"Man of honor"

Cardiac arrest! 3-time Olympic champion dies

Buvaissar Saitiyev - here at his gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing

(Bild: AFP)

The sport of wrestling mourns the loss of one of the most successful athletes in its history: At the age of just 49, the 1996, 2004 and 2008 Olympic champion and six-time (!) world and European champion Buvaissar Saitiyev has died!

The Russian of Chechen origin probably suffered a cardiac arrest in Moscow as a result of poisoning, possibly due to an overdose of strong medication. "He had heart problems, his lungs had to be treated beforehand," explained Makhmud Magomedov, managing director of the wrestling association of the Russian republic of Dagestan.

"Man of great inner strength, honor and dedication!"
Saitiyev had made an "invaluable contribution to the development" of the sport of wrestling during his career and afterwards, Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryov expressed his dismay. "He was not only one of the most decorated wrestlers in history, [...] but also a man of great inner strength, honor and dedication."

"The great son of the Chechen people!"
One of the first to offer his condolences was Ramzan Kadyrov, the President of Chechnya, where Saitiyev came from. "The great son of the Chechen people, our brother Buvaissar Saitiyev, has died! This is an irreparable loss for the whole country, for the world of sport, for everyone who knew this outstanding man," said Kadyrov.

Outside of his life for the sport of wrestling, Saitiyev served as a deputy for Vladimir Putin's United Russia party in Russia's State Duma, the lower house of parliament, between 2016 and 2021. There he was involved in the Committee on Physical Education, Sport, Tourism and Youth Affairs, among others. He is survived by his wife, three sons and a daughter.