Boris Kulayev

Boris Kulayev was one of the world’s top light-heavyweight freestyles in the 1950s, although he never won a major international title. Kulayev made his international début at the 1954 Universiade, where he beat Iranian Gholam Reza Takhti in the final to win a gold medal. In the next year, Kulayev won gold in the World Festival of Youth and Students and, prior to the 1956 Olympics, the 1956 World Cup, again beating Takhti, thus going to the Olympics as a favorite. At the Olympics, however, Kulayev lost unexpectedly to Takhti by decision in the fifth round and settled for a silver medal. At the 1957 World Championships, Kulayev again had to settle for a silver medal, this time behind Bulgarian Petko Sirakov. Kulayev last competed internationally at the 1959 World Championships, where he placed sixth. Domestically he was the Soviet freestyle light-heavyweight champion in 1955-56, and 1959-60, taking silver in 1952, 1954 and 1957. After finishing his sporting career, Kulayev worked for a long time as the general director of the Republican Spartak Stadium in Vladikavkaz.