Yeldos Smetov

Yeldos Smetov (Kazakh: Елдос Бахтыбайұлы Сметов; born September 9, 1992) is a Kazakh judoka. He won the gold medal in the 60 kg event at the 2015 World Judo Championshipsand captured silver in the same event of 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Yeldos Smetov was born in Taraz, Kazakhstan.He studies in Al-Farabi Kazakh National University at the faculty of biology and biotechnology. Smetov's father is a businessman and his mother, a homemaker. His elder brother Zhandos is professionally engaged in judo also.

During judo performances for the Kazakhstan youth team, Smetov won the gold and bronze medals of the World Cup among youth (2010 and 2011, respectively). Since 2012 he was part of the adult national team. The first year Smetov fell hard because of his small weight. The year 2013 began successfully for the athlete — in the first half of the year he won bronze in the championship of Asia in Bangkok, silver at a stage Gran Prix in Samsun, a stage of the European Cup to Tbilisi, and gold on an open European Cup on judo in Warsaw. Smetov's first coach was Akhmet Zhumagulov; as a part of a national team of Kazakhstan training under the supervision of Yermek Imanbekov.