2009 World Championships preview at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. in Greco-Roman wrestling
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by Gary Abbott
The reigning Olympic champion at this division is Aslanbek Khushtov of Russia, who has been dominant in competition the last two years. Khushtov won the European title in both 2008 and 2009, and also added a gold medal at the 2009 World Cup. He did not place in his only previous World Championships appearance back in 2006.
The surprise 2009 Olympic silver medalist was Mirko Englich of Germany, who had not placed higher than fifth at a World Championships. Englich has not competed since the Olympics. One of the Olympic bronze medalists, Adam Wheeler of the United States, has retired and the other bronze medalist from Beijing, Asset Mambetov of Kazakhstan, has not competed since the Olympics either.
Perhaps competing for Kazakhstan will be Margulan Assembekov, who won silver medals at the 2009 European Championships and the 2009 World Cup.
Placing second behind Khushtov at the 2009 European Championships was Mindaugas Ezerskis of Lithuania, who was a 2007 World silver medalist. Ezerskis was seventh at the Beijing Olympics.
The 2007 World champion Ramaz Nozadze of Georgia, who was also an Olympic silver medalist in 2004, had a disappointing year last year, not placing in the top 10 at the Beijing Olympics. He is back this year, winning a silver medal at the Golden Grand Prix finals this summer.
A veteran who continued wrestling after Beijing was Marek Svec of the Czech Republic, who was fifth at the Olympics. Svec won a bronze medal at the 2009 European Championships. Svec was a World silver medalist in 1998 and 2006. The other 2009 European bronze medalist was Jimmy Lidberg of Sweden.
2006 World champion Heiki Nabi of Estonia did not qualify for the Olympics last year, but he continues to compete on the international level. He was seventh at the European Championships and fifth at the Golden Grand Prix this year.
Elis Guri of Albania has placed in the top 10 the last two years, placing 8th at the 2008 Olympics and seventh at the 2007 World Championships. His bronze medal at the 2008 European Championships shows that he has medal potential.
Asian champion Amir Aliakbari of Iran is expected to compete as is Pan American Champion Yasmani Lugo Cabrera of Cuba.
2006 World bronze medalist Kaloyan Dinchev of Bulgaria claimed a gold medal at the Pytlasinski Tournament, an important pre-World tune-up in Poland.
The USA will be represented by a first-time World Team member, R.C. Johnson, who has been competitive nationally in recent seasons. Johnson showed his progress with a strong second place finish at the Pytlasinski Tournament, with a win over 2006 World champion Nabi and veteran Lidberg of Sweden.
Others to watch include Denis Michine of Azerbaijan, Balasz Kiss of Hungary, Jiang Huachen of China and Anil Kumar of India.
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2008 Olympic Games
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Gold - Aslanbek Khushtov (Russia); Silver - Mirko Englich (Germany); Bronze - Adam Wheeler (USA); Bronze - Asset Mambetov (Kazakhstan); 5th - Han Tae-Young (Korea); 5th - Marek Svec (Czech Republic); 7th - Mindaugus Ezerskis (Lithuania); 8th - Elis Guri (Albania); 9th - Jiang Huachen (China); 10th - Mehmet Ozal (Turkey)
2007 World Championship results
96 kg/211.5 lbs.- Gold - Ramaz Nozadze (Georgia); Silver - Mindaugas Ezerskis (Lithuania); Bronze - Marek Svec (Czech Republic); Bronze - Ghasem Rezaei (Iran); 5th - Kenzo Kato (Japan); 5th - Diagoro Timoncini (Italy); 7th - Elis Guri (Albania); 8th - Serkan Ozden (Turkey); 9th - Aset Membetov (Kazakhstan); 10th - Rami Hietaniemi (Finland)
2006 World Championships results
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Gold - Heiki Nabi (Estonia); Silver - Marek Svec (Czech Republic); Bronze - Kaloyan Dinchev (Bulgaria); Bronze - Hamza Yerlikaya (Turkey); 5th - Andrei Batura (Belarus); 5th - Ramaz Nozadze (Georgia); 7th - Jimmy Lidberg (Sweden); 8th - Lajos Virag (Hungary); 9th - Theodoros Tounoysidis (Greece); 10th - Young Han-Tae (Korea)
2005 World Championships results
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Gold - Hamza Yerlikaya (Turkey); Silver - Lajos Virag (Hungary); Bronze - Vasilliy Tepoulkhov (Russia); Bronze - Justin Ruiz (USA); 5th - Mirko Englich (Germany); 5th - Margulan Assembekov (Kazakhstan); 7th - Mikhaylo Nikolaev (Ukraine); 8th - Vladislav Metodiev (Bulgaria); 9th - Shata Narmaniya (Belarus); 10th - Marek Svec (Czech Republic)
The surprise 2009 Olympic silver medalist was Mirko Englich of Germany, who had not placed higher than fifth at a World Championships. Englich has not competed since the Olympics. One of the Olympic bronze medalists, Adam Wheeler of the United States, has retired and the other bronze medalist from Beijing, Asset Mambetov of Kazakhstan, has not competed since the Olympics either.
Perhaps competing for Kazakhstan will be Margulan Assembekov, who won silver medals at the 2009 European Championships and the 2009 World Cup.
Placing second behind Khushtov at the 2009 European Championships was Mindaugas Ezerskis of Lithuania, who was a 2007 World silver medalist. Ezerskis was seventh at the Beijing Olympics.
The 2007 World champion Ramaz Nozadze of Georgia, who was also an Olympic silver medalist in 2004, had a disappointing year last year, not placing in the top 10 at the Beijing Olympics. He is back this year, winning a silver medal at the Golden Grand Prix finals this summer.
A veteran who continued wrestling after Beijing was Marek Svec of the Czech Republic, who was fifth at the Olympics. Svec won a bronze medal at the 2009 European Championships. Svec was a World silver medalist in 1998 and 2006. The other 2009 European bronze medalist was Jimmy Lidberg of Sweden.
2006 World champion Heiki Nabi of Estonia did not qualify for the Olympics last year, but he continues to compete on the international level. He was seventh at the European Championships and fifth at the Golden Grand Prix this year.
Elis Guri of Albania has placed in the top 10 the last two years, placing 8th at the 2008 Olympics and seventh at the 2007 World Championships. His bronze medal at the 2008 European Championships shows that he has medal potential.
Asian champion Amir Aliakbari of Iran is expected to compete as is Pan American Champion Yasmani Lugo Cabrera of Cuba.
2006 World bronze medalist Kaloyan Dinchev of Bulgaria claimed a gold medal at the Pytlasinski Tournament, an important pre-World tune-up in Poland.
The USA will be represented by a first-time World Team member, R.C. Johnson, who has been competitive nationally in recent seasons. Johnson showed his progress with a strong second place finish at the Pytlasinski Tournament, with a win over 2006 World champion Nabi and veteran Lidberg of Sweden.
Others to watch include Denis Michine of Azerbaijan, Balasz Kiss of Hungary, Jiang Huachen of China and Anil Kumar of India.
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2008 Olympic Games
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Gold - Aslanbek Khushtov (Russia); Silver - Mirko Englich (Germany); Bronze - Adam Wheeler (USA); Bronze - Asset Mambetov (Kazakhstan); 5th - Han Tae-Young (Korea); 5th - Marek Svec (Czech Republic); 7th - Mindaugus Ezerskis (Lithuania); 8th - Elis Guri (Albania); 9th - Jiang Huachen (China); 10th - Mehmet Ozal (Turkey)
2007 World Championship results
96 kg/211.5 lbs.- Gold - Ramaz Nozadze (Georgia); Silver - Mindaugas Ezerskis (Lithuania); Bronze - Marek Svec (Czech Republic); Bronze - Ghasem Rezaei (Iran); 5th - Kenzo Kato (Japan); 5th - Diagoro Timoncini (Italy); 7th - Elis Guri (Albania); 8th - Serkan Ozden (Turkey); 9th - Aset Membetov (Kazakhstan); 10th - Rami Hietaniemi (Finland)
2006 World Championships results
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Gold - Heiki Nabi (Estonia); Silver - Marek Svec (Czech Republic); Bronze - Kaloyan Dinchev (Bulgaria); Bronze - Hamza Yerlikaya (Turkey); 5th - Andrei Batura (Belarus); 5th - Ramaz Nozadze (Georgia); 7th - Jimmy Lidberg (Sweden); 8th - Lajos Virag (Hungary); 9th - Theodoros Tounoysidis (Greece); 10th - Young Han-Tae (Korea)
2005 World Championships results
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Gold - Hamza Yerlikaya (Turkey); Silver - Lajos Virag (Hungary); Bronze - Vasilliy Tepoulkhov (Russia); Bronze - Justin Ruiz (USA); 5th - Mirko Englich (Germany); 5th - Margulan Assembekov (Kazakhstan); 7th - Mikhaylo Nikolaev (Ukraine); 8th - Vladislav Metodiev (Bulgaria); 9th - Shata Narmaniya (Belarus); 10th - Marek Svec (Czech Republic)
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