Mikhail Mamiashvili is a legendary Soviet and Russian wrestler, who won gold at the 1988 Olympics and many world and European championships. After completing his career, Mamiashvili tried himself as a coach of the national team, and in 2001 he moved one step higher, to the head of the Russian Wrestling Federation.
The long period of his work in office was overshadowed by the scandal that broke out at the 2016 Games. The athlete of the national team publicly accused the president of the federation… of aggression.
The specialist was dissatisfied with the girl’s performance.
Photo source: RIA Novosti
“Punch me twice in the face”
At the Rio Olympics, Russian athlete Inna Trazhukova placed fourth in the up to 62 kg category, losing to Poland’s Monika Michalik 3:1. According to her, Mamiashvili was not satisfied with such a result and decided to scold her ward harshly:
– At the end of the competition, Mikhail found me in a drunken state. He spoke rudely, he was rude and hit me twice in the face. He was in the training room, everything, if anything, was filmed, there are witnesses. No federation president should allow himself this, even the great Olympic champion, ”Trazhukova told Sport-Express.
Mamiashvili denied the assault allegations, but admitted that he spoke to the girl out loud. The specialist was extremely unhappy with the result and accused the athletes who left the tournament with practically nothing of “lack of will”.
– I would never say an emotional word to an athlete if the athlete went out, gave himself up to the last drop of sweat, and we would have taken him off the canvas, but a man lost, he fought for the country. But when a person comes out and after 15 minutes, for example, sits on the podium and constantly laughs or plays on social networks, it is not clear to me, ”Mamiashvili told Channel One.
The head of the federation has long had a reputation for being temperamental. Another athlete, Valeria Koblova, for example, said that the incident with Trazhukova did not surprise her at all. According to the Russian woman, Mamiashvili used to be rude to athletes. As a result, Valeria also understood this: he called her and Natalya Vorobyova “insignificance.” Both athletes left Rio with wrestling silver medals.
Photo source: RIA Novosti
“Everything was like that, but a little different”
At a press conference, the head of the FSBR, however, apologized for his words, but at the same time again complained that the athletes allegedly defend the country’s honor without due zeal.
Everything was like that, but a little different. A thousand times in front of Irina herself and in front of the girls, in front of the head coach, I am ready to apologize for the overly emotional assessment of what happened on the mat, ”Mamiashvili said.
After the incident, Trazhukova promised to contact the relevant authorities to investigate her boss’s actions. Mamiashvili, for his part, expressed his hope that everything would be resolved peacefully and he would convey his original message to the athletes.
– We will see each other, we will hug each other, in silence everything will fit together. I am convinced that time will pass, passions will calm down, and my apologies will certainly be accepted,” said the president of the FSBR.
As a result, the incident was resolved. The official and the athlete reconciled, and Mamiashvili remains the head of the national federation. In 2019, Trazhukova still managed to win a gold medal at the World Championships in Kazakhstan, and in 2020 she became a silver medalist at the European Championships in Rome.
