Ivan Yarygin

Ivan Yarygin
Ivan Yarygin in 1976
Personal information
Native nameИван Сергеевич Ярыгин
Full nameIvan Sergeyevich Yarygin
Born(1948-11-07)7 November 1948
Ust-Kamzas, Kemerovo Oblast, Soviet Union
Died11 October 1997(1997-10-11) (aged 48)
Neftekumsk, Stavropol Krai, Russia
Height188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight100 kg (220 lb)
Sport
SportFreestyle wrestling
Club
Mindiashvili wrestling academy Trud Krasnoyarsk
Coached byDmitry Mindiashvili
Medal record
Representing  Soviet Union
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 2 0 0
World Championship 1 0 0
World Cup 5 0 0
Universiade 1 0 0
European Championship 3 2 0
Total 12 2 0
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1972 Munich 100 kg
Gold medal – first place 1976 Montreal 100 kg
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1973 Tehran 100 kg
World Cup
Gold medal – first place 1973 Toledo 100 kg
Gold medal – first place 1976 Toledo 100 kg
Gold medal – first place 1977 Toledo 100 kg
Gold medal – first place 1979 Toledo 100 kg
Gold medal – first place 1980 Toledo 100 kg
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 1970 Berlin 100 kg
Gold medal – first place 1972 Katowice 100 kg
Silver medal – second place 1974 Madrid 100 kg
Gold medal – first place 1975 Ludwigshafen 100 kg
Gold medal – first place 1976 Leningrad 100 kg
Universiades
Gold medal – first place 1973 Moscow 100 kg

Ivan Sergeyevich Yarygin (Russian: Иван Сергеевич Ярыгин, IPA: [ɪˈvan sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ jɪˈrɨɡʲɪn]; 7 November 1948 – 11 October 1997) was a Soviet and Russian heavyweight freestyle wrestler. Between 1970 and 1980 he won all his major international competitions, except for the 1970 and 1974 European championships where he placed second. Yarygin was an Olympic champion in 1972 and 1976, being the first wrestler to go through an Olympic competition with straight pin victories and no foul points, a world champion in 1973, a World Cup winner five times, has never lost a single match in World Cup competition, and a European champion in 1972 and 1975–76, and won a world cup in 1973, 1976–77 and 1979–80. He also set a record for the fastest pin victory in the World Cup history at 27 seconds. After retiring in 1980, he headed the Soviet freestyle wrestling team from 1982 to 1992 and the Russian Wrestling Federation from 1993 until his untimely death in a car crash in 1997. An exceptional upper-body wrestler, Yarygin was widely regarded for his tremendous physique and high-strength aggressive style, always aiming to pin down his opponents, with most of his stoppage wins came by way of fall achieved through rapid fireman's lift and slamming the opponent to the mat. One of the most prestigious tournaments in the World was put together in his honor - The Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin Tournament is held annually in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, and has the reputation of being one of the hardest tournaments in the World. The Yarygin Memorial annually sees the world's best wrestlers come to Siberia, with the added element that Russia's autonomous oblasts and republics such as Dagestan and Chechnya field independent teams alongside an All-Russia selection.

Biography

Childhood and early career

Yarygin was born as the sixth child in a family of ten siblings. Most members of his family were heavily built and physically active people. Since early age Yarygin helped his father at his blacksmith workshop. As a teenager he wanted to become a football goalkeeper, and took up wrestling only in 1966, aged 18. He then was drafted and went on to win the Soviet Armed Forces heavyweight championships in Sambo wrestling, gaining the Master of Sports degree in Sambo. He then switched to freestyle wrestling, and won 1968 RSFSR national youth championships and 1969 Soviet youth championships.

Prime years

In 1970, he won the Soviet title competing in senior division, beating his main rival Vladimir Gulyutkin; he lost to Gulyutkin in 1971, but beat him again at the 1972 Olympic Trials and was selected for the Munich Olympics. At the Olympics he won all five bouts by fall, spending on the mat a little more than 7 minutes instead of 45. Three months prior to the Olympics, he won the 1972 European Championships, winning all bouts by fall. When first appeared in the United States for the 1973 World Cup and the subsequent wrestling tour, the U.S.—Soviet Olympic freestyle wrestling exhibition, where he and the USSR National Wrestling Team met the United States National Team (composed of both National AAU, Athletes in Action and NCAA Wrestling Team Championship winners,) the American press described him as "a blue-eyed, red-haired, 24-year-old wrestler from the Soviet Union who spreads 220 pounds over an awesome, statuesque frame that might have been hammered and chiseled out of a granite block cornerstone from the Tomb of Lenin." He was a flagbearer for the Soviet wrestling team while on the U.S. tour. When Yarygin wrestled Russell Hellickson (whom he had his shoulder disclocated at their previous match-up at the Olympics,) at Hellickson's hometown of Madison, Wisconsin, Yarygin let him up to prevent further injury, and wrestled just hard enough to protect himself until Hellickson finally fainted to pain.

After the Olympics, he won the 1973 World Championships, again all bouts by fall. Thus Yarygin became the only wrestler to win three consecutive major competitions, scoring only fall victories. He then lost several minor contests, and decided to retire from competition, settled in his native village of Sizaya, where he worked as a lumberjack in Taiga forest. Outdoor activity helped him to regain his strength and confidence, and he came back in 1974 to continue his victorious streak. His next Olympic victory in 1976 was less spectacular because he wrestled the whole tournament with two broken ribs. After that Yarygin was selected as the Soviet Olympic flag bearer at the closing ceremony.

Coming to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania for the match-up versus the American National Wrestling Team, Soviet wrestlers were welcomed officially by Mayor Walter Lisman, and were given a key to Wilkes-Barre by the mayor.

Retirement

While preparing for the Moscow Olympics Yarygin realized that the young Soviet wrestler Ilya Mate has a better chance for the gold medal (which he indeed won). Yarygin retired from competition permanently in 1980 and became a wrestling coach. In 1982–92, he trained the Soviet freestyle wrestling team, and in 1993–1997 headed the Russian Wrestling Federation. He was a key organizer of the 1997 World Wrestling Championships in Krasnoyarsk.

International competition record

International competition record (incomplete)
Res. Opponent Method Time/
Score
Date Event Location Venue
1980 World Cup Winner at 100kg
Win United States Larry Bielenberg Fall 1:14 1980-03-30 1980 World Cup United States Toledo, Ohio Centennial Hall
Win Canada Wyatt Wishart 1980-03-28
Win Japan Hiroaki Obayashi 1980-03-28
Win Cuba Bárbaro Morgan 1980-03-28
Win Senegal Ibrahima Sarr 1980-03-28
Loss United States Howard Harris Decision 7–8 1980-03-26 U.S.—Soviet all-star dual meet United States Glens Falls, New York Glens Falls Civic Center
Win United States Fred Bohna Fall 1:07 1979-04-07 Athletes in Action challenge United States Anaheim, California Anaheim Convention Center
Win United States 1979-04 U.S.—Soviet all-star series
Olympic freestyle wrestling four-city tour
United States Phoenix, Arizona
United States Larry Bielenberg Decision 3–10 1979-04-02 United States Rapid City, South Dakota Rushmore Plaza Civic Center
1979 World Cup Winner at 100kg
Win United States Fred Bohna Inactivity 1979-04-01 1979 World Cup United States Toledo, Ohio Centennial Hall
Win Cuba Bárbaro Morgan 1979-03-31
Win Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Ahmed Hamida Fall 1979-03-31
Win Japan Hiroaki Yamamoto Fall 1979-03-31
Win United States Larry Bielenberg 1979-03-31
Win United States John Setter Fall 8:07 1979-03-28 U.S.—Soviet all-star series
Olympic freestyle wrestling four-city tour
United States Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania King's College Gym
Win United States 1979-03-26 United States New York City Felt Forum
1977 World Cup Winner at 100kg
Win United States Harold Smith Fall 0:27 1977-03-27 1977 World Cup United States Toledo, Ohio Centennial Hall
Win Canada Steve Daniar Fall 1977-03-26
Win Japan Yoshiaki Yatsu Fall 1977-03-26
1976 Olympic Gold Medalist at 100kg
Win United States Russell Hellickson Decision 19–13 1976-07-27 1976 Summer Olympics Canada Montreal Maurice Richard Arena
Win Czechoslovakia Petr Drozda Tech Fall 5:30 1976-07-27
Win People's Republic of Bulgaria Dimo Kostov Decision 16–5 1976-07-27
Win Argentina Daniel Verník Tech Fall 1:26 1976-07-27
Win East Germany Harald Büttner Decision 13–5 1976-07-27
1976 European Champion at 100kg
Win People's Republic of Bulgaria Dimo Kostov 1976-04-18 1976 European Championship Soviet Union Leningrad Yubileyny Sports Palace
Win Turkey Mehmet Güçlü 1976-04-18
Win Czechoslovakia Petr Drozda 1976-04-18
Win United States 1976-03- U.S.—Soviet all-star series
Olympic freestyle wrestling tour
United States Miami, Florida
Win United States Jeff Smith Fall 0:23 1976-03-04 United States East Lansing, Michigan Jenison Fieldhouse
1976 World Cup Winner at 100kg
Win United States Greg Wojciechowski 1976-03-01 1976 World Cup United States Toledo, Ohio Toledo Field House
Win Iran R. Sookhtsarat Decision 4–2 1976-02-29
Win Canada Steve Daniar 1976-02-29
1975 European Champion at 100kg
Win East Germany Harald Büttner 1975-05-01 1975 European Championship West Germany Ludwigshafen
Win People's Republic of Bulgaria Dimo Kostov 1975-05-01
Win Polish People's Republic Edward Żmudziejewski 1975-05-01
Win Czechoslovakia Petr Drozda 1975-05-01
1974 European Silver Medalist at 100kg
Loss East Germany Harald Büttner 1974-06-24 1974 European Championship Spain Madrid Palacio de Deportes
Win United States 1974-04-05 U.S.—Soviet all-star series
Olympic freestyle wrestling
six-city tour
United States Alexandria, Virginia
Win United States Jim Duschen Fall >3:00 1974-04-02 United States Chattanooga, Tennessee University of Tennessee Arena
Win United States Buck Deadrich Fall 8:41 1974-03-30 United States Berkeley, California Harmon Gym
Win United States Larry Amundson Fall 2:48 1974-03-27 United States San Diego, California Peterson Gym
Guest Soviet wrestling clinic demonstration 1974-03-23 United States Long Beach, California Long Beach State Gym
Win United States Buck Deadrich Fall >3:00 1974-03-22 Long Beach Arena
Win United States Buck Deadrich Fall 2:34 1974-03-19 United States New York City Felt Forum
1973 World Champion at 100kg
Win United States Buck Deadrich Fall >6:00 1973-09-06 1973 World Championship Iran Tehran Aryamehr Indoor Stadium
Win Hungarian People's Republic József Csatári Fall 1973-09-09
Win People's Republic of Bulgaria Dimitar Nekov Fall 1973-09-06
1973 World University Games Champion at 100kg
Win United States Buck Deadrich 1973-08-15 1973 World University Games Soviet Union Moscow Lenin Palace of Sports
Win People's Republic of Bulgaria Dimitar Stankov 1973-08-15
Win United States Henk Schenk Decision 6–3 1973-06-01 U.S.—Soviet all-star series
Olympic freestyle wrestling
four-city tour
United States New York City Felt Forum
Win United States Nick Curollo Fall 1:04 1973-05-30 United States Brockport, New York Brockport State Gym
Win United States Greg Wojciechowski Decision 3–1 1973-05-26 United States Columbus, Ohio St. John Arena
Win United States Russell Hellickson Default (9–0) >6:00 1973-05-23 United States Madison, Wisconsin Wisconsin Field House
1973 World Cup Winner at 100kg
Win United States Russell Hellickson Fall 1:56 1973-05-20 1973 World Cup United States Toledo, Ohio Toledo Field House
Win Canada Claude Pilon Fall 0:17 1973-05-19
Win Japan Shizuo Yada Fall 1973-05-19
1972 Olympic Gold Medalist at 100kg
Win Hungarian People's Republic József Csatári Fall 2:04 1972-08-31 1972 Summer Olympics West Germany Munich Messe München
Win Mongolian People's Republic Khorloo Bayanmunkh Fall 5:21 1972-08-31
Win Socialist Republic of Romania Enache Panait Fall 1:47 1972-08
Win Iran Abolfazl Anvari Fall 2:58 1972-08
Win Canada Harry Geris Fall 2:20 1972-08
Win East Germany Gerd Bachmann Fall 2:11 1972-08
Win Switzerland Bruno Jutzeler Fall 0:27 1972-08-27
1972 European Champion at 100kg
Win People's Republic of Bulgaria Vasil Todorov Fall 1972-04-24 1972 European Championship Polish People's Republic Katowice Spodek Arena
Win East Germany Gerd Bachmann Fall 1972-04-24
Win Socialist Republic of Romania Enache Panait Fall 1972-04-24
1970 European Silver Medalist at 100kg
Loss Turkey Ahmet Ayık 1970-06-09 1970 European Championship East Germany East Berlin
Win People's Republic of Bulgaria Vasil Todorov Fall 1970-06-09
Win East Germany Gerd Bachmann Fall 1970-06-09
Win Socialist Republic of Romania Enache Panait Fall 1970-06-09
Win Czechoslovakia Karel Engel Fall 1970-06-09

Death and legacy

The Russian Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bomber named after Yarygin

Yarygin was killed in a car crash in 1997, crashing his car into a roadside-parked heavy truck. Earlier in 1990, an annual wrestling tournament in his honor has been initiated in Krasnoyarsk, the city where he lived since 1966; in 1998 a sports venue in Krasnoyarsk has been renamed into the Ivan Yarygin Sports Palace, and in March 2002 his monument was opened in the city. His other monuments were installed in Moscow in 1998, in Stavropol Krai (near the place of his death) in 2012, and in Abakan in 2013. A secondary school and a wrestling complex in Moscow are named after Yarygin. In 2010 Yarygin was inducted into the FILA International Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Books


This page was last updated at 2023-11-16 04:29 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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