Ali Tcokaev
Ali Tcokaev (; born 10 April 2003), also transliterated as Ali Tsokayev, is a Russian-born freestyle wrestler competing for Azerbaijan. Competing in the 92 kg weight class, Tcokaev won the gold medal at the 2026 European Wrestling Championships. He also won the gold medal at the 2026 European U23 Wrestling Championships.
Career
Tcokaev was born in Ingushetia. He began wrestling at a physical culture and health complex in Malgobek, where he trained under Ashab Gagiyev in the early part of his career.
In 2021, he won the silver medal at the North Caucasus Federal District junior championships in Khasavyurt, losing to Magomedrasul Asluev in the final. The same year, he won the North Caucasus Federal District student championships held in Khuchni.
In 2022, Tcokaev won several North Caucasus Federal District titles at junior and under-23 level. At the junior championships in Nazran, he defeated Kemran Abubakarov of Chechnya in the final. At the under-23 championships in Nalchik, he defeated Dagestan's Ali Nurov in the final. The same year, he also won the junior tournament for the prizes of Murad Umakhanov in Khasavyurt and the Aslanbek Bisultanov Memorial Tournament in Grozny.
In 2023, Tcokaev began representing Azerbaijan. At the 2023 World Junior Wrestling Championships held in Amman, Jordan, he won the bronze medal in the men's freestyle 79 kg event. After losing in the semi-finals to Ibragim Kadiev, who competed for Russia, Tcokaev defeated Iran's Farzad Safijahanshahi in the bronze-medal match to finish third. In December 2023, he reached the final of the Azerbaijan Championships in Baku, where he lost to Orkhan Abbasov and won the silver medal.
At the 2024 European U23 Wrestling Championships held in Baku, Azerbaijan, Tcokaev won the silver medal in the men's freestyle 79 kg event. He lost in the final to Greece's Georgios Kougioumtsidis and finished second. The same year, he finished tenth in the 79 kg event at the 2024 U23 World Wrestling Championships in Tirana. In the qualification round, he defeated Albania's Arjan Danaj 11–0 by technical superiority; in the round of 16, he drew 4–4 with Belarus's Ivan Harashuk and was eliminated on criteria.
At the 2026 European U23 Wrestling Championships held in Zrenjanin, Serbia, Tcokaev won the gold medal in the men's freestyle 92 kg event. In the semi-finals, he defeated Mustafagadzhi Malachdibirov, who competed for Russia, 6–4. In the final, he defeated Turkey's Fatih Altunbaş 11–0 by technical superiority to become European U23 champion. At the 2026 European Wrestling Championships held in Tirana, Albania, Tcokaev won the gold medal in the men's freestyle 92 kg event. He defeated Belarus's Yaraslau Iadkouski, competing for United World Wrestling, 10–0 by technical superiority in the round of 16, Georgia's Mirian Maisuradze 5–0 in the quarter-finals and Switzerland's Samuel Scherrer 6–0 in the semi-finals. In the final, he defeated Akhmed Bataev of Bulgaria 6–3 to become European champion.