Osman Duraliev (Bulgarian: Осман Дуралиев, 15 January 1939 – 25 April 2011) was a Bulgarian freestyle wrestler with Turkish origin. Between 1967 and 1972 he won ten silver medals at major international competitions, including the 1968 and 1972 Summer Olympics.[1] An archrival of the Soviet Aleksandr Medved, to whom he lost eight high-profile finals (two Olympic, four World, and two European,) subsequently winning only the Silver medals.[2][3] He came close to winning at the 1971 World Championships in Sofia, where he led the match 4:3 with 43 seconds left. Yet Medved equalized the score and won the title because of his lower body weight.[4] Considering that Medved was named one of the greatest wrestlers in history, the Duraliev could be deservedly placed in the same rostrum with Medved and a select few others.
![]() Duraliev in 1971 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Born | 15 January 1939 Vladimirovtsi, Razgrad, Bulgaria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 25 April 2011 (aged 72) Istanbul, Turkey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 125 kg (276 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Freestyle wrestling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club | Ludogorez Razgrad | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
|
In 1989 Duraliev immigrated to Turkey, where he died aged 72.[4]
![]() ![]() | This biographical article relating to a Bulgarian sport wrestler or wrestling coach is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |