2007 World Championships preview at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. in men's freestyle wrestling
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by Craig Sesker
There won't be a repeat winner in this weight class this year.
American Bill Zadick, the 2006 World gold medalist at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., was unable to make the U.S. World Freestyle Team in 2007 after undergoing a rough season filled with injuries and ailments. Zadick only competed in two events after the 2006 Worlds and he ended up placing fifth at the U.S. World Team Trials.
2005 World champion Mahach Murtazaliev of Russia placed ninth at the Worlds last year, but has bumped up a weight class to 74 kg/163 lbs.
2003 World champion Irbek Farniev is listed on the FILA Website as Russia's entrant for the World Championships at this weight class. Farniev placed second at the 2007 European Championships.
Two-time World champion and 2005 World silver medalist Serafim Barzakov of Bulgaria placed fifth in the Worlds last year.
Georgia's Otar Tushishvili, second to Zadick last year and third in the World in 2005, may be ready to ascend to the top step of the podium this season.
2005 and 2006 World bronze medalist Geandry Garzon of Cuba, who lost a tough three-period match to Zadick in the second round of the Worlds last year, also is looking very strong this year. He won the Pan American Games this year.
The other returning bronze medalist is Andriy Stadnik of the Ukraine.
Albert Batyrov of Belarus, fifth in the World last year, won the 2007 European Championships. He beat Farniev in the finals.
Iran's Tahmasi Hassan won the 2007 Asian Championships.
Doug Schwab of the U.S. pulled off the biggest surprise of the World Team Trials in making his first World Team at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Schwab has very little international experience and had an up-and-down tournament in winning a bronze medal at the Pan American Games.
Schwab is a guy who has a huge gas tank who never seems to wear down. He has been plagued by slow starts in his international matches, falling behind early and then coming back strong late. He's the type of guy who will become stronger as the tournament progresses. He's very good offensively, but can't dig too deep of a hole early against some of the best competitors in the World.
Schwab won a very tough weight class to make the U.S. World Team. He won a division that included top wrestlers like Zadick and past World Team member Chris Bono.
This weight class has produced its share of surprises in recent years. Case in point was the 2006 Worlds with Zadick and the 2004 Olympics when Jamill Kelly of the U.S. came out of nowhere to win a silver medal. Don't be surprised if a guy like Schwab gets on a roll in Baku and ends up fighting for a spot on the medal stand.
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2006 World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Gold - Bill Zadick (USA); Silver - Otari Tushishvili (Georgia); Bronze - Geandry Garzon (Cuba); Bronze - Andriy Stadnik (Ukraine); 5th - Albert Batyrov (Belarus); 5th - Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria); 7th - Elman Askerov (Azerbaijan); 8th - Fred Jessy (Nigeria); 9th - Makhach Murtazaliev (Russia); 10th - Leonid Spiridonov (Kazakhstan)
2005 World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Gold - Mahach Murtazaliev (Russia); Silver - Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria); Bronze - Otar Tushishvili (Georgia); Bronze - Geandry Garzon (Cuba); 5th - Leonid Spirodonov (Kazakhstan); 5th - Viktor Bilokopytyy (Ukraine); 7th - Bayunjav Batzorig (Mongolia); 8th - Evan MacDonald (Canada); 9th - Omer Cubukci (Turkey); 10th - Masoud Vahedi (Iran)
2004 Olympic Games
66 kg/ 145.5 lbs. - Gold - Elbrus Tedeyev (Ukraine); Silver - Jamill Kelly (USA); Bronze - Makhach Murtazaliev (Russia); 4th - Leonid Spirdonov (Kazakhstan); 5th - Kazuhiko Ikematu (Japan); 6th - Apostolos Taskoudis (Greece); 7th - Omer Cubucki (Turkey); 8th - Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria); 9th - Serguei Rondon (Cuba); 10th - Kumar Na Ramesh (India)
2003 World Championships
66 kg/ 145.5 lbs. - Gold - Irbek Farniev (Russia) dec. Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria), 3-1, ot, 7:57; Bronze - Ikematsu Kazuhiko (Japan) dec. Serguei Rondon (Cuba), 6-5; 5th - Otari Tushishvili (Georgia); 6th - Elbrus Tedeev (Ukraine); 7th - Nikolaos Loizidis (Greece); 8th - Evan MacDonald (Canada); 9th - Gergo Szabo (Hungary); 10th - Stefan Fernyak (Slovakia)
2002 World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Gold - Elbrus Tedeev (Ukraine) dec. Ali Reza Dabir (Iran), 5-4, ot, 6:24; Bronze - Zaur Botaev (Russia) dec. Ergun Urun (Germany), 3-0; 5th - Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria); 6th - Lucian Gralak (Poland); 7th - Sung Jang-Jae (Korea); 8th - Neil Ewers (Canada); 9th - Otar Tushishvili (Georgia); 10th - Norjin Bayramagnai (Mongolia)
American Bill Zadick, the 2006 World gold medalist at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., was unable to make the U.S. World Freestyle Team in 2007 after undergoing a rough season filled with injuries and ailments. Zadick only competed in two events after the 2006 Worlds and he ended up placing fifth at the U.S. World Team Trials.
2005 World champion Mahach Murtazaliev of Russia placed ninth at the Worlds last year, but has bumped up a weight class to 74 kg/163 lbs.
2003 World champion Irbek Farniev is listed on the FILA Website as Russia's entrant for the World Championships at this weight class. Farniev placed second at the 2007 European Championships.
Two-time World champion and 2005 World silver medalist Serafim Barzakov of Bulgaria placed fifth in the Worlds last year.
Georgia's Otar Tushishvili, second to Zadick last year and third in the World in 2005, may be ready to ascend to the top step of the podium this season.
2005 and 2006 World bronze medalist Geandry Garzon of Cuba, who lost a tough three-period match to Zadick in the second round of the Worlds last year, also is looking very strong this year. He won the Pan American Games this year.
The other returning bronze medalist is Andriy Stadnik of the Ukraine.
Albert Batyrov of Belarus, fifth in the World last year, won the 2007 European Championships. He beat Farniev in the finals.
Iran's Tahmasi Hassan won the 2007 Asian Championships.
Doug Schwab of the U.S. pulled off the biggest surprise of the World Team Trials in making his first World Team at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Schwab has very little international experience and had an up-and-down tournament in winning a bronze medal at the Pan American Games.
Schwab is a guy who has a huge gas tank who never seems to wear down. He has been plagued by slow starts in his international matches, falling behind early and then coming back strong late. He's the type of guy who will become stronger as the tournament progresses. He's very good offensively, but can't dig too deep of a hole early against some of the best competitors in the World.
Schwab won a very tough weight class to make the U.S. World Team. He won a division that included top wrestlers like Zadick and past World Team member Chris Bono.
This weight class has produced its share of surprises in recent years. Case in point was the 2006 Worlds with Zadick and the 2004 Olympics when Jamill Kelly of the U.S. came out of nowhere to win a silver medal. Don't be surprised if a guy like Schwab gets on a roll in Baku and ends up fighting for a spot on the medal stand.
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2006 World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Gold - Bill Zadick (USA); Silver - Otari Tushishvili (Georgia); Bronze - Geandry Garzon (Cuba); Bronze - Andriy Stadnik (Ukraine); 5th - Albert Batyrov (Belarus); 5th - Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria); 7th - Elman Askerov (Azerbaijan); 8th - Fred Jessy (Nigeria); 9th - Makhach Murtazaliev (Russia); 10th - Leonid Spiridonov (Kazakhstan)
2005 World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Gold - Mahach Murtazaliev (Russia); Silver - Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria); Bronze - Otar Tushishvili (Georgia); Bronze - Geandry Garzon (Cuba); 5th - Leonid Spirodonov (Kazakhstan); 5th - Viktor Bilokopytyy (Ukraine); 7th - Bayunjav Batzorig (Mongolia); 8th - Evan MacDonald (Canada); 9th - Omer Cubukci (Turkey); 10th - Masoud Vahedi (Iran)
2004 Olympic Games
66 kg/ 145.5 lbs. - Gold - Elbrus Tedeyev (Ukraine); Silver - Jamill Kelly (USA); Bronze - Makhach Murtazaliev (Russia); 4th - Leonid Spirdonov (Kazakhstan); 5th - Kazuhiko Ikematu (Japan); 6th - Apostolos Taskoudis (Greece); 7th - Omer Cubucki (Turkey); 8th - Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria); 9th - Serguei Rondon (Cuba); 10th - Kumar Na Ramesh (India)
2003 World Championships
66 kg/ 145.5 lbs. - Gold - Irbek Farniev (Russia) dec. Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria), 3-1, ot, 7:57; Bronze - Ikematsu Kazuhiko (Japan) dec. Serguei Rondon (Cuba), 6-5; 5th - Otari Tushishvili (Georgia); 6th - Elbrus Tedeev (Ukraine); 7th - Nikolaos Loizidis (Greece); 8th - Evan MacDonald (Canada); 9th - Gergo Szabo (Hungary); 10th - Stefan Fernyak (Slovakia)
2002 World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Gold - Elbrus Tedeev (Ukraine) dec. Ali Reza Dabir (Iran), 5-4, ot, 6:24; Bronze - Zaur Botaev (Russia) dec. Ergun Urun (Germany), 3-0; 5th - Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria); 6th - Lucian Gralak (Poland); 7th - Sung Jang-Jae (Korea); 8th - Neil Ewers (Canada); 9th - Otar Tushishvili (Georgia); 10th - Norjin Bayramagnai (Mongolia)
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