Nazar Kulchytskyy
Nazar Kulchytskyy is a retired Ukrainian-American wrestler who competed in the freestyle and folkstyle rulesets and later became a respected wrestling coach. As a competitor, Kulchytskyy earned 4 NCAA Division III titles as a representative of the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh in the collegiate circuit. Internationally, Kulchytskyy conquered medals at the Pan American Championships, World Clubs Cup, European Championships, Dave Schultz Memorial, and more, while representing both Ukraine and the United States of America.
Nazar Kulchytskyy Wrestling
MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS
High School:
- N/A
College:
- 1st Place NCAA D3 Wrestling Championships (2012, 2013, 2014)
Freestyle:
- 1st Place World Clubs Cup (2016)
- 2nd Place Pan American Championships (2018)
- 2nd Place World Clubs Cup (2017)
- 3rd Place Cadet European Championships (2008)
- 3rd Place Dave Schultz Memorial (2016, 2017)
- 3rd Place Bill Farrell Memorial (2019)
Weight Division:
- 157 lbs/71.2kg
Teams:
- Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy
- Ohio State University (OSU)
Nazar Kulchytskyy Biography
Nazari Kulchytskyy was born on June 3, 1992, in Sosnivka, Ukraine, where he was raised.
A big part of Ukrainian culture, the sport of wrestling was introduced early on in Nazar's life, when he was 7-years-old, with competition quickly becoming a fundamental part of his upbringing.
Showing a natural talent for grappling, at the age of 12, Nazar moved to Odessa, Ukraine, a city famous for its strong wrestling culture, to focus on his sporting career. The competitive environment and careful development program at Odessa helped shape Kulchytskyy into one of the top juvenile athletes in the nation, leading the young athlete to 5 national titles and a bronze medal at the Cadet European Championships.
LIFE IN AMERICA
In 2008 Nazar moved to the United States of America with his family, on time to join the senior year of high school. Sadly for Kulchutskyy, he was not allowed to compete due to his past international accomplishments, which set him under the “professional athlete” status, unfit for the high school US circuit.
With a limited US high school history, Kulchytzkyy was forced to attend a lower division college, then joining Division III's University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh. While competing for the UW Oshkosh's Titans, Nazar became the most accomplished wrestler in the history of the team, with three Division III National titles and NCAA Division III Wrestler of the Year honors twice.
Nazar's strong performances in D3 earned him a shot at a Division I university under the condition that he would be transferred as a junior, terms the Ukrainian-American wrestler refused to accept at the time. As such, Kulchytskyy graduated from UW with a 143-5 record and only one loss to a D3 athlete.
SENIOR CAREER
When Nazar arrived on US soil, back in 2008, he did so as an international wrestler for Ukraine. That changed in 2014, the year when Kulchytskyy earned his American citizenship and was finally able to compete as a US athlete.
This newly set status allowed Kulchytskyy to compete in the US World Team Trials Challenge tournament back in 2015, his first big tournament as an American. Nazar went 2-2 at the time and did not qualify for the best-of-three, nevertheless, the event marked a turning point in the international wrestler's life.
Kulchytskyy went on to have a very fruitful career on the international circuit, competing for the US, with medals at the Pan American Championships, Dave Schultz Memorial, World Clubs Cup, to name a few. Nazar would retire from the sport as a competitor on June 28, 2020, at the Rumble on the Rooftop event, going on to focus on his coaching career.
Nazari Kulchytskyy Fireman's Carry