UWW

Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ) won bronze medal at 2019 World Championships to qualify for Tokyo Olympics. Lost 5-3 in semifinals to Suleyman ATLI (TUR), who scored 4-point move with 8 seconds left, but defeated Stevan MICIC (SRB) 4-3 for bronze...Won 2 of 3 pre-Olympic tournaments, Matteo Pellicone and Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov (at 61kg), and placed 3rd at Poland Open (61kg), losing to one Tokyo rival, Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), 11-3 in semifinals but beating another, Reza ATRI (IRI), 5-0 for bronze...Lost to two other Tokyo-bound wrestlers at 2020 Asian Championships, Ravi KUMAR (IND) in semifinals and Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) in the bronze-medal match...2018 world silver medalist behind Zavur UGUEV (RUS), losing close 4-3 decision...Asian champion in 2018, bronze medalist in 2017...Appeared at Rio 2016 Olympics. Lost to Vladimir KHICHEGASHIVILI (GEO) in 2nd round and Haji ALIEV (AZE) in repechage...Switched nationality from Russia to Kazakhstan in 2014, and changed name from Artus SANAA just before 2016 Olympics after converting to Islam...Married with 2 children. Is studying to become a lawyer.