Shazam Safin

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameShazam Sergeyevich•Safin
Used nameShazam•Safin
Original nameШазам Сергеевич•Сафин
Born17 April 1932 in Kochko-Pozharki, Nizhny Novgorod (RUS)
Died23 March 1985 in Moskva (Moscow), Moskva (RUS)
AffiliationsVS Moskva, Moskva (RUS)
NOC Soviet Union
Nationality Russian Federation
Medals OG
Gold 1
Silver 0
Bronze 0
Total 1

Biography

Shazam Safin was born to a Tatar family and was acquainted with the Tatar traditional wrestling style of köräş from a young age. His family moved to Moscow in 1939 and Safin took up Greco-Roman wrestling in 1947. The biggest achievement for Safin as a wrestler came at the 1952 Olympics, where he, a virtually unknown wrestler, won gold in Greco-Roman lightweight. Before the Olympics, Safin had only won bronze at the Soviet Championships, in 1951 in Greco-Roman lightweight and in 1952 in Greco-Roman welterweight, which would remain his only medals at the Soviet Championships. In 1953, to conclude his career, Safin won bronze at the World Championships in Greco-Roman lightweight.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal Nationality As
1952 Summer Olympics Wrestling URS RUS Shazam Safin
Lightweight, Greco-Roman, Men (Olympic) 1 Gold