Georgios Kougioumtsidis made history as he became the first-ever Greek wrestler to win the world senior freestyle wrestling championship in the 79 kg division.
The 23-year-old phenom defeated American Levi-Heines in the final in Zagreb, Croatia, on Monday night by 3-2.
“I’m very proud,” Kougioumtsidis said. “I’m the first one who won a gold medal at the World Championships. It’s my dream come true. I failed at the Olympics last year. I think this year is a good achievement. I achieved my goal.”
His gold in Croatia comes on the heels of a string of successes, including a bronze in the Ranking Series in Hungary two months ago, three U23 gold medals in the European championships, and a gold at the EU senior tournament in 2023.
Kougioumtsidis is considered a once-in-a-generation talent among the wrestling pundits, showcasing incredible speed on the mat, high-level technique and IQ, as well as exceptional defense.
Born in Thessaloniki in 2001, Kougioumtzidis is Pontic on both sides of his family. He has not forgotten his roots and is learning the language, which he uses with his grandparents. In fact, he speaks exclusively Pontic Greek with his maternal grandparents.
In an interview with AthleteStories three years ago, he stated:
“In my life, I don’t miss anything, thank God. I have food, I have a home, and I think nothing else is needed to say, ‘I’m fine.’ Money is not my goal. Money is necessary to have comfort and to live a normal life. But for me, it’s not that important. In wrestling, I care more about history and my name, not at all about money. If you do it for money, you won’t succeed. If money is your sole purpose when doing professional sports (not just in wrestling), neither money nor success will come. Most athletes pursue sports at this level to make a name and create history. Of course, personally, I also compete for my country and for the Greek flag.”
Beyond his exceptional skills in freestyle wrestling, Kougioumtzidis’ character and mindset have elevated him to the top of the world. And his journey still has a long way to go.
