2007 World Championships preview at 74 kg/163 lbs. in men's freestyle wrestling
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by Craig Sesker
Take a quick glance at the freestyle results of the 2006 World Championships at 74 kg/163 lbs. and you might think there was some sort of a mistake made.
Russia's Bouvaisa Saitiev placed eighth at the Worlds last fall in Guangzhou, China. The two-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time World champion was bothered by a rib injury and clearly was not himself in the biggest tournament of 2006.
Now Saitiev reportedly won't even compete at the Worlds this year. The FILA Website lists Mahach Murtazaliev as Russia's entrant for the 2007 Worlds in this weight class. Murtazaliev stepped in and won the 2007 European Championships at 74 kg. Murtazaliev was a 2005 World champion at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Ukraine's Ibraghim Aldatov is the returning champion in this weight class. He beat Iran's Ali Asharbazrei in last year's World finals. Aldatov lost in the second round of the European Championships this year and failed to win a medal.
The returning World bronze medalists are Soslan Tigiev of Uzbekistan and Donny Pritzlaff of the United States.
Pritzlaff, who won a bronze medal in his first trip to the World Championships in 2006, did not make the American team this year. Pritzlaff's past college rival, Joe Heskett, won the U.S. World Team Trials and will compete in his first World Championships this year. Heskett is a veteran who has gained his share of international experience. He's been waiting a long time for this opportunity to shine. Don't be surprised if he turns in a strong performance in his first trip to the Worlds, similar to what Pritzlaff did last year. Heskett's coaches have said he's looked very good in the team's training camps.
Ivan Fundora of Cuba, a 2004 Olympic bronze medalist, looked very strong in capturing the 2007 Pan American Games title. Fundora beat Heskett in the finals of the Pan American Games.
China's Wu Zijian won the 2007 Asian Championships at 74 kilos.
This weight class could be wide-open, especially if Saitiev does not compete. A number of top wrestlers should be in the mix here.
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2006 World Championships
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Ibraghim Aldatov (Ukraine); Silver - Ali Asharbazrei (Iran); Bronze - Soslan Tigiev (Uzbekistan); Bronze - Donny Pritzlaff (USA); 5th - Mihail Ganev (Bulgaria); 5th - Murad Gaidarov (Belarus); 7th - Emzarios Betinidis (Greece); 8th - Bouvaisa Saitiev (Russia); 9th - Krystian Brzozowski (Poland); 10th - Stefan Gheorghita (Romania)
2005 World Championships
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Bouvaisa Saitiev (Russia); Silver - Arpad Ritter (Hungary); Bronze - Joe Williams (USA); Bronze - Nikolay Paslar (Bulgaria); 5th - Alexandru Burca (Moldova); 5th - Mehdi Hajizadeh (Iran); 7th - Ivan Fundora (Cuba); 8th - Soslan Tigiev (Uzbekistan); 9th - Talant Jekshenov (Krygyzstan); 10th - Salvatore Rinella (Italy)
2004 Olympic Games
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Bouvaisa Saitiev (Russia); Silver - Gennadiy Laliev (Kazakhstan); Bronze - Ivan Fundora (Cuba); 4th - Krystian Brzoziwki (Poland); 5th -Joe Williams (USA); 6th - Daniel Igali (Canada); 7th - Salvatore Rinella (Italy); 8th - Arayik Gevorgyan (Armenia); 9th - Yusup Adulsalomov (Tajikistan); 10th - Emzarios Betinidis (Greece)
2003 World Championships
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Bouvaisa Saitiev (Russia) won by ref. dec. over Murad Caidarov (Belarus), 2-2, ot, 9:00; Bronze - Gennadiy Laliyev (Kazakhstan) dec. Hadi Habibi (Iran), 5-1; 5th - Siharmir Osmanov (Macedonia); 6th - Talgat Ilyasov (Australia); 7th - Arpad Ritter (Hungary); 8th - Sujeet Mann (India); 9th - Aslanov Elnur Isquandar (Azerbaijan); 10th - Obata Kunihiko (Japan)
2002 World Championships
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Mehdi Hadjizadeh Joybari (Iran) dec. Magomed Isagadzhiev (Russia), 4-0; Bronze - Vladimir Sirotin (Ukraine); 4th - Gennadiy Laliyev (Kazakhstan); 5th - Daniel Igali (Canada); 6th - Xu Xuanchong (China); 7th - Georgi Mechedlidze (Georgia); 8th - Daniel Gonzales (Cuba); 9th - Elshad Allahverdiev (Azerbaijan); 10th - Alexander Leipold (Germany)
Russia's Bouvaisa Saitiev placed eighth at the Worlds last fall in Guangzhou, China. The two-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time World champion was bothered by a rib injury and clearly was not himself in the biggest tournament of 2006.
Now Saitiev reportedly won't even compete at the Worlds this year. The FILA Website lists Mahach Murtazaliev as Russia's entrant for the 2007 Worlds in this weight class. Murtazaliev stepped in and won the 2007 European Championships at 74 kg. Murtazaliev was a 2005 World champion at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Ukraine's Ibraghim Aldatov is the returning champion in this weight class. He beat Iran's Ali Asharbazrei in last year's World finals. Aldatov lost in the second round of the European Championships this year and failed to win a medal.
The returning World bronze medalists are Soslan Tigiev of Uzbekistan and Donny Pritzlaff of the United States.
Pritzlaff, who won a bronze medal in his first trip to the World Championships in 2006, did not make the American team this year. Pritzlaff's past college rival, Joe Heskett, won the U.S. World Team Trials and will compete in his first World Championships this year. Heskett is a veteran who has gained his share of international experience. He's been waiting a long time for this opportunity to shine. Don't be surprised if he turns in a strong performance in his first trip to the Worlds, similar to what Pritzlaff did last year. Heskett's coaches have said he's looked very good in the team's training camps.
Ivan Fundora of Cuba, a 2004 Olympic bronze medalist, looked very strong in capturing the 2007 Pan American Games title. Fundora beat Heskett in the finals of the Pan American Games.
China's Wu Zijian won the 2007 Asian Championships at 74 kilos.
This weight class could be wide-open, especially if Saitiev does not compete. A number of top wrestlers should be in the mix here.
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2006 World Championships
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Ibraghim Aldatov (Ukraine); Silver - Ali Asharbazrei (Iran); Bronze - Soslan Tigiev (Uzbekistan); Bronze - Donny Pritzlaff (USA); 5th - Mihail Ganev (Bulgaria); 5th - Murad Gaidarov (Belarus); 7th - Emzarios Betinidis (Greece); 8th - Bouvaisa Saitiev (Russia); 9th - Krystian Brzozowski (Poland); 10th - Stefan Gheorghita (Romania)
2005 World Championships
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Bouvaisa Saitiev (Russia); Silver - Arpad Ritter (Hungary); Bronze - Joe Williams (USA); Bronze - Nikolay Paslar (Bulgaria); 5th - Alexandru Burca (Moldova); 5th - Mehdi Hajizadeh (Iran); 7th - Ivan Fundora (Cuba); 8th - Soslan Tigiev (Uzbekistan); 9th - Talant Jekshenov (Krygyzstan); 10th - Salvatore Rinella (Italy)
2004 Olympic Games
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Bouvaisa Saitiev (Russia); Silver - Gennadiy Laliev (Kazakhstan); Bronze - Ivan Fundora (Cuba); 4th - Krystian Brzoziwki (Poland); 5th -Joe Williams (USA); 6th - Daniel Igali (Canada); 7th - Salvatore Rinella (Italy); 8th - Arayik Gevorgyan (Armenia); 9th - Yusup Adulsalomov (Tajikistan); 10th - Emzarios Betinidis (Greece)
2003 World Championships
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Bouvaisa Saitiev (Russia) won by ref. dec. over Murad Caidarov (Belarus), 2-2, ot, 9:00; Bronze - Gennadiy Laliyev (Kazakhstan) dec. Hadi Habibi (Iran), 5-1; 5th - Siharmir Osmanov (Macedonia); 6th - Talgat Ilyasov (Australia); 7th - Arpad Ritter (Hungary); 8th - Sujeet Mann (India); 9th - Aslanov Elnur Isquandar (Azerbaijan); 10th - Obata Kunihiko (Japan)
2002 World Championships
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Mehdi Hadjizadeh Joybari (Iran) dec. Magomed Isagadzhiev (Russia), 4-0; Bronze - Vladimir Sirotin (Ukraine); 4th - Gennadiy Laliyev (Kazakhstan); 5th - Daniel Igali (Canada); 6th - Xu Xuanchong (China); 7th - Georgi Mechedlidze (Georgia); 8th - Daniel Gonzales (Cuba); 9th - Elshad Allahverdiev (Azerbaijan); 10th - Alexander Leipold (Germany)
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