Ildar Hafizov

Ildar Hafizov
Ильдар Хафизов

Hafizov in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Ildar Shavkatovich Hafizov
Nationality	American Uzbekistani
Born	(1988-01-30) January 30, 1988 (age 36) Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union
Height	1.66 m (5 ft 5+1⁄2 in)
Weight	59 kg (130 lb)
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Wrestling
Style	Greco-Roman wrestling
Club	U.S Army WCAP
Coach	Ravil Biktikov Spenser Mango[1]
Medal record Representing  United States Pan American Games 2023 Santiago 60 kg 2019 Lima 60 kg Pan American Championships 2021 Guatemala City 60 kg World Military Championships 2024 Yerevan 63 kg USA Championships 2017 Las Vegas 59 kg Vantaa Cup 2015 Vantaa 59 kg Thor Masters 2017 Nykøbing Falster 59 kg Representing  Uzbekistan Asian Championships 2011 Tashkent 55 kg 2007 Bishkek 55 kg

Ildar Shavkatovich^[1] Hafizov (Russian: Ильдар Шавкатович Хафизов; Tatar: Илдар Шәүкәт улы Хәфиз; born January 30, 1988) is an Uzbekistani-American Greco-Roman wrestler of Tatar heritage,^[2] who competes in the featherweight category (60 kg).^[3] 2011 Asian and 2021 Pan American Championships runner-up, 2023 Pan American Games gold medalist.

Background

Hafizov was born in Tashkent, Soviet Union into a Tatar family.^[2] He started wrestling at the age of ten.

Sport career

Hafizov competed for the Uzbek wrestling squad in the men's 55 kg class at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He lost the first prelims match to Russia's Nazyr Mankiev, who was able to score three points each in two straight periods, leaving Hafizov with a single point.^[4] Because his opponent advanced further into the final match, Hafizov offered another shot for the bronze medal by entering the repechage bouts. He was defeated by Serbia's Kristijan Fris in the first round, with a technical score of 1–5.^[5] Before his change of domicile to the United States in 2014, Hafizov represented his native Uzbekistan and has picked up the bronze medal at the 2007 Asian Wrestling Championships and the silver medal in his respective division at the 2011 Asian Wrestling Championships, coincidentally in his home city Tashkent, losing out to Kyrgyzstan's Arsen Eraliev.^{[citation needed]}

In May 2015, Hafizov enlisted in the United States Army. At the 2017 U.S. Open Championships, he won a gold medal at 59 kg categories. At the 2019 Pan American Games Hafizov earned a bronze medal at 60 kg. He has qualified to represent the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics.^[6] In 2021, he won a silver medal at the Pan American Championships. At the 2023 Pan American Games he earned the gold medal.

In 2024, he competed at the Pan American Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament held in Acapulco, Mexico hoping to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.^[7] He was eliminated in his first match.^[7] In November 2024, he was the finalist at the World Military Championships in Yerevan, Armenia.^[8]

Hafizov is a 4x World team member (2017, 2019 2022 and 2023).

Personal life

He is of Tatar ethnicity.^[2]

Ildar has two daughters, his wife Dina Hafizova is a former freestyle wrestler.^[1]

He is currently a sergeant of the U.S. army. Along with serving as a motor vehicle operator within the U.S. Army, he is also a member of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program.^[9]

References

1. "Army wrestlers have bigger goals after qualifying for Tokyo Olympics". army.mil. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
2. "Чемпион США Ильдар Хафизов: "Макгрегор пафосный. Я хотел, чтобы Хабиб заткнул ему рот"". tnv.ru. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
3. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Ildar Hafizov". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
4. "Men's Greco-Roman 55kg (121 lbs) Qualification Official". NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on August 21, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
5. "Men's Greco-Roman 55kg (121 lbs) – Repechage Round 1 Official". NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on August 21, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
6. OlympicTalk (June 19, 2021). "U.S. Olympic team roster: Athletes qualified for Tokyo Games". OlympicTalk | NBC Sports. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
7. "2024 Pan American Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament Results Book" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
8. "Россия выиграла общекомандный зачет чемпионата мира среди военнослужащих и в вольной, и в греко-римской борьбе". wrestrus.ru. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 23, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2016.

External links

• NBC 2008 Olympics profile
• Army WCAP profile
• Ildar Hafizov at the International Wrestling Database
• Ildar Hafizov at Olympics.com
• Ildar Hafizov at Olympedia