Ruslan Gaziev (born August 16, 1999) is a Canadian competitive

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

of Avar descent who specializes in the freestyle. Gaziev currently resides and trains in Columbus, Ohio.

Career

In 2017, Gaziev won two gold medals as part of mixed relay teams at the

2017 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships The 6th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, was held in Indianapolis, United States. The championships were for girls aged 14–17 and boys age 15–18. Over 600 athletes from 90 different countries competed at the Championships. Host selec ...

, including breaking the World Junior record in the 4x100 freestyle relay. In 2018, Gaziev was named to his first senior team at the

2018 Commonwealth Games The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and also known as Gold Coast 2018, were an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth that was held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, bet ...

in Australia. Gaziev also competed at the

2018 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships The 2018 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, a long course (50 m) event, was held in Tokyo, Japan, from 9 to 14 August 2018. Qualifying criteria Unlike the World Championships and Olympic Games, nations can enter as many people as they li ...

. As part of the 2021 Canadian Olympic swimming trials in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, Gaziev finished in third in the 100m freestyle. This qualified him for the

2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. Gaziev competed collegiately for The

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

. At the

2022 World Aquatics Championships The 2022 World Aquatics Championships, the 19th edition of the FINA World Aquatics Championships, were held in Budapest, Hungary, from 17 June to 3 July 2022. These championships included five disciplines, with high diving not staged for this edi ...

, Gaziev swam the lead-off for the Canadian team in the heats of the 4×100 m mixed freestyle relay, helping them qualify to the event final in second place. He was replaced by

Joshua Liendo Joshua Liendo Edwards (born August 20, 2002) is a Canadian competitive swimmer who is an Olympic silver medalist. He is the first Black Canadian swimmer to win an individual medal at a major international championship. At the 2024 Paris Olympic ...

in the final, but shared in the team's silver medal win, his first World medal. That same summer Gaziev participated in his second Commonwealth Games team, for the 2022 edition in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

. He swam in the heats of the mixed 4×100 m freestyle relay for the Canadian team, being replaced in the event final by

Javier Acevedo Javier Carlos Acevedo (born 28 January 1998) is a Canadian competitive swimmer. He competes primarily in the backstroke events. Acevedo won two bronze medals at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships as part of both the mixed 4×100 m freest ...

, and shared in the team's bronze medal win. The following day he won a bronze with the men's team in the 4×100 m freestyle. This was the first men's relay medal for Canada at a major event since the

2015 Pan American Games The 2015 Pan American Games (), officially the XVII Pan American Games () and commonly known as the Toronto 2015 Pan-Am Games (Toronto 2015), were a major international multi-sport event celebrated in the tradition of the Pan American Games, ...

, and the first at the Commonwealth Games since

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

. Gaziev said afterward that "I told the boys this is two years out of the Olympics. We might not have won but we are building momentum. We're young and we have so much there." He went on to reach the final of the 100 m freestyle, and placed fourth, 0.27 seconds behind bronze medalist Duncan Scott. He noted "four years ago at this meet I didn't even reach the semifinal so I've come a long way." Gaziev then distinguished himself swimming the anchor leg for Canada in the 4×100 m mixed medley, narrowly out-touching

Freya Anderson Freya Ann Alexandra Anderson (born 4 March 2001) is a British swimmer, known primarily for her achievements as a freestyle sprinter, especially as a relay swimmer for Great Britain. Anderson achieved nine relay gold medals at three editions of ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

to take the silver medal for the team. In May 2024, he was suspended for 18 months for anti-doping violations.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gaziev, Ruslan 1999 births Living people Avar people Canadian male freestyle swimmers Swimmers from Moscow Swimmers from Toronto Swimmers at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Swimmers at the 2020 Summer Olympics Olympic swimmers for Canada World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Canada Commonwealth Games silver medallists in swimming Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Canada Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in swimming Swimmers at the 2022 Commonwealth Games 21st-century Canadian sportsmen Medallists at the 2022 Commonwealth Games Ohio State Buckeyes men's swimmers