Episode 64 of the Five Point Move Podcast features an in-depth conversation with two-time Olympian/five-time US World Team member Ildar Hafizov (Army/WCAP), and it is one that will likely carry a lot of interest for hardcore Greco followers and mainstream wrestling fans alike.
Hafizov, 37, made history last month in Las Vegas when he advanced to his 10th-straight best-of-three Trials final, and 12th overall. Only heavyweight great Dremiel Byers has appeared in more consecutive Trials finals (2001-12), though Hafizov has now accomplished the feat in three separate weight categories (59, 60, and 63 kg).
But with Hafizov — widely considered the best Greco-Roman technician in the country — the majority of the perspectives shared on his part in this episode extend beyond the mat and outside the confines of what is witnessed in competition. Items such as his decision to continue his career in a higher weight class, how his body has benefited from said decision, and various training insights are indeed shared in uncompromising detail. This is one area in which Hafizov shines, as he is equally bluntly-honest and thorough when explaining his observations of the sport, as well as when he opines regarding the general status of Greco-Roman in the US as a whole.
In addition to how this past World Team selection season has unfolded for him, there are two other important subjects presented in E64: 1) how Hafizov has essentially become a “player-coach” for Army’s World Class Athletes Program and is tasked with running many of that team’s training protocols; 2) his recent announcement that he is now open to booking clinics for age-group athletes and coaches around the country.
For Hafizov, whose Senior career began as an Olympian in his native Uzbekistan, Greco-Roman is the only style of wrestling in which he has competed. Therefore, his grasp of the discipline is both authentic and highly-nuanced. He also understands that the majority of American youths come of age developmentally without a robust baseline in terms of fundamentals.
As a means for giving back to the sport, Hafizov desires to impart his knowledge and philosophies on young wrestlers (and their coaches) so that they might foster a deeper appreciation for Greco in conjunction with improving their competitive capabilities both in the short-term and long. Hafizov sees this endeavor as a primary component of the next chapter of his wrestling career, and it is one which he is eager to begin.
A Few Highlights
Hafizov on his overall vision for doing clinics and assisting with age-group development
“I know that coaches would want to bring me in for their camps because they want their kids to wrestle Greco better. They think that they are going to pick it up, but I’m sure in three practices, four practices, that you’re not going to learn how to wrestle Greco. But — at least you will have an idea what and how you can do it. This is what was driving me. So, if I can put in their coaches’ minds what they can do and how they can run it, maybe it will affect kids later.”
Hafizov on the origin of his stepping up into more of a leadership role within Army/WCAP
“I was the oldest on the team and I was helping out the guys because, sometimes, the coaches are going with the athletes (on trips), going back-and-forth, back-and-forth, but no one sees what is happening behind the scenes. Like when they’re training, doing warm-ups before a competition, or when someone needs a talk, needs a hug… When someone needs something for them to figure out what’s going on in their head. And I was going around knowing what was the frustration in their heads. Someone just lost a match, or someone is about to go through a match, and I was helping out the team a little bit there, too.”
Hafizov on gauging whether or not he was going to compete in 2025 due to his helping run Army practices
“Shon (Lewis) wanted me to start coaching, more coaching, helping out the guys and let them prepare for the April Nationals (World Team Trials). And by that time, I didn’t know if I was going to compete or not, and I wasn’t preparing 100%. Basically, Spenser (Mango) and I were running practices, and in some practices I didn’t even practice if they had partners, and I was going around the mat and helping out the guys. And when someone didn’t have a partner, I was jumping in. It was chance-to-chance. But I was lifting. I was always doing something. And by April it was, I might as well just wrestle. Why not? I mean, it’s not going to hurt me.“
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