Interview with Turan Bayramov, member of Azerbaijan’s freestyle wrestling national team, to the Press Service of the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation.
– Last September, you were out of competition for five months due to shoulder surgery. Has the injury fully healed?
– My first competition after the Olympics was the Aleksandr Medved tournament in Belarus this February. In July, I also wrestled at the ranking tournament held in Hungary. Being sidelined for more than five months, of course, had an impact. For the past month, my shoulder has fully healed, and I am ready to compete at full strength.
– What can you say about the training camp in Turkiye?
– The preparation process went very well. The conditions in Kastamonu were of a high standard. We trained together with the national teams of Turkiye, Bahrain, North Macedonia, Romania, and Uzbekistan. It was a very productive camp. We did both physical and technical-tactical training. Although more focus was placed on physical preparation, we also trained on the mat. I consider this camp very useful as preparation ahead of the World Championship.
– You are 24 years old and have already competed in two Olympics. Not every athlete gets this opportunity. In your opinion, did you have a better chance of winning a medal in 2021 or in 2024?
– Yes, I am grateful that I participated in both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics. I believe I could have won a medal in the most recent Olympics because I was very well prepared. I had done my best in the training camps, and our coaches shared the same belief. In the match against Chermen Valiev, making a mistake in the final seconds cost me dearly. I ended up without a medal. Chermen was a strong opponent. I believe I won’t repeat those mistakes in the future. It was a very valuable experience for me.
– Many wrestling fans think that in the senior category you do not wrestle as aggressively as you did in your youth. What can you say about that?
– I get asked this question a lot. I used to wrestle in the 65 kg category in youth and junior competitions. Having wrestled in that weight for a long time, I adapted to the tempo and strength of that category. Later, I suddenly moved up to 74 kg, and the level of opponents also increased. These were wrestlers who had made their mark in European and World Championships. From the outside, it might seem like I am not active or not using techniques, but that is not true. You have to understand that 74 kg in freestyle wrestling is the most difficult and competitive weight class. All opponents are strong and experienced wrestlers. I have wrestled in two Olympics, have a medal from the European Championship, and was a winner at the Islamic Games. Now it is time to assert myself in this weight, and therefore I must wrestle aggressively. I hope to maintain this style in upcoming competitions.
– What do you focus on most in training? Which weaknesses are you trying to improve?
– I like to work most on my favorite techniques. I focus on attacking the opponent’s legs to score points and also practice throws from the hold.
– The World Championship is approaching, where you will face the strongest wrestlers. Who will be your main rivals?
– I can mention Zaurbek Sidakov, Chermen Valiev, and Tajmuraz Salkazanov. Wrestlers from Iran, the USA, and Japan are also strong opponents.
– Do you analyze their matches to identify strengths and weaknesses?
– Of course. I have wrestled most of them before and am familiar with their styles. But I still analyze their matches daily. Each has unique strengths and techniques, and I try to adapt my training accordingly before the World Championship.
– You mentioned that 74 kg is the most difficult weight class. What is your goal in such tough competition?
– My goal is to become World Champion because this has been my dream since childhood. I want to become the first to bring a gold medal to Azerbaijan in the 74 kg category. For years, Russian and American wrestlers have dominated this weight, and I will do my best to put an end to that.
Idman.biz
