Turkish Greco-Roman wrestling great Kazim AYVAZ, an Olympic champion and multiple-time world champion, passed away last Sunday
Turkish Greco-Roman wrestling great Kazim AYVAZ, an Olympic champion and multiple-time world champion, passed away last Sunday at the age of 83.
Ayvaz competed in three consecutive Olympics from 1960 to 1968. In 1964, Ayvaz captured a gold medal in Greco-Roman at the Tokyo Olympics in the lightweight category. In addition, he won world titles in 1958 and 1962.
Ayvaz was born in Rize, Turkey, in 1937. His wrestling career started in 1953 at the age of 15. After his competitive wrestling career, Ayvaz spent time training Turkish wrestlers before moving to Sweden.
Veteran World Championships • Amman, Jordan