2009 World Championships preview at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. in freestyle wrestling
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by Craig Sesker
This weight class has belonged to Russia the past five years.
The Russians have won every World or Olympic title at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. in freestyle dating back to 2004.
The streak could reach six with Khadshimourad Gatsalov expected to return to the mat for Russia at this year's Worlds.
Gatsalov won the 2004 Olympic gold medal before rattling off three straight World titles from 2005-07. Russia's Shirvani Muradov won the 2008 Olympic gold medal.
The competition in this class is set for Sept. 21 in Herning, Denmark.
Iran's Saeed Abrahimi, a 2007 World silver medalist, is another wrestler who is definitely in the mix to win this division. Abrahimi won the World Cup and the Asian Championships this season.
2007 World bronze medalist Kurban Kurbanov of Uzbekistan is another top contender in this class. Kurbanov beat a talented field to win the Heydar Aliyev Golden Grand Prix in July in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan's Khetag Gazyumov also is a contender after winning the European Championships. He beat past World champion Georgi Ketoev of Russia in the finals. Gazyumov won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics.
Turkey's Serhat Balci and Armenia's Edgar Yenokyan both won bronze medals at the Europeans.
Cuba's Michel Batista won the 2009 Pan American Championships. He was fifth in the 2008 Olympics.
The United States has a new face in this class. Jake Varner, an NCAA champion who has a year left in college at Iowa State, has made his first World Team.
Varner beat past Olympian and World Team member Andy Hrovat to make the U.S. team. Varner will be competing against a foreign opponent for the first time on the Senior level.
Varner is very good defensively and is difficulty to score on. He's also a guy the foreign wrestlers haven't seen, which could work to his advantage.
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2008 Olympic Games
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Gold - Shirvani Muradov (Russia); Silver - Taimuraz Tigiyev (Kazakhstan); Bronze - George Gogschelidze (Georgia); Bronze - Khetag Gazyumov (Azerbaijan); 5th - Michel Batista (Cuba); 5th - Georgii Tibilov (Ukraine); 7th - Kurban Kurbanov (Uzbekistan); 8th - Gergely Kiss (Hungary); 9th -Hakan Koc (Turkey); 10th - Saeid Abrahimi (Iran)
2007 World Championships
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Gold - Khadshimourad Gatsalov (Russia); Silver - Saeed Abrahimi (Iran); Bronze - Kurban Kurbanov (Uzbekistan); Bronze - Daniel Cormier (United States); 5th - Hakan Koc (Turkey); 5th - Alexej Krupniakov (Kyrgyzstan); 7th - Vasili Tismenetzki (Ukraine); 8th - Stefan Kehrer (Germany); 9th - Khetag Gazumov (Azerbaijan); 10th - Georgi Gogchelidze (Georgia)
2006 World Championships
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Gold - Khadshimourad Gatsalov (Russia); Silver - Gerge Gogsehelidze (Georgia); Bronze - Michel Batista (Cuba); Bronze - Ruslan Sheyikhov (Belarus); 5th - David Zilberman (Canada); 5th - Ali Reza Heidari (Iran); 7th - Aleksei Kruphyakov (Kirghizistan); 8th - Vasil Tesmynetskyy (Ukraine); 9th - Stepan Kehrer (Germany); 10th - Patal Rohit (India)
2005 World Championships
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Gold - Khadshimourad Gatsalov (Russia); Silver - Luka Kurtanidze (Georgia); Bronze - Aleksei Krupnykov (Krygyzstan); Bronze - Vasyl Tesmeyneckyy (Ukraine); 5th - Tae-Hyun Koo (Korea); 5th - Siarhei Pernikau (Belarus); 7th - Amir Ganji (Iran); 8th - Bartolomie Bartnicki (Poland); 9th - Nurzhan Katayev (Kazakhstan); 10th - Gergely Kiss (Hungary)
The Russians have won every World or Olympic title at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. in freestyle dating back to 2004.
The streak could reach six with Khadshimourad Gatsalov expected to return to the mat for Russia at this year's Worlds.
Gatsalov won the 2004 Olympic gold medal before rattling off three straight World titles from 2005-07. Russia's Shirvani Muradov won the 2008 Olympic gold medal.
The competition in this class is set for Sept. 21 in Herning, Denmark.
Iran's Saeed Abrahimi, a 2007 World silver medalist, is another wrestler who is definitely in the mix to win this division. Abrahimi won the World Cup and the Asian Championships this season.
2007 World bronze medalist Kurban Kurbanov of Uzbekistan is another top contender in this class. Kurbanov beat a talented field to win the Heydar Aliyev Golden Grand Prix in July in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan's Khetag Gazyumov also is a contender after winning the European Championships. He beat past World champion Georgi Ketoev of Russia in the finals. Gazyumov won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics.
Turkey's Serhat Balci and Armenia's Edgar Yenokyan both won bronze medals at the Europeans.
Cuba's Michel Batista won the 2009 Pan American Championships. He was fifth in the 2008 Olympics.
The United States has a new face in this class. Jake Varner, an NCAA champion who has a year left in college at Iowa State, has made his first World Team.
Varner beat past Olympian and World Team member Andy Hrovat to make the U.S. team. Varner will be competing against a foreign opponent for the first time on the Senior level.
Varner is very good defensively and is difficulty to score on. He's also a guy the foreign wrestlers haven't seen, which could work to his advantage.
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2008 Olympic Games
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Gold - Shirvani Muradov (Russia); Silver - Taimuraz Tigiyev (Kazakhstan); Bronze - George Gogschelidze (Georgia); Bronze - Khetag Gazyumov (Azerbaijan); 5th - Michel Batista (Cuba); 5th - Georgii Tibilov (Ukraine); 7th - Kurban Kurbanov (Uzbekistan); 8th - Gergely Kiss (Hungary); 9th -Hakan Koc (Turkey); 10th - Saeid Abrahimi (Iran)
2007 World Championships
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Gold - Khadshimourad Gatsalov (Russia); Silver - Saeed Abrahimi (Iran); Bronze - Kurban Kurbanov (Uzbekistan); Bronze - Daniel Cormier (United States); 5th - Hakan Koc (Turkey); 5th - Alexej Krupniakov (Kyrgyzstan); 7th - Vasili Tismenetzki (Ukraine); 8th - Stefan Kehrer (Germany); 9th - Khetag Gazumov (Azerbaijan); 10th - Georgi Gogchelidze (Georgia)
2006 World Championships
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Gold - Khadshimourad Gatsalov (Russia); Silver - Gerge Gogsehelidze (Georgia); Bronze - Michel Batista (Cuba); Bronze - Ruslan Sheyikhov (Belarus); 5th - David Zilberman (Canada); 5th - Ali Reza Heidari (Iran); 7th - Aleksei Kruphyakov (Kirghizistan); 8th - Vasil Tesmynetskyy (Ukraine); 9th - Stepan Kehrer (Germany); 10th - Patal Rohit (India)
2005 World Championships
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Gold - Khadshimourad Gatsalov (Russia); Silver - Luka Kurtanidze (Georgia); Bronze - Aleksei Krupnykov (Krygyzstan); Bronze - Vasyl Tesmeyneckyy (Ukraine); 5th - Tae-Hyun Koo (Korea); 5th - Siarhei Pernikau (Belarus); 7th - Amir Ganji (Iran); 8th - Bartolomie Bartnicki (Poland); 9th - Nurzhan Katayev (Kazakhstan); 10th - Gergely Kiss (Hungary)
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