Oleg Karavayev
Olympic wrestler (1936–1978)
올레그 카라바예프
- Born
- 20 May 1936, Minsk
- Died
- 23 August 1978, Minsk
- Citizenship
- Soviet Union
- Sport
- amateur wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling
- Occupation
- amateur wrestler
- Height
- 161 cm (5 ft 3 in)
- Weight
- 57 kg (126 lb)
- Team / club
- Burevestnik
Oleg Nikolayevich Karavaev (Russian: Олег Николаевич Караваев, 20 May 1936 – 23 August 1978) was a Soviet bantamweight Greco-Roman wrestler. He won the world title in 1958 and 1961 and an Olympic gold medal in 1960.
He was Jewish. Karavaev took up wrestling aged 16 and quickly became one of the most technically gifted Soviet wrestlers. Between 1956 and 1962 he rarely lost a bout, and won the Soviet title every year except for 1961. In 1964 he failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, and retired to become a wrestling coach, heading the Belorussian team through the late 1960s. From 1971 until his death he worked at his native sports society Burevestnik. The illness in 1978 led to his death at the age 42. Since 1992, an annual wrestling tournament has been held in his honor in his native Minsk.
Competitions
| Competition | Year | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1958 World Wrestling Championships | ||
| 1961 World Wrestling Championships | ||
| Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1956 Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR | ||
| Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1959 Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR | ||
| USSR Championship in Greco-Roman wrestling 1957 | ||
| USSR Championship in Greco-Roman wrestling 1958 | ||
| USSR Championship in Greco-Roman wrestling 1960 | ||
| USSR Championship in Greco-Roman wrestling 1962 | ||
| wrestling at the 1960 Summer Olympics – men's Greco-Roman bantamweight |
Awards and honours
- Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR
- Master of Sport of the USSR
- Medal "For Distinguished Labour"
- Order of the Red Banner of Labour
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q332190 (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.