Former USSR coach details extreme training methods of Dagestani wrestlers

Yuri Shakhmuradov, longtime head coach of the USSR national team, discussed the phenomenal work ethic of Dagestani wrestlers in an interview with Ushatayka. He specifically highlighted the late Ruslan Ashuralieyev, a two-time world champion, who performed training loads so extreme that they would seem unbelievable today. Ashuralieyev regularly ran 28 kilometers solo from Makhachkala to the airport at 8 a.m., with no one to talk to, displaying unparalleled endurance. Shakhmuradov identified the ability to endure extreme suffering as the greatest phenomenon of Dagestani wrestlers. At the 2026 European Championship, Dagestani wrestlers won six gold medals, demonstrating the continued success of this training philosophy.