Magomedalieva got into boxing by accident and very late. A truly amazing story of a female boxer from Dagestan.

As part of the Russian women's boxing team, only one athlete reached the Olympic medal. We are talking about Zenfira Magomedalieva, who competes in the weight category up to 75 kg.

The most remarkable thing is that she initially came to boxing not for victories and medals, but in order to lose weight. That is, in this form, it was essentially brought by chance.

Initially, Zenfira was engaged in shot put and played for the national team of her native Dagestan at the student level. However, then she decided to change the sport due to the fact that her weight reached 85 kg, and try rugby, arm wrestling and pankration.  And in the latter she became the world champion. But due to the fact that this is not an Olympic sport, which is not financially supported by the state, Zenfira was forced to change the sport again.

The choice fell on boxing, which she took up at a very late age. At that time she was 23 years old, but Zenfira almost immediately got involved. At first, Magomedalieva hid her new hobby from her parents, because she was afraid of their reaction and prohibitions, so she cut her hair short so that they would not recognize her. However, the secret soon became clear, and the reaction of the parents to the secret of their daughter was expected. And at that time, Zenfira won the championship of the North Caucasian Federal District and had the prospect of becoming the first number in Russia. With great difficulty, but they still had mercy and allowed her to continue doing what she loved.

In 2013, a native of Dagestan won first place in the Russian boxing championship for the first time. A year later, she won the World Championship in South Korea, and thus Magomedalieva became the first world boxing champion from Dagestan. After winning the World Championships, Zenfira received a congratulatory telegram from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

All this was just the beginning of a successful journey. Two triumphs at the European Championships in 2016 and 2019, as well as three more victories at the Russian Championships in 2015, 2016 and 2020, were added to the victory in Korea. It is worth noting that Magomedalieva took a two-year break associated with the birth of her daughter Yasmina, but the pause did not prevent her from returning to the top of world boxing. So, in the same 2019, Zenfira became the world champion for the second time at a tournament in Ulan-Ude.

Zenfira Magomedalieva, Tokyo 2020

However, these regalia did not give the Russian woman a pass to the Olympic Games, which our heroine dreamed of. And only in June 2021, at the qualifying tournament in Paris, she managed to win the coveted ticket to the Tokyo Games.

At the Olympics, Magomedalieva did not show her full potential. According to the coaches, in the semifinals she simply could not cope with the excitement, which was one of the reasons for the relegation. Be that as it may, Zenfira went down in history as the first native of Dagestan to win the Tokyo Olympics.

Moreover, her success is valuable, given that she came to boxing very late. The history and career path of Magomedalieva is truly amazing. We congratulate her on her medal achievement at the Olympics and wish her further victories!