Mikhail Mamiashvili
Head-control technician who later ran Russian wrestling
- Born
- November 21, 1963, Konotop, Ukraine
- Nationality
- Soviet Union
- Height
- 177 cm (5′10″)
- Style
- Head-control technician
- Weight
- 74 kg, 82 kg
- Active
- 1983–1991
- Status
- Retired · age 62
The medals
Olympic gold; 3 world titles
The story
orn in Konotop, Ukraine, to a Georgian family, Mikhail Mamiashvili moved to Moscow as a teenager and made the Soviet team in 1983. That year, as the youngest wrestler in the field, he won the world title at 74 kg in Kyiv and was named the most technical competitor of the championships. He repeated as world champion in 1985 and 1986 and missed the 1984 Olympics because of the Soviet boycott. Moving up to 82 kg, he won gold in Seoul in 1988, beating Hungary's Tibor Komáromi 10–1 in the final. A leading Soviet coach said that once Mamiashvili had an opponent's head, the outcome was rarely in doubt. He added world silver medals in 1989 and 1990 before retiring. Since 2001 he has been president of the Russian Wrestling Federation, a role that has drawn controversy.
- Olympic champion, 82 kg (1988)
- World champion, 74 kg (1983, 1985, 1986)
- European champion (1986, 1988, 1989)
- World Cup winner (1985)
- FILA Hall of Fame (2008)
- FILA Golden Belt (1986, 1988)
Defining matches
- 1983World title Kyiv (youngest entrant; named most technical wrestler)
- 1988WINvs Maik Bullmann (Olympics, 11–0)
- 1988LOSSvs Bogdan Daras (Olympics, passivity)
- 1988WINvs Tibor Komáromi (Olympic final, 10–1)
Master head-and-arm control from the tie-up: pull the head down, trap an arm and keep his posture broken so he cannot set up his own attacks. Mamiashvili was named the most technical wrestler at his first world championships.
1990–2000
1998–2012
1976–1994
