2008 Olympic Games preview at 60 kg/132 lbs. in Greco-Roman wrestling
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by Gary Abbott
Georgia's David Bedinadze has been a World Championships finalist the last two years, winning a gold medal in 2007 and a silver medal in 2008. He has tremendous skill and ability and will be the favorite going into the Olympics at this division.
The 2005 World champion was Armen Nazarian of Bulgaria, one of the sport's superstars. Nazarian won two Olympic gold medals and an Olympic bronze medal, in addition to three World titles. Nazarian was second at the 2008 European Championships, which means he is still dangerous, even at the age of 34.
Makoto Sasamoto of Japan was the 2007 World silver medalist. Claiming bronze medals were Ji-Hyun Jung of Korea and Eusebiu Diaconu of Romania. Diaconu also added a World bronze medal in 2005. Other World medalists in this division during this Olympic cycle who have qualified for Beijing are Emin Bunyamin of Turkey and Vyacheslav Djaste of Russia.
Almaz Tyumenbaev of Krygyzstan won the 2008 Asian Championships. The 2008 European champion was Jarkko Ala-Huikku of Finland, who also placed fifth at the 2007 World Championships. Roberto Monzon of Cuba, who won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games and boasts three World medals, won the Pan American Championships in 2008.
Others who qualified their nations by placing in the top eight at the World Championships included Yury Dubinin of Belarus, Nurbakyt Tengysbayev of Kazakhstan and Davor Stefanek of Serbia.
The United States did not qualify to compete at this weight class. Joe Betterman and Jim Gruenwald entered the qualification events but did not place high enough.
Qualified nations at 60 kg/132 lbs. - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cuba, Egypt, Finland, France, Georgia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Krygyzstan, Korea, Norway, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2007 World Championships
60 kg/132 lbs. - Gold - David Bedinadze (Georgia); Silver - Makoto Sasamoto (Japan); Bronze - Ji-Hyun Jung (Korea); Bronze - Eusebiu Diaconu (Romania); 5th - Yury Dubinin (Belarus); 5th - Jarkko Ala-Huikku (Finland); 7th - Nurbakyt Tengysbayev (Kazakhstan); 8th - Davor Stefanek (Serbia); 9th - Islam-Beka Albiev (Russia); 10th - Song Il Ho (People's Republic of Korea)
2006 World Championships
60 kg/132 lbs. - Gold - Joe Warren (USA); Silver - David Bedinadze (Georgia); Bronze - Emin Bunyamin (Turkey); Bronze - Vyacheslav Djaste (Russia); 5th - Oleksiy Vakulenko (Ukraine); 5th - Eusebiu Diaconu (Romania); 7th - Ali Ashkani (Iran); 8th - Nurhakhyt Tengizbaev (Kazakhstan); 9th - Heinz Mamette (Germany); 10th - Roberto Monzon (Cuba)
2005 World Championships
60 kg/ 132 lbs. - Gold - Armen Nazarian (Bulgaria); Silver - Ali Askhani (Iran); Bronze - Eusebiu Diaconu (Romania); Bronze - Peter Svehla (Czech Republic); 5th - Vahan Juharyan (Armenia); 5th - Laszlo Kliment (Hungary); 7th - Oleksei Vakulenko (Ukraine); 8th - Dilshod Aripov (Uzbekistan); 9th - Joe Warren (USA); 10th - Makoto Sasamoto (Japan)
2004 Olympic Games
60 kg/ 132 lbs. - Gold - Ji Hyun Jung (Korea); Silver - Roberto Monzon (Cuba); Bronze - Armen Nazarian (Bulgaria); 4th - Alexey Shevtsov (Russia); 5th - Makato Sasamoto (Japan); 6th - Nurlan Koizhaiganov (Kazakhstan); 7th - Eusebiu Iancu Diacono (Romania); 8th - Seref Tufenk (Turkey); 9th - Akaki Chachua (Georgia); 10th - Jim Gruenwald (USA)
2003 World Championships
60 kg/ 132 lbs. - Gold - Armen Nazarian (Bulgaria) dec. Roberto Monzon (Cuba), 6-2; Bronze - Eusebiu Diaconu (Romania) win by injury default over Jim Gruenwald (USA); 5th - Akaki Chachua (Georgia); 6th - Wlodzimierz Zawadzki (Poland); 7th - Bunyamin Emit (Turkey); 8th - Mohamed Ashraf (Egypt); 9th - Olexandr Khvoshch (Ukraine); 10th - Jurij Kohl (Germany)
2002 World Championships
60 kg/132 lbs. - Gold - Armen Nazarian (Bulgaria) dec. Wlodzimierz Zawadzki (Poland), 3-0; Bronze - Roberto Monzon Gonzalez (Cuba) dec. Oleksandr Khvosch (Ukraine), 3-0; 5th - Akaki Chachiya (Georgia); 6th - Asledin Khudoyberdiev (Uzbekistan); 7th - Ion Gaimer (Moldova); 8th - James Gruenwald (United States); 9th - Eusebiu Lancu Diaconu (Romania); 10th - Rustem Mambetov (Russia)
The 2005 World champion was Armen Nazarian of Bulgaria, one of the sport's superstars. Nazarian won two Olympic gold medals and an Olympic bronze medal, in addition to three World titles. Nazarian was second at the 2008 European Championships, which means he is still dangerous, even at the age of 34.
Makoto Sasamoto of Japan was the 2007 World silver medalist. Claiming bronze medals were Ji-Hyun Jung of Korea and Eusebiu Diaconu of Romania. Diaconu also added a World bronze medal in 2005. Other World medalists in this division during this Olympic cycle who have qualified for Beijing are Emin Bunyamin of Turkey and Vyacheslav Djaste of Russia.
Almaz Tyumenbaev of Krygyzstan won the 2008 Asian Championships. The 2008 European champion was Jarkko Ala-Huikku of Finland, who also placed fifth at the 2007 World Championships. Roberto Monzon of Cuba, who won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games and boasts three World medals, won the Pan American Championships in 2008.
Others who qualified their nations by placing in the top eight at the World Championships included Yury Dubinin of Belarus, Nurbakyt Tengysbayev of Kazakhstan and Davor Stefanek of Serbia.
The United States did not qualify to compete at this weight class. Joe Betterman and Jim Gruenwald entered the qualification events but did not place high enough.
Qualified nations at 60 kg/132 lbs. - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cuba, Egypt, Finland, France, Georgia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Krygyzstan, Korea, Norway, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2007 World Championships
60 kg/132 lbs. - Gold - David Bedinadze (Georgia); Silver - Makoto Sasamoto (Japan); Bronze - Ji-Hyun Jung (Korea); Bronze - Eusebiu Diaconu (Romania); 5th - Yury Dubinin (Belarus); 5th - Jarkko Ala-Huikku (Finland); 7th - Nurbakyt Tengysbayev (Kazakhstan); 8th - Davor Stefanek (Serbia); 9th - Islam-Beka Albiev (Russia); 10th - Song Il Ho (People's Republic of Korea)
2006 World Championships
60 kg/132 lbs. - Gold - Joe Warren (USA); Silver - David Bedinadze (Georgia); Bronze - Emin Bunyamin (Turkey); Bronze - Vyacheslav Djaste (Russia); 5th - Oleksiy Vakulenko (Ukraine); 5th - Eusebiu Diaconu (Romania); 7th - Ali Ashkani (Iran); 8th - Nurhakhyt Tengizbaev (Kazakhstan); 9th - Heinz Mamette (Germany); 10th - Roberto Monzon (Cuba)
2005 World Championships
60 kg/ 132 lbs. - Gold - Armen Nazarian (Bulgaria); Silver - Ali Askhani (Iran); Bronze - Eusebiu Diaconu (Romania); Bronze - Peter Svehla (Czech Republic); 5th - Vahan Juharyan (Armenia); 5th - Laszlo Kliment (Hungary); 7th - Oleksei Vakulenko (Ukraine); 8th - Dilshod Aripov (Uzbekistan); 9th - Joe Warren (USA); 10th - Makoto Sasamoto (Japan)
2004 Olympic Games
60 kg/ 132 lbs. - Gold - Ji Hyun Jung (Korea); Silver - Roberto Monzon (Cuba); Bronze - Armen Nazarian (Bulgaria); 4th - Alexey Shevtsov (Russia); 5th - Makato Sasamoto (Japan); 6th - Nurlan Koizhaiganov (Kazakhstan); 7th - Eusebiu Iancu Diacono (Romania); 8th - Seref Tufenk (Turkey); 9th - Akaki Chachua (Georgia); 10th - Jim Gruenwald (USA)
2003 World Championships
60 kg/ 132 lbs. - Gold - Armen Nazarian (Bulgaria) dec. Roberto Monzon (Cuba), 6-2; Bronze - Eusebiu Diaconu (Romania) win by injury default over Jim Gruenwald (USA); 5th - Akaki Chachua (Georgia); 6th - Wlodzimierz Zawadzki (Poland); 7th - Bunyamin Emit (Turkey); 8th - Mohamed Ashraf (Egypt); 9th - Olexandr Khvoshch (Ukraine); 10th - Jurij Kohl (Germany)
2002 World Championships
60 kg/132 lbs. - Gold - Armen Nazarian (Bulgaria) dec. Wlodzimierz Zawadzki (Poland), 3-0; Bronze - Roberto Monzon Gonzalez (Cuba) dec. Oleksandr Khvosch (Ukraine), 3-0; 5th - Akaki Chachiya (Georgia); 6th - Asledin Khudoyberdiev (Uzbekistan); 7th - Ion Gaimer (Moldova); 8th - James Gruenwald (United States); 9th - Eusebiu Lancu Diaconu (Romania); 10th - Rustem Mambetov (Russia)
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