2008 Olympic Games preview at 55 kg/121 lbs. in Greco-Roman wrestling
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by Gary Abbott
Iran's Hamid Sourian Reinhanpour has been dominant wrestler in this weight class, winning the last three World gold medals. He was also a Junior World champion in 2005. also won the 2008 Asian Championships, showing he remains at the top of his game. He has shown the ability to have his best performances at the most important events, and the Olympics will be his chance to truly put a stamp on his amazing career.
One of the top competitors pushing Sourian the last few years has been Eun-Chol Park of Korea, who has won two World silver medals and a World bronze medal over the last three years.
Winning World bronze medals last year were Nazyr Mankiev of Russia and Kristijian Fris of Serbia. Other World medalists from this Olympic quadrennium who have qualified to compete in Beijing are 2006 World silver medalist Rovshan Bayramov of Azerbaijan and 2005 World bronze medalists Istvan Majoros of Hungary and Yermek Kuketov of Kazakhstan.
Bayramov won the 2007 and 2008 European Championships, one of the toughest tournaments in the world each year. Kuketov won a bronze medal at the Asian Championships this year. Majoros has been competing at 60 kg for the last two years, so Hungary is expected to be represented by Peter Modos.
The United States will be represented by a talented young star, Spenser Mango, a 2006 University World Champion and 2006 Junior World medalist. Mango won the U.S. Olympic Trials, with 2005 World bronze medalist Lindsey Durlacher failing to qualify. Mango has considerable international experience although he will be just 22 years old during the Olympics.
Other athletes who qualified their nations for the Olympics by placing in the top eight at the 2007 World Championships are Ildar Hafizov of Uzbekistan, Virgil Munteanu of Romania and Anders Nyblom of Denmark.
Cuba's Yagniel Hernandez could be a top challenger in this division after winning the 2007 Pan American Games and 2008 Pan American Championships.
Qualified nations at 55 kg/121 lbs. - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, China, Cuba, Denmark, Georgia, Hungary, Iran, Kazakhstan, Korea, Palau, People's Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Tunisia, Ukraine, United States, Uzbekistan
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2007 World Championships
55 kg/121 lbs - Gold - Hamid Sorian Reihanpour (Iran); Silver - Eun-Chol Park (Korea); Bronze - Nazyr Mankiev (Russia); Bronze - Kristijan Fris (Serbia); 5th - Ildar Hafizov (Uzbekistan); 5th - Lindsey Durlacher (United States); 7th - Virgil Munteanu (Romania); 8th - Anders Nyblom (Denmark); 9th - Yerbol Konyratov (Kazakhstan); 10th - Rovshan Bayramov (Azerbaijan)
2006 World Championships
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Hamid Sourian Reihanpour (Iran); Silver - Roushan Bayramov (Azerbaijan); Bronze - Lindsey Durlacher (USA); Bronze - Eun-Chol Park (Korea); 5th - Velenin Venkov (Bulgaria); 5th - Tibor Olah (Hungary); 7th - Vyugar Ragymov (Ukraine); 8th - Yerbel Konyratov (Kazakhstan); 9th - Anders Nyblom (Denmark); 10th - Aliaksandr Shalesny (Belarus)
2005 World Championships
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Hamid Sourian Reinhanpour (Iran); Silver - Eun-Chol Park (Korea); Bronze - Istvan Majoros (Hungary); Bronze - Yermek Kuketov (Kazakhstan); 5th - Anders Nyblom (Denmark); 5th - Lazaro Rivas (Cuba); 7th - Rovshan Bayramov (Azerbaijan); 8th - Irakli Chochua (Georgia); 9th - Roman Amoyan (Armenia); 10th - Kwang Su Cha (Peopleís Republic of Korea)
2004 Olympic Games
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Ivan Majoros (Hungary); Silver - Geider Mamadaliev (Russia); Bronze - Artiom Kiorgegkian (Greece); 4th - Oleksiy Vakulenko (Ukraine); 5th- Lazaro Rivas (Cuba); 6th - Irakli Chachua (Georgia); 7th - Im Dae Wong (Korea); 8th - Hakkan Nyblom (Denmark); 9th -Hassan Rangraz (Iran); 10th - Masatoshi Toyoda (Japan)
2003 World Championships
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Dariusz Jablonski (Poland) dec. Im Dae-Wong (Korea), 6-5; Bronze - Lazaro Rivas (Cuba) dec. Petr Svehla (Czech Rep.), 5-1; 5th - Marian Sandu (Romania); 6th - Uran Kalilov (Kyrgyzstan); 7th - Hasan Rangraz (Iran); 8th - Hakan Nyblom (Denmark); 9th - Svajunas Adomaitis (Lithuania); 10th - Oleksiy Vakulenko (Ukraine)
2002 World Championships
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Geider Mamadaliyev (Russia) dec. Nepes Gukulov (Turkmenistan), 4-0; Bronze - Hassan Rangraz (Iran) won by tech. fall over Ashot Khachaturyan (Armenia), 10-0, 4:39; 5th (tie) Marian Sandu (Romania) and Ercan Yldiz (Turkey); 7th - Artiom Kiouregian (Greece); 8th - Brandon Paulson (United States); 9th - Irakli Tchotchua (Georgia); 10th - Oleksandr Vakulenko (Ukraine)
One of the top competitors pushing Sourian the last few years has been Eun-Chol Park of Korea, who has won two World silver medals and a World bronze medal over the last three years.
Winning World bronze medals last year were Nazyr Mankiev of Russia and Kristijian Fris of Serbia. Other World medalists from this Olympic quadrennium who have qualified to compete in Beijing are 2006 World silver medalist Rovshan Bayramov of Azerbaijan and 2005 World bronze medalists Istvan Majoros of Hungary and Yermek Kuketov of Kazakhstan.
Bayramov won the 2007 and 2008 European Championships, one of the toughest tournaments in the world each year. Kuketov won a bronze medal at the Asian Championships this year. Majoros has been competing at 60 kg for the last two years, so Hungary is expected to be represented by Peter Modos.
The United States will be represented by a talented young star, Spenser Mango, a 2006 University World Champion and 2006 Junior World medalist. Mango won the U.S. Olympic Trials, with 2005 World bronze medalist Lindsey Durlacher failing to qualify. Mango has considerable international experience although he will be just 22 years old during the Olympics.
Other athletes who qualified their nations for the Olympics by placing in the top eight at the 2007 World Championships are Ildar Hafizov of Uzbekistan, Virgil Munteanu of Romania and Anders Nyblom of Denmark.
Cuba's Yagniel Hernandez could be a top challenger in this division after winning the 2007 Pan American Games and 2008 Pan American Championships.
Qualified nations at 55 kg/121 lbs. - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, China, Cuba, Denmark, Georgia, Hungary, Iran, Kazakhstan, Korea, Palau, People's Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Tunisia, Ukraine, United States, Uzbekistan
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2007 World Championships
55 kg/121 lbs - Gold - Hamid Sorian Reihanpour (Iran); Silver - Eun-Chol Park (Korea); Bronze - Nazyr Mankiev (Russia); Bronze - Kristijan Fris (Serbia); 5th - Ildar Hafizov (Uzbekistan); 5th - Lindsey Durlacher (United States); 7th - Virgil Munteanu (Romania); 8th - Anders Nyblom (Denmark); 9th - Yerbol Konyratov (Kazakhstan); 10th - Rovshan Bayramov (Azerbaijan)
2006 World Championships
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Hamid Sourian Reihanpour (Iran); Silver - Roushan Bayramov (Azerbaijan); Bronze - Lindsey Durlacher (USA); Bronze - Eun-Chol Park (Korea); 5th - Velenin Venkov (Bulgaria); 5th - Tibor Olah (Hungary); 7th - Vyugar Ragymov (Ukraine); 8th - Yerbel Konyratov (Kazakhstan); 9th - Anders Nyblom (Denmark); 10th - Aliaksandr Shalesny (Belarus)
2005 World Championships
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Hamid Sourian Reinhanpour (Iran); Silver - Eun-Chol Park (Korea); Bronze - Istvan Majoros (Hungary); Bronze - Yermek Kuketov (Kazakhstan); 5th - Anders Nyblom (Denmark); 5th - Lazaro Rivas (Cuba); 7th - Rovshan Bayramov (Azerbaijan); 8th - Irakli Chochua (Georgia); 9th - Roman Amoyan (Armenia); 10th - Kwang Su Cha (Peopleís Republic of Korea)
2004 Olympic Games
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Ivan Majoros (Hungary); Silver - Geider Mamadaliev (Russia); Bronze - Artiom Kiorgegkian (Greece); 4th - Oleksiy Vakulenko (Ukraine); 5th- Lazaro Rivas (Cuba); 6th - Irakli Chachua (Georgia); 7th - Im Dae Wong (Korea); 8th - Hakkan Nyblom (Denmark); 9th -Hassan Rangraz (Iran); 10th - Masatoshi Toyoda (Japan)
2003 World Championships
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Dariusz Jablonski (Poland) dec. Im Dae-Wong (Korea), 6-5; Bronze - Lazaro Rivas (Cuba) dec. Petr Svehla (Czech Rep.), 5-1; 5th - Marian Sandu (Romania); 6th - Uran Kalilov (Kyrgyzstan); 7th - Hasan Rangraz (Iran); 8th - Hakan Nyblom (Denmark); 9th - Svajunas Adomaitis (Lithuania); 10th - Oleksiy Vakulenko (Ukraine)
2002 World Championships
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Geider Mamadaliyev (Russia) dec. Nepes Gukulov (Turkmenistan), 4-0; Bronze - Hassan Rangraz (Iran) won by tech. fall over Ashot Khachaturyan (Armenia), 10-0, 4:39; 5th (tie) Marian Sandu (Romania) and Ercan Yldiz (Turkey); 7th - Artiom Kiouregian (Greece); 8th - Brandon Paulson (United States); 9th - Irakli Tchotchua (Georgia); 10th - Oleksandr Vakulenko (Ukraine)
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