Khadzhimurat Akkaev was a Russian weightlifter born in 1985 in Kabardino-Balkaria. He enjoyed various sports as a child but focused on weightlifting. In 2004, he joined the Russian national team and won a silver medal at the Athens Olympics. Akkaev went on to win numerous international competitions, taking bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He was considered a favorite for the 2012 Olympics but had to withdraw due to an injury.

1. Akkaev Khadzhimurat
By Makhiev Ismail

2. •
My home town of Nalchik, KabardinoBalkaria is famous for its local cuisine,
beauty sights and also world-class athletes.
About one of them I would like to tell.
Akkaev Khadzhimurat Magomedovich was
born March 27, 1985 in the town of
Tyrnyauz, Kabardino-Balkaria, USSR In his
early childhood Akkaev engaged in sports
activities with enthusiasm. The future
Olympian liked all kinds of sports, but most
of all Khadzhimurat liked weightlifting. So he
decided to fully devote himself to this
interesting, but extremely difficult sport.
Thanks to the splendid talent of the future
champion he achieved great success in a
short period of time. Naturally, the
sportsman could not have achieved such a
tremendous success, if not for his first
coach, who taught the young Khadzhimurat
basics of weightlifting.

3. •
•
•
•
2004 was the year of a major breakthrough
in the career of the athlete. The weightlifter
was enrolled to the national team and got
the opportunity to compete at the
international tournaments and competitions.
In the first season Akkaev managed to
cause a real furor. At the Athens Olympics
Khadzhimurat was one of the best, winning
the silver medal. Following this success, the
Russian athlete significantly strengthened
its own status.
The first steps of the weightlifter in his sport
career were when he participated in the
junior competitions. Akkaev regularly
became the winner at the city and even at
the state championships.
Soon the athlete came in sight of coaches
and specialists. Most of them were sure that
Khadzhimurat is a bright future in the
Russian weightlifting. Fortunately, they
turned out to be right - the athlete was able
to become the strongest among the
sportsmen of the same age.

4. •
The following years of
Akkaev’s sports career were
no less successful, and
Khadzhimurat won in
numerous international
competitions. In the season of
2008 Akkaev took part in his
second Olympics in Beijing,
where the Russian sportsman
again proved himself as an
extremely strong and
determined person, winning a
bronze medal.

5. •
At the Olympic Games of 2012
Khadzhimurat Akkaev was the favorite.
By this time he had already changed
his weight class - previously he
competed in the category up to 94 kg ,
in 2012 he moved up into 105kg
weight category. Being the current
world champion, Akkaev, and another
Russian weightlifter Dmitry Klokov
were considered the top contenders
for the title of the winner. However, the
athletes did not participate in 2012
Olympics: just before the competition,
both Akka and Klokov got injures that
didn’t allow them to come to the
platform and fight for the victory.

6. •
At the Olympic Games of 2012
Khadzhimurat Akkaev was the favorite.
By this time he had already changed
his weight class - previously he
competed in the category up to 94 kg ,
in 2012 he moved up into 105kg
weight category. Being the current
world champion, Akkaev, and another
Russian weightlifter Dmitry Klokov
were considered the top contenders
for the title of the winner. However, the
athletes did not participate in 2012
Olympics: just before the competition,
both Akka and Klokov got injures that
didn’t allow them to come to the
platform and fight for the victory.