Sergey Vadimovich Kozyrev (Russian: Сергей Вадимович Козырев; born 18 September 2002) is a Russian freestyle wrestler who competes at 125 kilograms.[1] He broke into the senior level scene in 2021, when he claimed the Russian National Championship, earned silver at the European Continental Championships and qualified to compete at the 2020 Summer Olympics by winning the World Olympic Qualification Tournament.[2][3] In the age–group, he became the 2018 Youth Olympic champion at 110 kilograms.[4]

Sergey Kozyrev
Sergey Kozyrev in 2018 (in blue)
Personal information
Native nameСергей Вадимович Козырев
Full nameSergey Vadimovich Kozyrev
Born (2002-09-18) 18 September 2002 (age 21)
Sport
Country Russia
SportAmateur wrestling
EventFreestyle
Medal record
Men's freestyle wrestling
Representing  Russia
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 2021 Warsaw 125 kg
Russian National Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Ulan-Ude 125 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Kyzyl 97 kg
Youth Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Buenos Aires 110 kg
Cadet World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Zagreb 110 kg

Career edit

 
Kozyrev (in the blue singlet) at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics.

In 2018, Kozyrev claimed the Cadet European Championship, placed third at the Cadet World Championships and most notably claimed the Youth Olympic championship when he defeated Iranian phenom and reigning Cadet World Champion Amir Hossein Zare in the finale.[5][4] He made his international senior level debut by placing eleventh at the Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2020, and later in the year went on to place tenth at the 2020 Russian National Championships at 97 kilograms.[6] The following year, he burst into the scene by claiming the 2021 Russian National Championship, upsetting two–time National champion and '19 European Games gold medalist from Chechnya Anzor Khizriev in the semifinals and beating Atsamaz Tebloev in the finale.[6] Next, he competed at the 2021 European Championships, where after wins over Oleksandr Khotsianivskyi and Dániel Ligeti, he went on to lose to three–time Olympic and World Champion from Turkey Taha Akgül, who claimed his tenth European Continental Championship, claiming silver.[7][8]

Kozyrev competed at the 2021 World Olympic Qualification Tournament, and after consecutive wins over '20 Bulgarian National runner–up Georgi Ivanov, '20 Individual World Cup runner–up Robert Baran and two–time European Championship medalist Dániel Ligeti, he was able to cruise to the finals, thus qualifying for the 2020 Summer Olympics. He won his match against '18 Commonwealth Games gold medalist from India Sumit Malik by walkover on May 7.[3] Malik then tested positive for doping and was disqualified.[9]

On 5 August, Kozyrev competed as an independent athlete due to Russia's ban from the Olympic Games, on the first date of the men's freestyle 125 kg event of the 2020 Summer Olympics.[3] In the first match, he was downed by two-time World medalist Deng Zhiwei from China, who lost his next match, being eliminated from the Games and placing eleventh.[10]

Major results edit

Year Tournament Venue Result Event
2021 European Championships Warsaw, Poland 2nd Freestyle 125 kg
2021 World Olympic Qualification Tournament Sofia, Bulgaria 1st Freestyle 125 kg

Freestyle record edit

Senior Freestyle Matches
Res. Record Opponent Score Date Event Location
Win 15–5   Mönkhtöriin Lkhagvagerel 9–3 Fall December 3, 2021 2021 Alrosa Cup   Moscow, Russia
2020 Summer Olympics 11th at 125 kg
Loss 14–5   Deng Zhiwei 1–4 August 5, 2021 2020 Summer Olympics   Tokyo, Japan
2021 World Olympic Qualification Tournament   at 125 kg
Win 14–4   Sumit Malik WO May 6–7, 2021 2021 World Olympic Qualification Tournament

  Sofia, Bulgaria

Win 13–4   Dániel Ligeti 3–2
Win 12–4   Robert Baran 7–1
Win 11–4   Georgi Ivanov TF 12–2
2021 European Championships   at 125 kg
Loss 10–4   Taha Akgül DQ (2–9) April 20–21, 2021 2021 European Continental Championships

  Warsaw, Poland

Win 10–3   Dániel Ligeti TF 10–0
Win 9–3   Oleksandr Khotsianivskyi 9–7
2021 Russian Nationals   at 125 kg
Win 8–3   Azamat Tebloev 3–3 March 11–14, 2021 2021 Russian National Championships

  Ulan-Ude, Russia

Win 7–3   Zelimkhan Khizriev 5–1
Win 6–3   Anzor Khizriev 2–2
Win 5–3   Khasan Khubaev 8–5
Win 4–3   Erik Dzhioev 2–1
2020 Russian Nationals 10th at 97 kg
Loss 3–3   Rasul Magomedov 3–5 October 16–18, 2020 2020 Russian National Championships

  Naro-Fominsk, Russia

2020 Ivan Yarygin Golden Grand Prix 11th at 125 kg
Loss 3–2   Said Gamidov 6–13 January 23–26, 2020 Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2020

  Krasnoyarsk, Russia

2019 U23 All–Russian Yuri Gusov Memorial   at 97 kg
Loss 3–1   Magomedkhan Magomedov 5–10 September 27–28, 2019 2019 U23 All–Russian Yuri Gusov Memorial

  Vladikavkaz, Russia

Win 3–0   David Dzugaev 7–5
Win 2–0   Askhab Boltukaev TF 10–0
Win 1–0   Magomed Tagirov TF 12–1

References edit

  1. ^ Telesport. "Чувашский БОГАТЫРЬ Сергей Козырев. Интервью с супертяжем — чемпионом России 2021 по вольной борьбе". tele-sport.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Борец Сергей Козырев выиграл "серебро" в острой конкуренции — Советская Чувашия" (in Russian). Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Борец Сергей Козырев выиграл для России путевку на Олимпиаду в Токио". 15-Й РЕГИОН (in Russian). 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Russia win double gold on a sporting day of wrestling action". Olympic Channel. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  5. ^ Taylor. "Four Cadet World Medalists Move onto World Championship Semifinals in #Zagreb2018". United World Wrestling. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  6. ^ a b "2021 Russian Wrestling Nationals Day 3 Recap". THE FIGHT SITE. 14 March 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  7. ^ Shefferd, Neil (21 April 2021). "Russia claim three more golds on day three of European Wrestling Championships". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  8. ^ "2021 European Wrestling Championships Results Book" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  9. ^ "Sumit Malik to challenge two-year ban for doping with hopes to participate in 2022 Commonwealth Games". Firstpost. 5 July 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  10. ^ "2020 Olympic Day Five Brackets and Top Matchups". InterMat. Retrieved 9 August 2021.

External links edit