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Olympian to Politician: How the greatest freestyle wrestler became a tool for Caucasus socialization

How did the greatest freestyle wrestler of all time get involved in Russian politics? Why is this significant? Karim Zidan delves into the political forces at play.

16 years have passed since Buvaisar Saitiev stepped into Akhmad Kadyrov's palace as a 21-year old wrestling hero; 16 years since he became a part of the Chechen political elite.

At the turn of the millennium, shortly following the bitter end of the Second Chechen War, Buvaisar and younger brother Adam, arrived at the newly appointed Chechen leader's residence as Olympic champions. The elder had claimed Olympic Gold in 1996, while the younger brother had just returned from Sydney with a gold medal of his own.