UWW

The youngest wrestler on the Russian women's team, Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) has rapidly risen in the ranks. Born in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, she won the European Championships in 2020 before winning the silver in 2021, a month after qualifying Russia for the Tokyo Games with a silver medal-winning performance in Budapest, Hungary. Wrestling at 68kg, Velieva had a roller-coaster bout against Irina RINGACI of Moldova, prevailing 13-12 in the quarterfinal before she beat Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) 6-0 in the semifinal. Velieva has won the cadet world title twice and the junior world title once before she carried over her age-group success to senior level, winning the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in 2020. At the 2019 World Championships, the first chance to qualify for the Games, she finished a lowly 23rd after losing 2-3 to Zhou FENG of China in the first round. A student of the Mindashvili Wrestling Academy, she will be wrestling at her first Games in Tokyo.