Zhan Beleniuk
Olympic champion on the mat, lawmaker off it
- Born
- January 24, 1991, Kyiv, Ukraine
- Nationality
Ukraine- Height
- 178 cm (5′10″)
- Weight
- 85 kg, 87 kg
- Active
- 2012–2024
- Status
- Retired · age 35
The medals
Olympic gold, silver and bronze; 2 world titles
The story
han Beleniuk was born in Kyiv to a Ukrainian mother and a Rwandan father, a pilot who died in Rwanda's civil war when Zhan was three. He began wrestling at nine and broke through in 2015, beating reigning world champion Rustam Assakalov 6–0 on the way to the 85 kg world title. He took Olympic silver in Rio in 2016, won a second world title in 2019 and that same year was elected to Ukraine's parliament, its first Black member. At the Tokyo Olympics he beat Hungary's Viktor Lőrincz 5–1 in the 87 kg final, scoring four points by rolling him twice from par terre, for Ukraine's first Olympic Greco-Roman gold since 1996. He retired after winning bronze at Paris 2024.
Tap a technique with an arrow to learn how it works.
- Olympic champion, 87 kg (2020 Games, held 2021)
- Olympic silver (2016) and bronze (2024)
- World champion (2015, 2019)
- European champion (2014, 2016, 2019)
- European Games champion (2019)
- Order of Merit, 3rd class (Ukraine)
Defining matches
- 2015WINvs Rustam Assakalov (World Championships, 6–0, en route to the title)
- 2016LOSSvs Davit Chakvetadze (Olympic final)
- 2021WINvs Viktor Lőrincz (Olympic final, 5–1)
- 2024Olympic bronze Paris (87 kg)
When you win the top position, attack: lock around the waist and roll him rather than waiting for the referee to stand you up. Beleniuk won his Olympic final with two par terre rolls in the second period.
