2008 Olympic Games preview at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. in Greco-Roman wrestling
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by Gary Abbott
This is a weight class loaded with talent and experience. Sitting on top going into the Olympic year is 2005 and 2007 World champion Mijian Lopez of Cuba, who was also second in the 2006 World Championship. Many believe that Lopez has as much skill and ability as any Greco-Roman wrestler in the world.
His top challenger has been 2004 Olympic champion Khasan Baroev, who has won World gold medals in 2003 and 2006. Lopez and Baroev have been in the World finals the last two years, with Baroev winning in 2006 and Lopez winning in 2007. When Lopez beat Baroev in the World finals last year, it clinched the World Team title for the United States for the very first time.
2002 World champion Dremiel Byers of the United States won a World bronze medal last year, and has as much experience as anybody in the field. Byers was second behind two-time Olympic medalist Rulon Gardner at the 2004 Olympic Trials, but has dominated the U.S. scene ever since.
The other World medalist in 2007 was Youri Patrikeev of Armenia, who captured one of the bronze medals. Patrikeev was the top Russian heavyweight for a few seasons after the retirement of Alexander Kareline in 2000. Patrikeev won a World bronze medal for Russia in 2002. Patrikeev won the 2008 European Championships, defeating Baroev in the finals.
Four-time World silver medalist Mihaly Deak-Bardos of Greece remains on a quest to win an Olympic gold medal after many years falling just short of reaching the top of this weight class. At 33 years old, it will be a difficult challenge for Deak-Bardos, who was fifth at the last two World Championships.
Sergei Artsiukin of Belarus claimed World bronze medals in both 2005 and 2006. Turkey had a World bronze medalist in both of those years, but with different athletes. Ismail Guzel won the World bronze in 2006, while Yetka Yilmaz won the bronze in 2005.
Qualifying their nation by placing in the top eight at the 2007 World Championships were Yannick Szczepaniak of France, Ioseb Chugoshvili of Belarus and David Saldadze of Uzbekistan. Saldadze was second in the 2000 Olympic Games competing for Ukraine.
The 2008 Asian champion was Masoud Hashemzadeh of Iran, who was also seventh in the 2006 World Championships. Hashemzadeh defeated 2004 Olympic silver medalist Georgi Tsurtsumia of Kazakhstan in the Asian finals, and Tsurtsumia did not qualify to compete in Beijing.
2005 Junior World champion Jalmar Sjoberg of Sweden is among the qualifiers. Another talent to watch is Mindaugus Mitzgaitis of Lithuania, was fourth at the 2003 World Championships.
Qualified nations at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Canada, Cuba, Egypt, France, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Uzbekistan
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2007 World Championships results
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Gold - Mijain Lopez (Cuba); Silver - Khassan Baroev (Russia); Bronze - Dremiel Byers (United States); Bronze - Youri Patrikeev (Armenia); 5th - Yannick Szczepaniak (France); 5th - Mihaly Deak Bardos (Hungary); 7th - Iosef Chugoshvili (Belarus); 8th -David Saldadze (Uzbekistan); 9th - Georgiy Tsurtsumia (Kazakhstan); 10th
2006 World Championships results
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Gold - Khasan Baroev (Russia); Silver - Mijian Lopez (Cuba); Bronze - Sergei Artsiukin (Belarus); Bronze - Ismail Guzel (Turkey); 5th - Jalmar Sjoberg (Sweden); 5th - Mihaly Deak-Bardos (Hungary); 7th - Masoud Hashemzadeh (Iran); 8th - David Vala (Czech Republic); 9th - Dremiel Byers (United States); 10th - Mizgaitis Mindaugas (Lithuania)
2005 World Championships results
120 kg/264.5 lbs.- Gold - Mijial Lopez (Cuba); Silver - Mihaly Deak-Bardos (Hungary); Bronze - Sergei Artsiukin (Belarus); Bronze - Yetka Yilmaz (Turkey); 5th - Georgi Tsursumia (Kazakhstan); 5th - Mindaugas Mizgaitis (Lithuania); 7th - Juha Ahokas (Finland); 8th - Kostayantyn Stryzhak (Ukraine); 9th - David Vala (Czech Republic); 10th - Serguei Mourieko (Bulgaria)
2004 Olympic Games results
120 kg/264.5 lbs.- Gold - Khassan Baroev (Russia); Silver - Gerogiy Tsurtsumia (Kazakhstan); Bronze - Rulon Gardner (USA); 4th - Sajad Barzi (Iran); 5th -Mijail Lopez (Cuba); 6th - Yannick Szcepaniak (France); 7th - Xenofan Koutsioumpas (Greece); 8th - Serguey Moreyko (Bulgaria); 9th - Haykaz Galstyan (Armenia); 10th - Mihaly Bardos-Deak (Hungary)
2003 World Championships results
264.5 - Gold - Khassan Baroev (Russia) dec. Mihaly Deak-Bardos (Hungary), 3-1; Bronze - Georgiy Tsurtsumia (Kazakhstan) dec. Mindaugas Mizgaitis (Lithuania), 4-0; 5th - Xenofon Koutsioubas (Greece); 6th - Serguey Moreyko (Bulgaria); 7th - Juha Ahokas (Finland) ; 8th - Yannick Szcezepaniak (France); 9th - Haykaz Ghalstyan (Armenia); 10th - Rulon Gardner (USA)
2002 World Championships results
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Gold - Dremiel Byers (United States) dec. Mihaly Deak-Bardos (Hungary), 3-0; Bronze - Yuri Patrikeev (Russia) dec. Xenofon Koutsioubas (Greece), 9-4; 5th - Helger Hallik (Estonia); 6th -Yuriy Yevseychek (Israel); 7th - Giuseppe Giunta (Italy); 8th - Georgiy Tsurtsumia (Kazakhstan); 9th - Roe Kleive (Norway); 10th - Nico Schmidt (Germany)
2001 World Championships results
130 kg/286 lbs. - Gold - Rulon Gardner (United States) won by ref. dec. over Mihaly Deak-Bardos (Hungary), 2-0, ot; Bronze - Xenofon Koutsoubas (Greece) dec. Sergei Mourieko (Bulgaria), 8-0; 5th - George Tsurtsumia (Georgia); 6th - Mijain Lopez (Cuba); 7th - Eddy Bengtsson (Sweden); 8th - Yuri Patrikeev (Russia); 9th - Alireza Gharibi (Iran); 10th - David Vala (Czech Republic)
His top challenger has been 2004 Olympic champion Khasan Baroev, who has won World gold medals in 2003 and 2006. Lopez and Baroev have been in the World finals the last two years, with Baroev winning in 2006 and Lopez winning in 2007. When Lopez beat Baroev in the World finals last year, it clinched the World Team title for the United States for the very first time.
2002 World champion Dremiel Byers of the United States won a World bronze medal last year, and has as much experience as anybody in the field. Byers was second behind two-time Olympic medalist Rulon Gardner at the 2004 Olympic Trials, but has dominated the U.S. scene ever since.
The other World medalist in 2007 was Youri Patrikeev of Armenia, who captured one of the bronze medals. Patrikeev was the top Russian heavyweight for a few seasons after the retirement of Alexander Kareline in 2000. Patrikeev won a World bronze medal for Russia in 2002. Patrikeev won the 2008 European Championships, defeating Baroev in the finals.
Four-time World silver medalist Mihaly Deak-Bardos of Greece remains on a quest to win an Olympic gold medal after many years falling just short of reaching the top of this weight class. At 33 years old, it will be a difficult challenge for Deak-Bardos, who was fifth at the last two World Championships.
Sergei Artsiukin of Belarus claimed World bronze medals in both 2005 and 2006. Turkey had a World bronze medalist in both of those years, but with different athletes. Ismail Guzel won the World bronze in 2006, while Yetka Yilmaz won the bronze in 2005.
Qualifying their nation by placing in the top eight at the 2007 World Championships were Yannick Szczepaniak of France, Ioseb Chugoshvili of Belarus and David Saldadze of Uzbekistan. Saldadze was second in the 2000 Olympic Games competing for Ukraine.
The 2008 Asian champion was Masoud Hashemzadeh of Iran, who was also seventh in the 2006 World Championships. Hashemzadeh defeated 2004 Olympic silver medalist Georgi Tsurtsumia of Kazakhstan in the Asian finals, and Tsurtsumia did not qualify to compete in Beijing.
2005 Junior World champion Jalmar Sjoberg of Sweden is among the qualifiers. Another talent to watch is Mindaugus Mitzgaitis of Lithuania, was fourth at the 2003 World Championships.
Qualified nations at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Canada, Cuba, Egypt, France, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Uzbekistan
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2007 World Championships results
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Gold - Mijain Lopez (Cuba); Silver - Khassan Baroev (Russia); Bronze - Dremiel Byers (United States); Bronze - Youri Patrikeev (Armenia); 5th - Yannick Szczepaniak (France); 5th - Mihaly Deak Bardos (Hungary); 7th - Iosef Chugoshvili (Belarus); 8th -David Saldadze (Uzbekistan); 9th - Georgiy Tsurtsumia (Kazakhstan); 10th
2006 World Championships results
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Gold - Khasan Baroev (Russia); Silver - Mijian Lopez (Cuba); Bronze - Sergei Artsiukin (Belarus); Bronze - Ismail Guzel (Turkey); 5th - Jalmar Sjoberg (Sweden); 5th - Mihaly Deak-Bardos (Hungary); 7th - Masoud Hashemzadeh (Iran); 8th - David Vala (Czech Republic); 9th - Dremiel Byers (United States); 10th - Mizgaitis Mindaugas (Lithuania)
2005 World Championships results
120 kg/264.5 lbs.- Gold - Mijial Lopez (Cuba); Silver - Mihaly Deak-Bardos (Hungary); Bronze - Sergei Artsiukin (Belarus); Bronze - Yetka Yilmaz (Turkey); 5th - Georgi Tsursumia (Kazakhstan); 5th - Mindaugas Mizgaitis (Lithuania); 7th - Juha Ahokas (Finland); 8th - Kostayantyn Stryzhak (Ukraine); 9th - David Vala (Czech Republic); 10th - Serguei Mourieko (Bulgaria)
2004 Olympic Games results
120 kg/264.5 lbs.- Gold - Khassan Baroev (Russia); Silver - Gerogiy Tsurtsumia (Kazakhstan); Bronze - Rulon Gardner (USA); 4th - Sajad Barzi (Iran); 5th -Mijail Lopez (Cuba); 6th - Yannick Szcepaniak (France); 7th - Xenofan Koutsioumpas (Greece); 8th - Serguey Moreyko (Bulgaria); 9th - Haykaz Galstyan (Armenia); 10th - Mihaly Bardos-Deak (Hungary)
2003 World Championships results
264.5 - Gold - Khassan Baroev (Russia) dec. Mihaly Deak-Bardos (Hungary), 3-1; Bronze - Georgiy Tsurtsumia (Kazakhstan) dec. Mindaugas Mizgaitis (Lithuania), 4-0; 5th - Xenofon Koutsioubas (Greece); 6th - Serguey Moreyko (Bulgaria); 7th - Juha Ahokas (Finland) ; 8th - Yannick Szcezepaniak (France); 9th - Haykaz Ghalstyan (Armenia); 10th - Rulon Gardner (USA)
2002 World Championships results
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Gold - Dremiel Byers (United States) dec. Mihaly Deak-Bardos (Hungary), 3-0; Bronze - Yuri Patrikeev (Russia) dec. Xenofon Koutsioubas (Greece), 9-4; 5th - Helger Hallik (Estonia); 6th -Yuriy Yevseychek (Israel); 7th - Giuseppe Giunta (Italy); 8th - Georgiy Tsurtsumia (Kazakhstan); 9th - Roe Kleive (Norway); 10th - Nico Schmidt (Germany)
2001 World Championships results
130 kg/286 lbs. - Gold - Rulon Gardner (United States) won by ref. dec. over Mihaly Deak-Bardos (Hungary), 2-0, ot; Bronze - Xenofon Koutsoubas (Greece) dec. Sergei Mourieko (Bulgaria), 8-0; 5th - George Tsurtsumia (Georgia); 6th - Mijain Lopez (Cuba); 7th - Eddy Bengtsson (Sweden); 8th - Yuri Patrikeev (Russia); 9th - Alireza Gharibi (Iran); 10th - David Vala (Czech Republic)
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