary Citizen of the city of Tashkent.
Political career
After leaving the sport, Fadzaev got a job in the tax police of North Ossetia as a deputy chief. Then he went up for promotion, taking a similar post, but already in the Tax Police Directorate for the North Caucasus. He finished his service with the rank of colonel.
After working in the tax authorities, Fadzaev linked his life with politics. He began his career in this field with a deputy in the North Ossetian Parliament. In 2003, Arsen got a seat in the State Duma. Concurrently he worked in the Committee for Physical Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs. Soon Fadzaev created a public organization "For the health of the nation." Over the years of work in the State Duma, he changed several parties: he was a member of the Union of Right Forces, United Russia, Patriots of Russia.
In 2017, he became the representative of the legislative branch of North Ossetia in the Federation Council.
Personal life
Arsen Fadzaev hides his family from prying eyes. It is known that he is married. Has two sons.
