:Buvaisar Saitiev

Saitiev was born in Khasavyurt, Dagestan on 11 March 1975, and was of Chechen descent.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-04 |title=Russian MP of Chechen origin dies under mysterious circumstances |url=https://oc-media.org/russian-mp-of-chechen-origin-dies-under-mysterious-circumstances/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250311212832/https://oc-media.org/russian-mp-of-chechen-origin-dies-under-mysterious-circumstances/ |archive-date=2025-03-11 |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=OC Media |language=en}} Saitiev left his hometown in 1992 in order to train at a prestigious wrestling center in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. His younger brother Adam Saitiev later followed in his footsteps.

Soon after graduating from the training center, Saitiev began his quest to represent Russia on the world stage. Saitiev was decorated with the Order of Friendship by the Russian president. His younger brother Adam Saitiev, also a wrestler, won gold in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

Saitiev's life philosophy was heavily influenced by Nobel Prize-winning poet Boris Pasternak. Saitiev repeated Pasternak's poem, "It is not seemly to be famous,"{{Cite web |date=3 April 2010 |title=It is Not Seemly to be Famous... Poem by Boris Pasternak |url=https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/it-is-not-seemly-to-be-famous/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820095619/https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/it-is-not-seemly-to-be-famous/ |archive-date=2010-08-20}} before every match, and according to Saitiev, the poem defined his life both inside and outside of wrestling.The Silent Gladiators, p. 237

Saitiev had three sons and one daughter.{{Cite web |title=Buvaisar Saitiev — a life in wrestling |url=http://www.rtgcorp.ru/en/films/Buvaisar_Saitiev_a_life_in_wrestling |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209190259/http://www.rtgcorp.ru/en/films/Buvaisar_Saitiev_a_life_in_wrestling |archive-date=2017-12-09 |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=RTG CORP |language=en}}

Saitiev died in Moscow on 2 March 2025, at the age of 49.{{Cite web |title=Умер трехкратный олимпийский чемпион по вольной борьбе Бувайсар Сайтиев. Ему было 49 лет |url=https://m.sports.ru/wrestling/1116654130-umer-trexkratnyj-olimpijskij-chempion-po-volnoj-borbe-buvajsar-sajtiev.html |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=www.sports.ru |language=ru}}{{Cite web |date=2025-03-02 |title=Russian Olympic wrestling champ Saitiev dies |url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/44082648/russian-olympic-wrestling-champ-buvaisar-saitiev-dies-49 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250302211407/https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/44082648/russian-olympic-wrestling-champ-buvaisar-saitiev-dies-49 |archive-date=2025-03-02 |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=ESPN.com |publisher=Reuters |language=en}} Executive director of the Russian Wrestling Federation, Makhmud Magomedov, stated that Saitiev died of cardiac arrest, and Russia's minister of sport Mikhail Degtyarev said Saitiev had been ill, frequently visiting medical centres. Saitiev's widow, Indira, stated Saitiev had fallen out of a second-storey window before his death. Russian outlet {{ill|Baza (magazine)|lt=Baza|ru|Baza}} reported that a janitor found Saitiev lying injured on the ground near a residence on Minskaya Street, and called for an ambulance. Baza said Saitiev later died in hospital. Newsweek stated that they could not independently verify Baza's claims.{{Cite web |last=van Brugen |first=Isabel |date=2025-03-03 |title=Russian Olympic champion turned lawmaker dead after falling from window |url=https://www.newsweek.com/buvaisar-saitiev-dead-moscow-falling-window-2038742 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250304003730/https://www.newsweek.com/buvaisar-saitiev-dead-moscow-falling-window-2038742 |archive-date=2025-03-04 |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=Newsweek |language=en}} Saitiev's death created an outpouring of grief. Khabib Nurmagomedov wrote on social media that "Saitiev inspired millions of children around the world", and Ramzan Kadyrov, head of the Chechen Republic, said Saitiev was "not only a legendary athlete, but also a man of high honour." Kadyrov announced three days of mourning in Chechnya in honour of Saitiev. Saitiev was a practicing Muslim and was buried next to his father in his hometown of Khasavyurt, Dagestan, following Muslim tradition.

Saitiev won nine World-level gold medals. He was a six-time World champion and a three-time Olympic champion. His senior level international career began in 1994 and continued on through the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. In thirteen years, he competed in eleven World or Olympic championship tournaments, winning nine gold medals at those events and losing only two bouts. Saitiev won at the World championships in 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003 and 2005, and at the Olympics in 1996, 2004 and 2008.

In 1999, Saitiev did not wrestle at the World championships, instead his weight class was represented by his younger brother Adam Saitiev, who went on to win the gold medal. Saitiev also did not compete at the World Championships in 2002. In 2007, according to media reports, Saitiev's training in was hampered by a neck injury.

Despite his success, Saitiev suffered a number of losses in his senior career. He suffered his first loss in his senior career at the 1994 World Wrestling Cup to Davoud Ghanbari.{{Cite web |date=2014-01-10 |title=Трижды олимпионик Бувайсар Сайтиев |url=https://wsport.su/trizhdy-olimpionik/ |access-date=2024-10-27 |language=ru-RU}} At the 2000 Summer Olympics, Saitiev lost to Brandon Slay.{{Cite web |last=Van Kley |first=Bryan |date=2012-07-10 |title=Gardner and Slay earned stunning upsets over Russians in 2000 Olympics |url=https://www.win-magazine.com/2012/07/10/gardner-and-slay-earned-stunning-upsets-over-russians-in-2000-olympics/ |access-date=2024-10-27 |website=WIN Magazine |language=en-US}} Saitiev lost to Magomed Isagadzhiev at the 2002 Russian Nationals.{{Cite web |last=Павлов |first=Петр |date=2023-06-15 |title=Магомед Исагаджиев – тренер сборной Ирана |url=https://dzulurgan.ru/2023/06/magomed-isa-gadzhiev-trener-sbornoj-irana/ |access-date=2024-10-27 |language=ru-RU}}{{Cite web |date=2023-06-26 |title=Сборная Ирана усилилась дагестанцем |url=https://midag.ru/2023/06/26/sbornaya-irana-usililas-dagestanczem/ |access-date=2024-10-27 |website=Махачкалинские известия |language=ru-RU}} Saitiev then lost to Mihail Ganev at the 2006 World Wrestling Championships.{{Cite web |title=Сайтиев не выдержал темпа - Борьба вольная и женская в Красноярске на Redyarsk.Ru |url=https://www.redyarsk.ru/articles/detail.php?id=1920 |access-date=2024-10-27 |website=Redyarsk.Ru - весь спорт Красноярска |language=ru}} Saitiev lost at the 2007 Russian Nationals to Makhach Murtazaliev.{{Cite web |date=2007 |title=Махач Муртазалиев выиграл у Бувайсара Сайтиева |url=https://stadium.ru/news/34238 |access-date=2024-10-27 |website=stadium.ru}} He then lost at the 2008 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, also to Murtazaliev.{{Cite news |date=2008-01-28 |title=Бувайсар Сайтиев проиграл золото! |url=https://www.krsk.kp.ru/daily/24038.5/97648/ |access-date=2024-10-27 |work=Комсомольская правда}}

His Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics was his last wrestling competition and the final of his nine total World or Olympic level championships.

{{s-start}}

! colspan="7"| World Championships & Olympics

|-

! Res.

! Record

! Opponent

! Score

! Date

! Event

! Location

|-

! style=background:white colspan=7 |{{small| 2008 Summer Olympics {{gold1}} at 74kg}}

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|46-2

|align=left|{{flagicon|UZB}} Soslan Tigiev

|style="font-size:88%"|0–1, 1–0, 3–1

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5|August 12, 2008

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5|2008 Olympic Games

|style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=5|{{flagicon|CHN}} Beijing, China

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|45-2

|align=left|{{flagicon|BUL}} Kiril Terziev

|style="font-size:88%"|Fall

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|44-2

|align=left|{{flagicon|CUB}} Iván Fundora

|style="font-size:88%"|2-0, 2-1

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|43-2

|align=left|{{flagicon|TUR}} Ahmet Gülhan

|style="font-size:88%"|1-0, 4-0

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|42-2

|align=left|{{flagicon|KOR}} Cho Byung-kwan

|style="font-size:88%"|1-0, 7-2

|-

! style=background:white colspan=7 |{{small| 2006 World Championships 8th at 74kg}}

|-

|{{no2}}Loss

|41-2

|align=left|{{flagicon|BUL}} Mihail Ganev

|style="font-size:88%"|3-0, 2-2, 1-1

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3|September 27, 2006

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3|2006 World Wrestling Championships

|style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=3|{{flagicon|CHN}} Guangzhou, China

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|41-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|CUB}} Iván Fundora

|style="font-size:88%"|5-3, 7-2

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|40-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|VEN}} Maximo Blanco

|style="font-size:88%"|4-1, 5-0

|-

! style=background:white colspan=7 |{{small| 2005 World Championships {{gold1}} at 74kg}}

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|39-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|HUN}} Árpád Ritter

|style="font-size:88%"|3-0, 3-1

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5|September 26, 2005

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5|2005 World Wrestling Championships

|style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=5|{{flagicon|HUN}} Budapest, Hungary

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|38-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|IRI}} Mehdi Hajizadeh

|style="font-size:88%"|6-0, 5-3

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|37-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|ITA}} Salvatore Rinella

|style="font-size:88%"|6-1, 5-0

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|36-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|BUL}} Nikolay Paslar

|style="font-size:88%"|3-0, 3-1

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|35-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|GBR}} Malak Mohamed Osman

|style="font-size:88%"|2-0, 9-0

|-

! style=background:white colspan=7 |{{small| 2004 Summer Olympics {{gold1}} at 74kg}}

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|34-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|KAZ}} Gennadiy Laliyev

|style="font-size:88%"|7-0

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5|August 26, 2004

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5|2004 Olympic Games

|style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=5|{{flagicon|GRE}} Athens, Greece

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|33-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|POL}} Krystian Brzozowski

|style="font-size:88%"|8-0

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|32-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|BLR}} Murad Gaidarov

|style="font-size:88%"|3-2

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|31-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|GRE}} Emzarios Bentinidis

|style="font-size:88%"|6-1

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|30-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|HUN}} Árpád Ritter

|style="font-size:88%"|8-2

|-

! style=background:white colspan=7 |{{small| 2003 World Championships {{gold1}} at 74kg}}

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|29-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|BLR}} Murad Gaidarov

|style="font-size:88%"|2-2

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5|September 12, 2003

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5|2003 World Wrestling Championships

|style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=5|{{flagicon|USA}} New York City, United States

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|28-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|IRI}} Hadi Habibi

|style="font-size:88%"|6-3

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|27-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|AUS}} Talgat Ilyasov

|style="font-size:88%"|9-1

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|26-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|BUL}} Nikolay Paslar

|style="font-size:88%"|4-1

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|25-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|SEN}} Jean Bernard Diatta

|style="font-size:88%"|Tech. Fall

|-

! style=background:white colspan=7 |{{small| 2001 World Championships {{gold1}} at 76kg}}

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|24-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|KOR}} Moon Eui-jae

|style="font-size:88%"|3-2

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5|November 22, 2001

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5|2001 World Wrestling Championships

|style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=5|{{flagicon|BUL}} Sofia, Bulgaria

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|23-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} Joe Williams

|style="font-size:88%"|5-4

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|22-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|GEO}} Revaz Mindorashvili

|style="font-size:88%"|3-2

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|21-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|JPN}} Kunihiko Obata

|style="font-size:88%"|7-0

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|20-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|UZB}} Ruslan Khinchagov

|style="font-size:88%"|4-3

|-

! style=background:white colspan=7 |{{small| 2000 Summer Olympics 9th at 76kg}}

|-

|{{no2}}Loss

|19-1

|align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} Brandon Slay

|style="font-size:88%"|3-4

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=2|September 28, 2000

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=2|2000 Olympic Games

|style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=2|{{flagicon|AUS}} Sydney

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|19-0

|align=left|{{flagicon|BUL}} Plamen Paskalev

|style="font-size:88%"|8-2

|-

! style=background:white colspan=7 |{{small| 1998 World Championships {{gold1}} at 76kg}}

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|18-0

|align=left|{{flagicon|KOR}} Moon Eui-jae

|style="font-size:88%"|3-0

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4|September 7, 1998

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4|1998 World Wrestling Championships

|style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=4|{{flagicon|IRI}} Tehran, Iran

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|17-0

|align=left|{{flagicon|POL}} Marcin Jurecki

|style="font-size:88%"|Fall

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|16-0

|align=left|{{flagicon|GEO}} Alexander Kahniasvili

|style="font-size:88%"|Tech. Fall

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|15-0

|align=left|{{flagicon|MDA}} Victor Peikov

|style="font-size:88%"|Tech. Fall

|-

! style=background:white colspan=7 |{{small| 1997 World Championships {{gold1}} at 76kg}}

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|14-0

|align=left|{{flagicon|GER}} Alexander Leipold

|style="font-size:88%"|3-1

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5|August 29, 1997

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5|1997 World Wrestling Championships

|style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=5|{{flagicon|RUS}} Krasnojarsk, Russia

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|13-0

|align=left|{{flagicon|KOR}} Moon Eui-jae

|style="font-size:88%"|6-2

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|12-0

|align=left|{{flagicon|UKR}} David Bichinashvili

|style="font-size:88%"|7-0

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|11-0

|align=left|{{flagicon|HUN}} Arpad Ritter

|style="font-size:88%"|6-0

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|10-0

|align=left|{{flagicon|CAN}} Nicholas Ugoalah

|style="font-size:88%"|Fall

|-

! style=background:white colspan=7 |{{small| 1996 Summer Olympics {{gold1}} at 74kg}}

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|9-0

|align=left|{{flagicon|KOR}} Park Jang-soon

|style="font-size:88%"|5-0

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4|July 30, 1996

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4|1996 Olympic Games

|style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=4|{{flagicon|USA}} Atlanta, United States

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|8-0

|align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} Kenny Monday

|style="font-size:88%"|6-1

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|7-0

|align=left|{{flagicon|GER}} Alexander Leipold

|style="font-size:88%"|3-1

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|6-0

|align=left|{{flagicon|IRI}} Issa Momeni

|style="font-size:88%"|8-0

|-

! style=background:white colspan=7 |{{small| 1995 World Championships {{gold1}} at 74kg}}

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|5-0

|align=left|{{flagicon|GER}} Alexander Leipold

|style="font-size:88%"|3-2

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5|August 10, 1995

|style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5|1995 World Wrestling Championships

|style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=5|{{flagicon|USA}} Atlanta, United States

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|4-0

|align=left|{{flagicon|AZE}} Magomed Salam Gadshiev

|style="font-size:88%"|3-0

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|3-0

|align=left|{{flagicon|MDA}} Victor Peikov

|style="font-size:88%"|12-3

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|2-0

|align=left|{{flagicon|POL}} Krzysztof Walencik

|style="font-size:88%"|Fall

|-

|{{yes2}}Win

|1-0

|align=left|{{flagicon|CUB}} Alberto Rodríguez

|style="font-size:88%"|Tech. Fall

|-

{{end}}

{{reflist}}

{{notelist}}

• {{IWD|name=Bouvaisa Saitiev}}
• {{IMDb name| 3313289}}
• {{Olympedia|name=Buvaysar Saytiyev}}
• [http://www.chechenfighters.com CHECHEN FIGHT CLUB]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20181012105939/http://buvaysar.ru/ Buvaysar's official website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928090502/http://recdb.jiss.naash.go.jp/jsp-examples/list_athlete.jsp?name=SAYTYEV%20Buvaysa JISS Olympic Result Database information]
• [http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=eng§ion=sportsmeneng&row=5 Chechnya Free.ru article]
• [http://www.peoples.ru/sport/free-style_wrestling/saitiev/ Interview with Buvaisar Saitiev (in Russian)]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080928162918/http://www.flowrestling.org/videos/coverage/view_video/234064-2008-olympics/72448-buvaisar-saitievenough-said Flowrestling Video Interview with Saitiev after 2008 Olympics]

{{Olympic Champions freestyle wrestling welterweight}}

{{World Champions freestyle wrestling welterweight}}

{{European Champions freestyle wrestling middleweight}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saitiev, Buvaisar}}

Category:1975 births

Category:2025 deaths

Category:20th-century Russian sportsmen

Category:Martial artists from Khasavyurt

Category:Olympic gold medalists for Russia

Category:Wrestlers at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Category:Wrestlers at the 2000 Summer Olympics

Category:Wrestlers at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Category:Wrestlers at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Category:Olympic wrestlers for Russia

Category:Sport wrestlers from Dagestan

Category:Olympic medalists in wrestling

Category:Russian people of Chechen descent

Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Category:World Wrestling Championships medalists

Category:Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Category:Seventh convocation members of the State Duma (Russian Federation)

Category:European Wrestling Championships medalists

Category:Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class

Category:Recipients of the Order of Friendship

Category:Recipients of the Order of Honour (Russia)

Category:Russian Muslims