Makharbek Khadartsev

Makharbek Khadartsev was the world’s top freestyle light-heavyweight in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Wrestling in that class his entire career, Khadartsev was Olympic Champion in 1988 and 1992, World Champion in 1986-87 and 1989-91, and European Champion in 1987-89, 1990-92 and 1995. He also won Olympic silver in 1996, World Championship silver in 1994-95, World Championship bronze in 1993, and World Cup titles in 1986, 1988 and 1990. Domestically, Khadartsev won three Soviet titles in 1986-88 and one Russian title in 1994. Khadartsev retired from sports after the 1996 Olympics, but four years later decided to make a comeback and compete at his fourth Olympics. As he did not make the 2000 Russian Olympic team, Khadartsev represented Uzbekistan but, clearly past his prime, he was eliminated from the competition at an early stage.

A graduate of the Tashkent State University (now National University of Uzbekistan) with a law degree, Khadartsev received a candidate of economy degree from the North Ossetian State University in 1998. Beginning in 1993, Khadartsev worked as the general director of the Daryal beer factory and, from 1995-99, he was a member of the North Ossetian parliament. In 2011 he was elected to the Russian State Duma (parliament) and in 2005 was elected to the FILA International Wrestling Hall of Fame.