Frank Chamizo

Frank Chamizo Marquez (born 10 July 1992) is a Cuban-Italian freestyle wrestler who competes at 74 kilograms. Starting his career in Cuba, Chamizo became a World Cup champion, World Championship medalist, and Pan American champion at 55 kilograms in 2010 and 2011 before immigrating to Italy in 2011[1][2] Since then, Chamizo became the greatest Italian wrestler of all time,[3][4] racking up two World Championships (in 2015 at 65kg and 2017 at 70kg, plus a silver medal in 2019), an Olympic bronze medal in 2016, an Individual World Cup silver medal, a European Games silver medal, four European Championships, and others.[5]

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Chamizo and the second or maternal family name is Marquez.

Frank Chamizo
Chamizo in 2017
Personal information
Full nameFrank Chamizo Marquez
NationalityCuban-Italian
Born (1992-07-10) 10 July 1992
Matanzas, Cuba
Home townOstia, Italy
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight74 kg (163 lb)
Sport
Country Cuba
 Italy (since 2013)
SportWrestling
Weight class74 kg
EventFreestyle
ClubEsercito Italiano
Gamid Gamidov wrestling club (formerly)
Coached byFiliberto Delgado (Cuba)
Gaidar Gaidarov (Russia)
Medal record
Men's freestyle wrestling
Representing  Italy
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place2016 Rio de Janeiro65 kg
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2015 Las Vegas65 kg
Gold medal – first place2017 Paris70 kg
Silver medal – second place2019 Nur-Sultan74 kg
Disqualified 2022 Belgrade 74 kg
European Championships
Gold medal – first place2016 Riga65 kg
Gold medal – first place2017 Novi Sad70 kg
Gold medal – first place2019 Bucharest74 kg
Gold medal – first place2020 Rome74 kg
Silver medal – second place2022 Budapest74 kg
Silver medal – second place2023 Zagreb74 kg
Bronze medal – third place2018 Kaspiysk74 kg
Bronze medal – third place2021 Warsaw74 kg
Bronze medal – third place2024 Bucharest79 kg
Individual World Cup
Silver medal – second place 2020 Belgrade 74 kg
European Games
Silver medal – second place2015 Baku65 kg
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place2018 Tarragona74 kg
Italian National Championships
Gold medal – first place2017 Ostia70 kg
Representing  Cuba
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place2010 Moscow55 kg
Pan American Championships
Gold medal – first place2010 Monterrey55 kg

Chamizo is also known for his rivalry with seven-time Olympic and World champion Jordan Burroughs, against whom he has gone 2–4, but winning the last match.[6]

Personal life

Chamizo had a trying childhood. He grew up in poverty and was raised by his grandmother because both his parents lived abroad.[7] He began wrestling at age seven after walking into a wrestling facility out of curiosity.[7] The Cuban government eventually recognized his talent and helped him attend a secondary school where he could continue wrestling.[1] In addition to his native Spanish, Chamizo is fluent in Italian and can also speak English.

Career in Cuba

In 2010, Chamizo won a world bronze medal for Cuba; he was only 18 at the time. The next year, he returned to the world championships, where he placed 12th. After the 2011 World Wrestling Championships, however, Cuba's wrestling federation suspended him for two years for alleged difficulties with weight management.[7] At a crossroads, he moved to Italy, where his ex-wife is from.

Career in Italy

In 2015, Chamizo made his world debut for Italy and won a gold medal. Before then, no Italian had won a world or Olympic freestyle wrestling gold medal since 1980.

From there, Chamizo won three more world-level medals, including a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics and a gold medal at the 2017 world competition. Overall, Chamizo won four world-level medals for Italy and two world-level championships.

At the 2022 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, he won the bronze medal by defeating Soner Demirtaş 5-3 in the men's freestyle 74 kg third-place match, but his medal was canceled due to doping and given to Soner Demirtaş. He was only suspended for three months.[8]

He won the silver medal at the 2023 European Wrestling Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, losing 3-1 to Tajmuraz Salkazanov of Slovakia in the men's freestyle 74 kg final match. He reached the final by defeating Dzhabrail Gadzhiev of Azerbaijan 9-4 in the second round, Soner Demirtaş 8-6 in the quarterfinals, and Ali-Pasha Umarpashaev of Bulgaria 9-0 in the semifinals.[9]

Chamizo competed at the 2024 European Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan hoping to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.[10] He was eliminated in his fourth match and he did not qualify for the Olympics due to controversial judging.[10] Several days later Chamizo claimed he was offered a bribe of 300 thousand dollars to deliberately lose a match, an offer that he rejected.[11] Weeks after the tournament, the refereeing body that officiated the match were suspended by the UWW, however, the result could not be changed.[12]


Awards and honors
2019
  • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) World Championships (74 kg)
  • 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament (74 kg)
2018
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Yasar Dogu (74 kg)
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Mediterranean Games (74 kg)
  • 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) European Championships (74 kg)
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament (74 kg)
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) International Ukrainian Tournament (74 kg)
2017
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) World Championships (70 kg)
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Ion Corneanu & Ladislau Simon Memorial (70 kg)
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Ali Aliev Tournament (70 kg)
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) European Championships (70 kg)
2016
  • 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Olympic Games (65 kg)
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) European Championships (65 kg)
  • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Alexander Medved Prizes (65 kg)
2015
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) World Championships (65 kg)
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial (65 kg)
  • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Grand Prix of Spain (70 kg)
  • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) European Games (65 kg)
2014
  • 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) International D. A. Kunaev Tournament (65 kg)
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Grand Prix of Spain (65 kg)
  • 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Ali Aliev Tournament (65 kg)
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Yasar Dogu (65 kg)
2013
  • 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Henri Deglane Challenge (66 kg)
  • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Grand Prix of Spain (66 kg)
2011
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) World Cup (55 kg)
2010
  • 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) World Championships (55 kg)
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Pan American Championships (55 kg)

References
  1. "A Coca-Cola Career, And Son's Olympic Success, Are a Father's Dreams Come True". 26 October 2016.
  2. "Frank Chamizo: "Nonna aveva fame, io ho venduto la divisa"". 21 September 2016.
  3. "My-Wrestling-Guide". www.my-wrestling-guide.com. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  4. "Frank Chamizo podría irse al Octágono tras Tokio 2021". ADN Cuba (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  5. "Frank Chamizo beats Jordan Burroughs in Rome Clash of Titans". Olympic Channel. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  6. "Lotta, Frank Chamizo vince le Ranking Series Ostia 2021: battuto in finale lo statunitense Jordan Burroughs!". OA Sport (in Italian). 7 March 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  7. "Frank Chamizo, il ragazzo venuto da Cuba per diventare grande".
  8. "Chamizo admits 'mistake' after failing anti-doping test". ANSA. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  9. "European Championships". United World Wrestling.
  10. "2024 European Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament Results Book" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  11. "Wrestler says he rejected $300K bribe to throw match he lost". ESPN.
  12. Vinay. "UWW decision regarding Chamizo-Bayramov bout". United World Wrestling. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
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