Rıza Kayaalp
Five world titles, thirteen European crowns, one great rival
- Born
- October 10, 1989, Yozgat, Turkey
- Nationality
Turkey- Height
- 182 cm (6′0″)
- Style
- Gut-wrench heavyweight
- Weight
- 120 kg, 130 kg
- Active
- 2008–present
- Status
- Active · age 37
The medals
Olympic silver + 2 bronzes; 5 world titles
The story
ıza Kayaalp, born in Yozgat, has spent most of his career at the top of the heavyweight division alongside Cuba's Mijaín López. He beat López in the 2011 and 2015 world finals, lost to him in the 2014 world final and the Rio 2016 Olympic final, and has five world titles in all, plus Olympic silver and two bronzes. His weapon of choice is the gut wrench: in the 2026 European final he turned Hungary's Dáriusz Vitek three times from par terre to win 7–1, becoming the first wrestler to win 13 European titles, one more than A. K. That comeback followed a 2024 positive test for trimetazidine: the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the violation and voided his results from May 2024, but found it was not intentional and cut his ban to 18 months.
- World champion (2011, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022)
- Olympic silver (2016) and bronze (2012, 2020)
- Record 13 European titles (2010–2026)
- Milliyet Athlete of the Year (2020)
Defining matches
- 2011WINvs Mijaín López (World final, 4–0)
- 2015WINvs Mijaín López (World final, 1–0)
- 2016LOSSvs Mijaín López (Olympic final, 0–6)
- 2021WINvs Amin Mirzazadeh (Olympic bronze match, 7–2)
- 2026WINvs Dáriusz Vitek (European final, 7–1; record 13th European title)
Treat par terre as a scoring chance, not a rest: lock the gut wrench low around the waist, step your feet to the side and keep turning until the referee stops you. Kayaalp scored six of his seven points in the 2026 European final this way.
1990–2000
