Pavel Pinigin

Pavel Pinigin, one of the world’s best lightweight freestylers in the mid-70s, took up wrestling in 1964 and was selected for the Soviet national team in 1974. At his first major international tournament, the 1975 European Championships, Pinigin competed as a welterweight and won gold. Later that year, he switched back to his natural weight class, and as a lightweight, Pinigin won Olympic gold in 1976, World titles in 1975, 1977-78 and the World Cup in 1977. In 1980, Pinigin was also selected to the 1980 Soviet Olympic team, and competed in his second Olympics as a welterweight, placing fourth. Domestically, Pinigin won two Soviet titles (1975-76). After finishing his sporting career, Pinigin worked in the Soviet and Russian police forces in Yakutsk, eventually rising to the rank of colonel. He also worked as a wrestling coach, coaching the Yakutian regional team. Pinigin became president of Dynamo Yakutsk and head of the regional branch of the Russian political party United Russia. Pinigin was the advisor to the President of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and since 2010 has been deputy chairman of the State Committee of the Respublic of Sakha (Yakutia). His wife Mariya was a track & field athlete, who won gold in the 4x400 relay at the 1988 Olympics.