Osman Duraliev

Osman Duraliev (Bulgarian: Осман Дуралиев, 15 January 1939 – 25 April 2011) was a Bulgarian freestyle wrestler with Turkish origin. Between 1967 and 1972 he won ten silver medals at major international competitions, including the 1968 and 1972 Summer Olympics.[1] An archrival of the Soviet Aleksandr Medved, to whom he lost eight high-profile finals (two Olympic, four World, and two European,) subsequently winning only the Silver medals.[2][3] He came close to winning at the 1971 World Championships in Sofia, where he led the match 4:3 with 43 seconds left. Yet Medved equalized the score and won the title because of his lower body weight.[4] Considering that Medved was named one of the greatest wrestlers in history, the Duraliev could be deservedly placed in the same rostrum with Medved and a select few others.

Osman Duraliev

Duraliev in 1971
Personal information
Born	15 January 1939 Vladimirovtsi, Razgrad, Bulgaria
Died	25 April 2011 (aged 72) Istanbul, Turkey
Height	185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	125 kg (276 lb)
Sport
Sport	Freestyle wrestling
Club	Ludogorez Razgrad
Medal record Representing  Bulgaria 1968 Mexico City +97 kg 1972 Mexico City +100 kg World Championships 1967 Delhi +97 kg 1969 Mar del Plata +100 kg 1970 Edmonton +100 kg 1971 Sofia +100 kg European Championships 1967 Istanbul +97 kg 1968 Sofia +97 kg 1969 Skopje +100 kg 1972 Katowice +100 kg

In 1989 Duraliev immigrated to Turkey, where he died aged 72.[4]