At the Olympic Games in Paris, Parviz Nasibov earned a silver medal for Ukraine in Greco-Roman wrestling in the 67 kg weight class. This marked his second Olympic silver, the first being at the Tokyo 2020 finals.
In an exclusive interview with UA.News, Parviz Nasibov discussed the character and determination required for success in Greco-Roman wrestling, the importance of family in an athlete's career, and his aspirations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Parviz, first of all, congratulations on your "gold" at the Bill Farrell Memorial tournament in New York! What does this victory mean to you? Parviz Nasibov: This was my first competition after the Olympics in Paris. I took a few months off, so I’m really happy to be back on the mat.
You are currently training in the United States. How is everything organized there and what is the atmosphere like? Parviz Nasibov: The atmosphere is great! The American athletes have very comfortable conditions, training here is a pleasure.
1 At the Olympic Games in Paris, despite a serious eye injury, you managed to win your second Olympic silver. The first was at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Which of these medals is more valuable to you? Parviz Nasibov: Both are valuable to me. They represent a lot of hard work. However, these medals are quite different: in Tokyo, I was young and that medal felt like "white gold"; in Paris, the silver was very disappointing and painful because of my mistake that cost me the championship. But there is still more to come. I believe that my most cherished medal awaits me in Los Angeles.
2 At the Paris Olympics, Ukraine's head coach, Volodymyr Shatskykh, mentioned that the level of your opponents was extremely high. I quote: "Of course, the techniques and sequences of moves cannot be the same with athletes of such a level. Parviz still proves that we have character, that we have a school, and the desire to win." What stood out to you the most from those matches? And what was your greatest motivation to win? Parviz Nasibov: Every match was tough. I fought for every victory "tooth and nail," so to speak