Passion or Profession: Wrestler

Period: 1979–

Since his breakthrough performance in the 2000 Summer Olympics, in which he earned a silver medal, Taymazov has scored near the top of all the international competitions he has entered. That includes winning the gold at 2003 world championships and the 2004 Summer Olympics. The 6-foot-2-inch, 247-pound freestyle wrestler has helped raise his country’s profile in international events. Uzbekistan had gained its first gold medal as an independent nation at the 2000 Olympics.