CAMBRIDGE, Mass.. – Jay Weiss, The David G. Bunning '88 Head Coach for Harvard Wrestling, announced Thursday that Bekzod Abdurakhmonov will join the coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach. 
 
"I couldn't be more excited to bring Bekzod on board," Coach Weiss said on Thursday. "I've been wanting him on our coaching staff for a long time. He's proven to be one of the best wrestlers in the world and still has more to accomplish. He'll be a tremendous asset to our program."  
 
Abdurakhmonov joins the program after a bronze medal at the 2018 World Championships and a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Bekzod also joined the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club Resident Athlete Program in the fall of 2018. 

Abdurakhmonov, who is the brother of assistant coach Muzaffar Abdurakhmanov, was a two-time NCAA qualifier at 165 lbs., finishing third as a senior in 2012 to earn All-America honors. A current Uzbekistan national team member at 70 kilograms, Abdurakhmonov is currently ranked No. 4 in the world in his weight class.

He won the bronze medal at the 2014 World Championships and earned the title at the 2014 Asian Games. A 2016-Olympic qualifier who advanced to the bronze-medal match in Rio, Abdurakhmonov was the 2014 Dave Schultz Memorial International runner-up.

During his career at Clarion, Abdurakhmonov won two Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championships at 165 lbs. and placed twice at the Midlands Championships (fourth and second).

The Crimson opens its dual schedule on Saturday against the University of North Carolina at 1:00 p.m. on ESPN+.