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Ukrainian wrestler Zhan Beleniuk wins bronze at World Wrestling Championship, earns spot in 2024 Olympics

by Rachel Amran September 24, 2023 9:35 PM 1 min read

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Ukrainian Greco-Roman wrestler and politician Zhan Beleniuk won bronze at the World Wrestling Championship in Belgrade on Sept. 22 and earned a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics. The two-time world champion was defeated by Turkish wrestler Ali Cengiz in the 87 kg division.

Beleniuk has competed at the Olympics twice before. In 2016, Beleniuk won silver at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro before ultimately winning gold in 2021 in Tokyo.

The 32-year-old also won gold at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships in the 85 kg division and again at the same competition in 2019 in the 87 kg.

That same year, Beleniuk was elected as a deputy to the Ukrainian parliament as a member of President Zelensky's Servant of the People party. He is the first black MP in Ukrainian history.

Author: Rachel Amran

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Field report

Ukrainian wrestler Zhan Beleniuk wins bronze at World Wrestling Championship, earns spot in 2024 Olympics

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