Ilya Mate
Soviet wrestler
일랴 마테
- Born
- 6 October 1956, Starohnativka
- Citizenship
- Ukraine, Soviet Union
- Sport
- freestyle wrestling
- Occupation
- amateur wrestler
- Height
- 187 cm (6 ft 2 in)
- Weight
- 100 kg (220 lb)
Illya Fedorovych Mate (spelled Maté, Russian: Илья Фёдорович Мате, IPA: [ɪˈlʲjæ maˈtɛ], born 6 October 1956) is a retired Soviet and Ukrainian freestyle wrestler. He won gold medals at the 1980 Olympics and 1979 and 1982 world championships, finishing third in 1981. Mate was reputed for his deceitfully flabby appearance, which misled his opponents into thinking of him as of an "easy prey," as well as for his springy sudden movements and the mat generalship, avoiding flukes, and providing no "chinks in the armor" for his opponents.
Competitions
| Competition | Year | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 Summer Olympics | 1980 |
Awards and honours
- Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR
- Order of Friendship of Peoples
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q158934 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.