Akzhol Makhmudov

In this name that follows East Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Makhamadzhanovich and the family name is Makhmudov.

Akzhol Makhamadzhanovich Makhmudov (Kyrgyz: Акжол Махамаджанович Махмудов; born 15 April 1999) is a Kyrgyz Greco-Roman wrestler.^[2] He won the silver medal in 77 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. He won a gold medal at the 2022 World Championships, becoming Kyrgyzstan's first ever Greco-Roman World champion.^[3][4][5] Makhmudov repeated his success a year later at the 2023 World Championships, and won another gold medal- becoming a two-time World champion.^[6]

Akzhol Makhmudov

Makhmudov at the 2022 World Championships
Personal information
Native name	Акжол Махамаджанович Махмудов
Full name	Akzhol Makhamadzhanovich Makhmudov
Nationality	Kyrgyzstan
Born	(1999-04-15) 15 April 1999 (age 26) Aravan District, Osh, Kyrgyz Republic[1]
Home town	Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic
Height	175 cm (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Sport
Country	Kyrgyzstan
Sport	Wrestling
Weight class	77 kg
Rank	Master of Sport
Event	Greco-Roman
Coached by	Azat Erkimbayev (national) Meirambek Akhmetov (personal)[1]
Medal record Men's Greco-Roman wrestling Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 0 1 1 World Championships 2 0 0 Asian Championships 3 1 0 Asian Games 1 1 0 Other 7 1 1 Total 13 4 2 Representing  Kyrgyzstan Olympic Games 2020 Tokyo 77 kg 2024 Paris 77 kg World Championships 2022 Belgrade 77 kg 2023 Belgrade 77 kg Asian Games 2022 Hangzhou 77 kg 2018 Jakarta 77 kg Asian Championships 2018 Bishkek 72 kg 2022 Ulaanbaatar 77 kg 2023 Astana 77 kg 2024 Bishkek 77 kg Islamic Solidarity Games 2021 Konya 77 kg Olympic Qualification Tournament 2021 Almaty 77 kg Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament 2023 Sofia 77 kg Junior World Championships 2017 Tampere 74 kg 2018 Trnava 77 kg Junior Asian Championships 2017 Taichung 74 kg Cadet World Championships 2016 Tbilisi 69 kg Cadet Asian Championships 2016 Taichung 69 kg 2015 New Delhi 58 kg

Wrestling career

Until senior level

Makhmudov took up wrestling aged six, following his two elder brothers Beksultan Makhmudov and Syimyk Makhmudov.^[1][7] He later won two Asian cadet championships and the 2017 Junior Asian championships.^[8][9] Makhmudov also became the cadet world champion in 2016,^[10] and won a silver medal at the 2017 Junior World Championships in Tampere.^[11]

2018

In 2018, Makhmudov had his first senior level tournament when he entered the Kyrgyzstan National Wrestling Championships. He won the 77 kg division,^[12] and was included to the senior national team.

At the 2018 Asian Championships, Makhmudov competed in the 72 kg category, and won Ahmad Mahmoud Dashan (12–2), then Kuldeep Malik (8–0) and Tomohiro Inoue (7–0). In the final he faced the 2017 World Wrestling Championships silver medalist Demeu Zhadrayev. He won 8–6, becoming the youngest ever wrestler from Kyrgyzstan to earn a gold medal at senior level at the Asian Championships.^[13][14]

At the 2018 Asian Games, Makhmudov moved back to the 77 kg division and reached the final, where he lost to Mohammadali Geraei.^[1]

At the 2018 Junior World Championships, he lost to Islam Opiev of Russia in the quarter-final but went on to wrestle in the repechage stage and won a bronze medal against Kamal Bey of the US in their rematch of the Junior World Championships final.

2020 Olympic Games

Due to the pandemic, the 2020 Summer Olympic Games were postponed from their originally scheduled 2020 start date, to the Summer of 2021. Missing out on Olympic Qualification, Makhmudov had to wrestle at the Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Makhmudov won all three of his matches and obtained gold,^[15] which awarded him Olympic qualification.

To start his first Olympic journey, Makhmudov defeated Tunisia's Lamjed Maafi by 11-0 technical superiority, a winner from the Africa and Oceania Wrestling Qualification tournament,^[16] he then defeated former two-time European Champion, Rafig Huseynov of Azerbaijan which won him a place in the semi-finals. Faced with 2-time European Championships and Games medallist, Armenian wrestler Karapet Chalyan,^[17] and beat his Armenian opponent 6-2 to advance him into the finals, opposite 2012 Olympic Silver medallist, and 2019 World champion, Hungary's Tamás Lőrincz. After a low-scoring six minutes, Lőrincz won the match 2-1, with Makhmudov leaving with a silver medal^[18]

2022 World Championships

Makhmudov returned to the mat at the 2022 Asian Wrestling Championships held in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar.^[19] Makhmudov won the gold medal by beating Maxat Yerezhepov in the final at 77 kg.^[20]

2024 Summer Olympics

He won one of the bronze medals in the 77 kg event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.^[21]

Achievements

Year	Tournament	Venue	Result	Event
2018	Asian Championships	Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan	1st	Greco-Roman 72 kg
	Asian Games	Jakarta, Indonesia	2nd	Greco-Roman 77 kg
2021	Summer Olympics	Tokyo, Japan	2nd	Greco-Roman 77 kg
2022	Bolat Turlykhanov Cup	Almaty, Kazakhstan	1st	Greco-Roman 82 kg
	Asian Championships	Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia	1st	Greco-Roman 77 kg
	World Championships	Belgrade, Serbia	1st	Greco-Roman 77 kg
2023	Dan Kolov Nikola Petrov Tournament	Sofia, Bulgaria	1st	Greco-Roman 77 kg
	Asian Championships	Astana, Kazakhstan	1st	Greco-Roman 77 kg
	World Championships	Belgrade, Serbia	1st	Greco-Roman 77 kg
	Asian Games	Hangzhou, China	1st	Greco-Roman 77 kg
2024	Asian Championships	Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan	2nd	Greco-Roman 77 kg
	Summer Olympics	Paris, France	3rd	Greco-Roman 77 kg

Personal life

Makhmudov is the third child in a family of a salesman. He currently studies at the Kyrgyz State Law Academy in Bishkek.^[22] He is said to originally be from the Nookat Region, Osh Oblast (Ноокатский район, Ошская область) in southern Kyrgyzstan. He enjoys playing billiards and tennis.^[23]

Makhmudov started wrestling in Osh. He moved to Bishkek in 6th grade and began training under Merited Master of Sport, Zhenish Satybaldiev. In 8th grade he began training at the Olympic reserve under coach, Meyrambek Akhmetov.^[24]