Rustem Kazbekowitsch Kelechayev

Rustem Kazbekovich Kelechsaev ( Russian Рустем Казбекович Келехсаев ; English transcription: Rustem Kazbekovich Kelekhsaev ; born February 10, 1969 in Balakowski, Kalmykia , Soviet Union ) is a former wrestler who started for Russia for the Soviet Union and the Community . He became European middleweight champion in free style in 1993 and 1994 .

Career

Rustem Kelechayev began wrestling as a teenager, concentrating on free style. As an adult, he entered the Russian army and became a member of the Vladikavkaz Army Sports Club . He was mainly trained by Marik Tedejew. After leaving the army, he studied law at the State University of North Ossetia in Vladikavkaz. After the end of his wrestling career, he became a member of parliament for the Russian republic of North Ossetia-Alania . Now he is the Minister for Youth and Sports of North Ossetia-Alania.

Until 1991 Kelechayev started for the Soviet Union, 1992 for the CIS and from 1993 for Russia. He made his first start in an international championship in 1988. He was in Walbrzych Junior European Champion (age group Espoirs) in the middleweight division before Sebahattin Öztürk, Turkey and Krasimir Kostow, Bulgaria. In the further course of his career he was only used in a few international championships. That was because the competition for good wrestlers in the Soviet Union, but also later in Russia, was enormous. His next start at an international championship was therefore not back until 1992. He started at the European championship in Kaposvár and took 3rd place in the middleweight division behind Sebahattin Öztürk and Laszlo Dvorak from Hungary.

In 1993 Rustem Kelechsajew was European champion in Istanbul ahead of local hero Sebahattin Öztürk. Alexander Sawko from Ukraine and Nicolae Ghita from Romania took the next places. In 1994 Rustem Kelechayev managed to defend this title in Rome. He won there in front of Luchman Jabrailow , Moldova, Hans Gstöttner , Germany and Alexander Sawko. This year it was also used for the first time at a world championship. In Istanbul, however, he did not reach a place among the top five wrestlers in his pool. He was therefore eliminated and was placed in 11th place with all wrestlers who did not come in their respective pools under the top five. Luchman Jabrailov, whom he defeated in the final of the European Championships in Rome, was world champion.

In 1995 Rustem Kelechaev was still at the World Cup in Chattanooga, where he finished 2nd in the middleweight division behind Kevin Jackson from the United States. He did not get any further assignments at international championships.

International championships

year	space	competition	Weight class	Results
1988	1.	Junior European Championship (Espoirs) in Walbrzych	medium	in front of Sebahattin Öztürk, Turkey, Krasimir Kostow, Bulgaria and Volker Tuber, GDR
1992	3.	EM in Kaposvár	medium	behind Sebahattin Öztürk and Laszlo Dvorak, Hungary, in front of Jozef Miemec, Poland and Hans Gstöttner, Germany
1992	2.	World Cup in Moscow	medium	behind Royce Alger , USA, in front of Mussa Momeni, Iran
1993	1.	EM in Istanbul	medium	before Sebahattin Öztürk, Alexander Sawko, Ukraine and Nicolae Ghita, Romania
1994	1.	EM in Rome	medium	before Luchman Dschabrailow, Moldova, Hans Gstöttner and Alexander Sawko
1994	11.	World Cup in Istanbul	medium	Winner: Luchman Dschabrailow ahead of Sebahattin Öztürk, Hans Gstöttner and Nicolae Ghita
1995	2.	World Cup in Chattanooga	medium	behind Kevin Jackson, USA, in front of Yalcin Ördemir, Turkey and Justin Abdou, Canada

Explanations

• all free style competitions
• WM = World Championship, EM = European Championship
• Middle weight, weight class up to 82 kg body weight

swell

• Trade journal Der Ringer
• Foeldeak Wrestling Database website