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Olympics The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling  

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List of the best freestyle wrestling Olympic athletes of all time, with photos of the athletes when available. The famous freestyle wrestling event Olympians on this list are all regarded as some of the toughest athletes to have ever competed at the Olympics. Almost every one of these historic freestyle wrestling Olympians have taken home a medal, which is why they've earned a spot on this list.

Only the greatest freestyle wrestling Olympic athletes are featured on the front page of this list, so be sure to vote for who you believe are the best freestyle wrestling athletes and vote down the ones you disagree with. This list below has a variety of Olympians on it, including legends such as Henry Cejudo and WWE superstar Kurt Angle.

If you enjoyed this list of the best Olympic freestyle wrestlers, head on over and check out this list of popular Russian Olympians.

list ordered by

1
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Buvaisar Saitiev is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
BaruchLalaev added age 43 Buvaisar Hamidovich Saitiev, also spelled Buvaysar Hamidovich Saytiev, is a Russian wrestler of Chechen heritage, who has won nine world-level gold medals in freestyle wrestling.

2
69 16
Alexander Medved is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
BaruchLalaev added age 80 Aleksandr Vasiliyevich Medved' is a famous Soviet/Belarussian wrestler. Medved was the first wrestler to win three Olympic gold medals, and also won seven FILA World Championships. FILA ...more

3
22 3
John Smith is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
Алпан Балкыш added age 52 John William Smith is a winner of the AAU Sullivan Award which honors the outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. He is a 4-time World Champion, 2-time Olympic Games champion, and is ...more

4
24 5
Ivan Yarygin is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
Алпан Балкыш added Ivan Yarygin Died at 49 (1948-1997) Ivan Yarygin was a former Soviet - Russian wrestler and Olympic champion in Freestyle wrestling. He became a coach following his competitive career and later he was the President of the Russian ...more

5
17 2
Ahmet Ayık is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
Алпан Балкыш added age 80 Ahmet Ayık, is a former Turkish World champion and Olympic medalist sports wrestler in the Light heavyweight class and a sports executive. He won the silver medal at the 1964 Olympics in Men's ...more

6
24 6
Yaşar Doğu is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
Алпан Балкыш added Yaşar Doğu Died at 48 (1913-1961) Yaşar Doğu, was a renowned Turkish World and Olympic champion sports wrestler in Greco-Roman and Freestyle. He was born in the village Karlı of Kavak district in Samsun province to a family of ...more

7
20 3
Levan Tediashvili is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
Алпан Балкыш added Levan Tediashvili age 70 Levan Tediashvili is a former Soviet wrestler and Olympic champion in Freestyle wrestling in 1972 and 1976. He remained undefeated between 1971 and 1976. Besides freestyle wresting, he was also ...more

8
19 3
Sergei Beloglazov is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
Алпан Балкыш added age 61 Sergei Alekseevich Beloglazov is a former Olympic wrestler and World Champion. He trained at the Armed Forces sports society in Kaliningrad in 1976-77 and at Dynamo in Kiev since 1979. He was a ...more

9
20 4
Bruce Baumgartner is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
Алпан Балкыш added age 57 Bruce Robert Baumgartner is a retired American amateur wrestler and current Director of Athletics for the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania near Erie, Pennsylvania.

10
21 5
Arsen Fadzayev is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
BaruchLalaev added age 55 Arsen Suleymanovich Fadzayev is a former Soviet wrestler, world champion and Olympic champion in freestyle wrestling.

11
17 4
Makharbek Khadartsev is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
Алпан Балкыш added age 53 Makharbek Khasbiyevich Khadartsev is a former Soviet wrestler who later competed for Russia, two times Olympic champion and five times world champion in Freestyle wrestling.

12
13 4
Yojiro Uetake is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
Алпан Балкыш added age 75 Yojiro Uetake is a Japanese wrestler and Olympic champion in Freestyle wrestling.

13
7 3
Hüseyin Akbaş is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
Алпан Балкыш added Hüseyin Akbaş Hüseyin Akbaş was a Turkish wrestler. He was born in Almus in the Tokat Province. He was Olympic bronze medalist in Freestyle wrestling in 1956, and silver medalist in 1964. He won gold ...more

14
15 13
Adam Saitiev is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
BaruchLalaev added age 40 Adam Hamidovich Saitiev, also spelled Saytiev, is a Russian wrestler of Chechen heritage, who won gold at the 2000 Summer Olympics for the Russian Federation at 85 kg cat. His elder brother ...more

15
13 11
Kenny Monday is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
age 56 Kenny Dale Monday is an Olympic gold medalist and three-time All-American wrestler from Oklahoma State University. He began wrestling at age six at a YMCA after-school program and grew up ...more

16
7 5
Kaori Icho is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
Алпан Балкыш added age 33 Kaori Icho is a Japanese freestyle wrestler. She is a nine time world champion and three time Olympic champion, winning gold in 2004, 2008 and 2012. She is currently on a 153 winning streak. ...more

17
32 34
Kurt Angle is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
age 49 Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler and actor currently signed with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is the current TNA World Heavyweight Champion in ...more

18
17 18
Artur Taymazov is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
jared-diehl added age 38 Artur Taymazov is an Ossetian-Uzbek wrestler and Uzbekistan's most decorated Olympian. Taymazov lives in Tashkent.

19
16 17
Ben Askren is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
age 33 Ben Askren is an American former amateur wrestler for the University of Missouri and U.S. Olympic team. He is now a grappler, mixed martial artist and the former Bellator Welterweight Champion ...more

20
12 13
Mavlet Batirov is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
age 34 Mavlet Alavdinovich Batirov is a Russian freestyle wrestler, world and 2-time Olympic champion, who competed in the men's freestyle 55 kg category at the 2004 Summer Olympics and won the gold ...more

21
0 0
abdulrashid sadulaev is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
ultimateposer added abdulrashid sadulaev

22
8 9
Ramazan Şahin is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
BaruchLalaev added Ramazan Şahin age 34 Ramazan Şahin is Turkish freestyle wrestler of Chechen origin, who has won a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Member of the Istanbul-based club Tekelspor, he is 1.70 m tall and weighs 66 ...more

23
4 5
Dzhamal Otarsultanov is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
BaruchLalaev added Dzhamal Otarsultanov age 30 Dzhamal Sultanovich Otarsultanov is a male Russian wrestler of Chechen heritage, who won the gold medal in men's freestyle 55 kg at the 2012 London Olympics.

24
3 4
Natalia Vorobieva is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
Алпан Балкыш added Natalia Vorobieva age 26 Natalia Vorobieva is a Russian wrestler, who competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Vorobieva reached the finals in the 72 kg category where she beat Stanka Zlateva of Bulgaria to win the gold ...more

25
7 9
Morad Mohammadi is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Freestyle Wrestling
Morad Mohammadi age 37 Seyed Morad Mohammadi Pahnehkalaei is an Iranian wrestler and an Olympic bronze medalist who competed in the 2006 Asian Games in the 60 kg division and won the gold medal.