2008 Olympic Games preview at 74 kg/163 lbs. in Greco-Roman wrestling

The reigning World champion is Yavor Yanakiev of Bulgaria, who had his best performance ever in winning the gold in Baku, Azerbaijan. He has never won another medal at either the World level or at the European Championships, so his victory last year was a bit surprising.

The other two World champions from this Olympic quadrennium have been Volodym Shastykym of Ukraine in 2006 and Varteras Samourgashev of Russia in 2005. Samourgashev was the Olympic champion in 2000 at 63 kg, and won an Olympic bronze medal in 2004, along with another World title in 2002. Both of these competitors needed to attend Olympic Qualification Tournaments to earn their spot in the Beijing Olympics after falling short in the earlier qualifiers.

The most consistent performer at this division has been Mark Madsen of Denmark, who claimed World silver medals in 2005 and 2007 and a World bronze medal in 2006.

Claiming World bronze medals in 2007 were Christophe Guenot of France and Valdemaras Venckaitis of Lithuania. Other World medalists during this Olympic cycle who have qualified for Beijing include 2006 bronze medalist Manuchar Krirkvelia of Georgia and 2005 bronze medalist Konstantin Schneider of Germany. Krirkvelia was a World champion in 2003 and has extensive experience.

The United States will be represented by T.C. Dantzler, who placed fifth at the 2006 World Championships. Dantzler qualified for the Olympics during one of the Olympic Qualification events. He has beaten a number of past World champions in recent seasons, including a win over Yanakiev this year.

The 2008 European champion was Peter Basci of Hungary, who was seventh at the World Championships last year. Winning the Asian Championships was Chang Youngziang of China. A surprise winner at the Pan American Championships this year was Sixto Ochoa of Peru, who upset Dantzler in the finals.

Among the qualifiers who placed in the top eight at the World Championships last year were Roman Melyoshin of Kazakhstan and Julian Kwit of Poland.

Among the other qualifiers are 2007 Junior World champion Arsen Julfalakyan of Armenia and 2008 European Championships silver medalist Seref Tuefenk of Turkey. Others to watch include Valdemaras Venckatitis of Lithuania, Oleg Mikhalovitch of Belarus and Ilgar Abdulov of Azerbaijan.

Qualified nations at 74 kg/163 lbs. - Algeria, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, China, Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Peru, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, United States

RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS

2007 World Championships results
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Yavor Yanakiev (Bulgaria); Silver - Mark Madsen (Denmark); Bronze - Christophe Guenot (France); Bronze - Valdemaras Venckaitis (Lithuania); 5th - Roman Melyoshin (Kazakhstan); 5th - Julian Kwit (Poland); 7th - Peter Bacsi (Hungary); 8th - Konstantin Schneider (Germany); 9th - Odelis Herrero (Cuba); 10th - Tae-Kyun Jung (Korea)

2006 World Championships results
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Volodym Shatskym (Ukraine); Silver - Marko Yli-Hannuksela (Finland); Bronze - Manuchar Krirkvelia (Georgia); Bronze - Mark Madsen (Denmark); 5th - T.C. Dantzler (United States); 5th - Konstantin Schneider (Germany); 7th - Ilya Shafran (Israel); 8th - Neven Zugaj (Croatia); 9th - Daniar Kobonov (Krygyzstan); 10th - Davod Abedinzadeh (Iran)

2005 World Championships results
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Varteres Samurgachev (Russia); Silver - Mark Madsen (Denmark); Bronze - Marko Yli-Hannuksela (Finland); Bronze - Konstantin Schneider (Germany); 5th - Reto Bucher (Switzerland); 5th - Mohammad Babulfath (Sweden); 7th - Aleksandr Dokturishvili (Uzbekistan); 8th - Ilgar Abdulov (Azerbaijan); 9th - Mahmut Altaly (Turkey); 10th - Manuchar Kvirkvelia (Georgia)

2004 Olympic Games results
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Alexandr Dokturishvili (Uzbekistan); Silver - Marko Yli-Hannuksela (Finland); Bronze - Varteres Samourachev (Russia); 4th - Reto Bucher (Switzerland); 5th - Danil Khalimov (Kazakhstan); 6th -Filiberto Azcuy (Cuba); 7th - Konstantin Schneider (Germany); 8th - Tamas Berzicza (Hungary); 9th - Alberto Jose Recuero (Spain); 10th - Duk Hoon Choi (Korea)

2003 World Championships results
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Alexei Glushkov (Russia) dec. Konstantin Schneider (Germany), 3-0; Bronze - Jin Soo Kim (Korea) dec. Danil Khalimov (Kazakhstan), 3-0 ot; 5th - Volokymyr Shats'kykh (Ukraine); 6th - Aliaksandr Kikiniou (Belarus); 7th - Marko Yli-Hannuksela (Finland); 8th - Yakov Menasherov (Israel); 9th - Viuga Aslanov (Azerbaijan); 10th - Katsuhiko Nagata (Japan)

2002 World Championships results
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Varteres Samourgashev (Russia) dec. Badri Khasaia (Georgia), 3-0; Bronze - Filiberto Ascuy (Cuba) dec. Volodymir Shatskikh (Ukraine), 5-1; 5th - Tamas Berzicza (Hungary); 6th - Michal Jaworski (Poland); 7th - Konstantin Schneider (Germany); 8th - Aleksandr Kikiniov (Belarus); 9th - Marko Yli-Hannuksela (Finland); 10th - Dzhakhombir Turdiev (Uzbekistan)

2001 World Championships results
69 kg/152 lbs. - Gold - Filiberto Azcuy (Cuba) dec. Alexei Gloushkov (Russia), 4-0; Bronze - Rustem Adzhy (Ukraine) pin Jimmy Samuelson (Sweden), 1:28; 5th - Moises Sanchez (Spain); 6th - Parviz Zaidvand (Iran); 7th - Song Sang Pil (Korea); 8th - Maxim Schwindt (Germany); 9th - Ondrej Jaros (Czech Republic); 10th - Mahmut Altay (Turkey)

2001 World Championships results
76 kg/167.5 - Gold - Ara Abrahamjian (Sweden) pin Alexei Michine (Russia), 5:04; Bronze - Kim Jin Soo (Korea) dec. Sergiy Solodkyy (Ukraine), 3-0; 5th - Tamas Berzicza (Hungary); 6th - Marko Yli-Hannuksela (Finland); 7th - Bakhtiyar Baiseitov (Kazakhstan); 8th - Odelis Herrero (Cuba); 9th - Artur Michalkiewicz (Poland); 10th - Dimitris Avramis (Greece)