Artur Naifonov
Artur Edikovich Naifonov (Russian: Артур Эдикович Найфонов, IPA: [ɐrˈtur nɐɪ̯ˈfonəf], Ossetian: Найфонты Эдичы фырт Артур; born 10 May 1997) is a Russian freestyle wrestler, who competes at 86 kilograms.[2] Naifonov is an Olympic Games medalist, World Championship medalist, three-time European Continental champion and a three-time Russian National champion (four-time finalist).[3][4][5][6]
Naifonov is a survivor of the 2004 Beslan school siege along with his sister, both receiving shrapnel wounds. His mother was killed in crossfire.[7]
Road to Olympic Games
After coming up short and taking second place at the 2020 Russian National Championships,[8] Naifonov wasn't able to compete at the Individual World Cup and did not wrestle again until March 2021.
In order to achieve a place on the Olympic Team, Naifonov would have to take first place at the 2021 Russian National Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Ulan-Ude. Winning all of his matches, including against 2020 European Silver Medallist, Magomed Ramazanov whom Naifonov defeated in the semi-final. At one point, Ramazanov was winning with the score 8-1,[9] before Naifonov made a comeback to win 10-8.
Naifonov would then meet his main rival in Russia, Dauren Kurugliev, representing Dagestan, in the final. Naifonov defeated Kurugliev with the score 2-1,[10] which won Naifonov the first place on the podium,[11] gold medal and be invited to compete for his country at the Olympic games in Tokyo.[12]
2020 Olympic Games
Following his Russian National Championships win, Naifonov wrestled at the Olympic Games held in Tokyo. Naifonov made his Olympic debut with a win over Ossetian-Slovakian transfer, Boris Makojev and defeated him 6-0, followed by a 12-1, technical fall over Turkey's Osman Göçen, advancing Naifonov into the semi-final opposite Hassan Yazdani. Yazdani won the match 7-1; however as this match was the semi-final, Naifonov was automatically placed into a third place, bronze-medal match against Dagestan-Uzbekistan transfer, Javrail Shapiev. After controlling all six minutes in a low scoring match, Naifonov won the match 2-0, securing an Olympic Bronze Medal.[13]
2021 World Championships
Following his Bronze medal Olympic debut, Naifonov wanted to finish the year wrestling at the 2021 World Wrestling Championships, held in Norway. Naifonov faced Japan's Hayato Ishiguro in the round of 16 and defeated the Japanese wrestler 11-0 with advancement to the quarter-final match against Spanish representative, Taiumuraz Friev, who Naifonov beat 5-2. In the semi-final, Naifonov would, again, Yazdani and lost again, by the score 8-2 and ruining his hopes for gold.
Naifonov faced Kazakh wrestler, Azamat Dauletbekov in the bronze medal match, beating the Kazakh by 3-0 and winning his second world Bronze medal.[14][15]
2024 Olympic Games
He competed at the 2024 European Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan and he earned a quota place for the Individual Neutral Athletes for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, but he missed these games, due to replacements by other NOCs.[16]
Freestyle record
References
- ^ "Totraz Archegov: "It's not enough to be a good athlete. One must be a man - then God will help!"". gazetabeslana.ru. May 20, 2014.
- ^ "Artur Naifonov Profile". Infosport.ru. infosport. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
- ^ "Артур Найфонов - чемпион Европы по спортивной борьбе". depsport.ru. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
- ^ "Артур Найфонов выиграл чемпионат Европы по вольной борьбе | ГТРК Алания". Россия-Алания / ГТРК "АЛАНИЯ" (in Russian). 2020-02-16. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
- ^ "MMA/Единоборства. Российский борец Найфонов завоевал золото чемпионата Европы". news.sportbox.ru (in Russian). 2020-02-16. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
- ^ сайт «ОСнова», Северо-Осетинский информационный. "Артур Найфонов - чемпион Европы по вольной борьбе!". ОсНова.News. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
- ^ "Борец Артур Найфонов принес России бронзу на Олимпиаде. 17 лет назад он был заложником в школе Беслана, его мать погибла при теракте". Медуза (in Russian). 2021-08-07. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
- ^ "Чемпионат России по вольной борьбе среди мужчин. День 3. Результаты, итоги". karate.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ Telesport. "Найфонов победил Рамазанова, проигрывая 1:8! Полуфинал чемпионата России 2021 – смотреть видео | TeleSport – бесплатные прямые онлайн трансляции". tele-sport.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ "Артур Найфонов стал чемпионом России по вольной борьбе - 15-Й РЕГИОН". 15-Й РЕГИОН - Информационный портал РСО - Алания (in Russian). 2021-03-12. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ "Двукратный чемпион мира Заур Угуев, Артур Найфонов и Магомед Курбанов – чемпионы России по вольной борьбе в Улан-Удэ". allsportinfo.ru. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ "Артур Найфонов стал чемпионом России по вольной борьбе". vladikavkaz.bezformata.com. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ "Artur Naifonov, Myles Amine win men's 86kg bronze medals | NBC Olympics". www.nbcolympics.com. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ "86 kg Final 3-5 - Azamat Dauletbekov, Kazakhstan vs Artur Naifonov, Russian Wrestling Federation". www.flowrestling.org. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ "NAIFONOV Artur profile page". uww.org (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ "2024 European Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament Results Book" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
External links
- Artur Naifonov at United World Wrestling
- Artur Naifonov at the International Wrestling Database
- Artur Naifonov at Olympedia