2009 World Championships preview at 84 kg/185 lbs. in Greco-Roman wrestling
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by Gary Abbott
The surprise Olympic champion at this weight class at the Beijing Games was Andrea Minguzzi of Italy, who had never placed in the top 10 at the World Championships and was a two-time European bronze medalist. He has competed at just one event since, placing second at the 2009 Mediterranean Games.
The biggest surprise of an athlete who did not medal at the Olympics was Alexei Mishin of Russia, who finished ninth in Beijing. Mishin was a 2004 Olympic champion and a 2007 World champion, and also boasts a 2006 World bronze medal and a 2005 World silver medal. Mishin bounced back from his disappointment in Beijing by winning the 2009 European Championships.
The silver medalist at the 2008 Olympics was Zoltan Fodor of Hungary, also a surprise to many. He was eighth at the 2007 World Championships, and has still not won a medal at the European Championships. Fodor was third at the Golden Grand Prix finals this year.
The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, Nazmi Avluca of Turkey, is one of the veteran stars in this division. He was a World champion in 1999 and won a World silver medal in 2006 and a World bronze medal in 2005. Most recently, Avluca placed second behind Mishin at the 2009 European Championships.
There was only one bronze medalist at the 2008 Olympics because Ara Abrahamian of Sweden was stripped of his medal by the IOC after he dropped his medal on the mat in protest during the medal ceremonies in Beijing. Abrahamian was upset about his semifinal loss to Minguzzi, and accused FILA of corruption because of the officiating in that match. He is currently serving a suspension because of the action.
Winning bronze medals at the 2009 European Championships were Shalva Gadabadze of Azerbaijan and Vitali Lishchynsky of Ukraine. Gadabadze was eighth at the Olympic Games. Lishchynsky is a relative newcomer, with a 2007 Military World bronze medal as his top previous achievement.
Placing fifth at the Olympics were Ma Sanyi of China and Melonin Noumonvi of France. Sanyi has not competed since the Beijing Games. Noumonvi has been very active, placing seventh at the 2009 European Championships, second in the World Cup, third at the Mediterranean Games and second at the pre-World tune-up Pytlasinski Tournament in Poland.
Iran will be represented by Habibollah Akhlaghi, who won a gold medal at the Golden Grand Prix finals. He did not wrestle in the Asian Championships, which was won by his teammate Taleb Nematpour.
Badri Khasia of Georgia is a veteran to watch. He won a 2007 World bronze medal, and was third at this year's Golden Grand Prix finals.
Denis Forov of Armenia placed seventh at the Olympic Games, and Yunior Estrada of Cuba was 10th. Both are capable of challenging for medals. Another athlete to watch is Jan Fischer
Competing for the United States will be first-time World Team member Chas Betts, who defeated Olympian T.C. Dantzler to make the U.S. team. Betts won a Pan American silver medal in 2008. He has age-group World-level experience, competing at both the University Worlds and Junior Worlds, but falling short of a medal. If opponents overlook Betts, they could be in for a tough battle.
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2008 Olympic Games
84 kg/185 lbs. - Gold - Andrea Minguzzi (Italy); Silver - Zoltan Fodor (Hungary); Bronze - Nazmi Avluca (Turkey); 5th - Ma Sanyi (China); 5th - Melonin Noumonvi (France); 7th - Denis Forov (Armenia); 8th - Shalva Gadabadze (Azerbaijan); 9th - Alexej Michine (Russia); 10th - Yunior Estrada (Cuba)
2007 World Championship results
84 kg/185 lbs. - Gold - Alexej Mishin (Russia); Silver - Brad Vering (United States); Bronze - Hassan Tahmasebi (Iran); Bronze - Badri Khasaia (Georgia); 5th - Jung-Sub Kim (Korea); 5th - Ara Abrahamian (Sweden); 7th - Nazmi Avluca (Turkey); 8th - Zoltán Fodor (Hungary); 9th - Jan Fischer (Germany); 10th - Alim Selimov (Belarus)
2006 World Championship results
84 kg/185 lbs. - Gold - Mohamed Abdelfatah (Egypt); Silver - Nazmi Avluca (Turkey); Bronze - Alexey Mishine (Russia); Bronze - Saman Tahmasebi (Iran); 5th - Badri Khasia (Georgia); 5th - Kim-Jussi Nurmela (Finland); 7th - Artur Michalkiewicz (Poland); 8th - Ara Abrahamian (Sweden); 9th - Shingo Matsumoto (Japan); 10th - Adomaitis Laimutis (Lithuania)
2005 World Championships results
84 kg/185 lbs. - Gold - Alim Selimav (Belarus); Silver - Alexei Mishine (Russia); Bronze - Sandor Bardosi (Hungary); Bronze - Namzi Avluca (Turkey); 5th - Kim Jung-Sub (Korea); 5th - Oleg Daragan (Ukraine); 7th - Artur Michalkiewicz (Poland); 8th - Shingo Matsumoto (Japan); 9th - Ntante Charempasvili (Greece); 10th - Luis Mendez (Cuba)
The biggest surprise of an athlete who did not medal at the Olympics was Alexei Mishin of Russia, who finished ninth in Beijing. Mishin was a 2004 Olympic champion and a 2007 World champion, and also boasts a 2006 World bronze medal and a 2005 World silver medal. Mishin bounced back from his disappointment in Beijing by winning the 2009 European Championships.
The silver medalist at the 2008 Olympics was Zoltan Fodor of Hungary, also a surprise to many. He was eighth at the 2007 World Championships, and has still not won a medal at the European Championships. Fodor was third at the Golden Grand Prix finals this year.
The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, Nazmi Avluca of Turkey, is one of the veteran stars in this division. He was a World champion in 1999 and won a World silver medal in 2006 and a World bronze medal in 2005. Most recently, Avluca placed second behind Mishin at the 2009 European Championships.
There was only one bronze medalist at the 2008 Olympics because Ara Abrahamian of Sweden was stripped of his medal by the IOC after he dropped his medal on the mat in protest during the medal ceremonies in Beijing. Abrahamian was upset about his semifinal loss to Minguzzi, and accused FILA of corruption because of the officiating in that match. He is currently serving a suspension because of the action.
Winning bronze medals at the 2009 European Championships were Shalva Gadabadze of Azerbaijan and Vitali Lishchynsky of Ukraine. Gadabadze was eighth at the Olympic Games. Lishchynsky is a relative newcomer, with a 2007 Military World bronze medal as his top previous achievement.
Placing fifth at the Olympics were Ma Sanyi of China and Melonin Noumonvi of France. Sanyi has not competed since the Beijing Games. Noumonvi has been very active, placing seventh at the 2009 European Championships, second in the World Cup, third at the Mediterranean Games and second at the pre-World tune-up Pytlasinski Tournament in Poland.
Iran will be represented by Habibollah Akhlaghi, who won a gold medal at the Golden Grand Prix finals. He did not wrestle in the Asian Championships, which was won by his teammate Taleb Nematpour.
Badri Khasia of Georgia is a veteran to watch. He won a 2007 World bronze medal, and was third at this year's Golden Grand Prix finals.
Denis Forov of Armenia placed seventh at the Olympic Games, and Yunior Estrada of Cuba was 10th. Both are capable of challenging for medals. Another athlete to watch is Jan Fischer
Competing for the United States will be first-time World Team member Chas Betts, who defeated Olympian T.C. Dantzler to make the U.S. team. Betts won a Pan American silver medal in 2008. He has age-group World-level experience, competing at both the University Worlds and Junior Worlds, but falling short of a medal. If opponents overlook Betts, they could be in for a tough battle.
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2008 Olympic Games
84 kg/185 lbs. - Gold - Andrea Minguzzi (Italy); Silver - Zoltan Fodor (Hungary); Bronze - Nazmi Avluca (Turkey); 5th - Ma Sanyi (China); 5th - Melonin Noumonvi (France); 7th - Denis Forov (Armenia); 8th - Shalva Gadabadze (Azerbaijan); 9th - Alexej Michine (Russia); 10th - Yunior Estrada (Cuba)
2007 World Championship results
84 kg/185 lbs. - Gold - Alexej Mishin (Russia); Silver - Brad Vering (United States); Bronze - Hassan Tahmasebi (Iran); Bronze - Badri Khasaia (Georgia); 5th - Jung-Sub Kim (Korea); 5th - Ara Abrahamian (Sweden); 7th - Nazmi Avluca (Turkey); 8th - Zoltán Fodor (Hungary); 9th - Jan Fischer (Germany); 10th - Alim Selimov (Belarus)
2006 World Championship results
84 kg/185 lbs. - Gold - Mohamed Abdelfatah (Egypt); Silver - Nazmi Avluca (Turkey); Bronze - Alexey Mishine (Russia); Bronze - Saman Tahmasebi (Iran); 5th - Badri Khasia (Georgia); 5th - Kim-Jussi Nurmela (Finland); 7th - Artur Michalkiewicz (Poland); 8th - Ara Abrahamian (Sweden); 9th - Shingo Matsumoto (Japan); 10th - Adomaitis Laimutis (Lithuania)
2005 World Championships results
84 kg/185 lbs. - Gold - Alim Selimav (Belarus); Silver - Alexei Mishine (Russia); Bronze - Sandor Bardosi (Hungary); Bronze - Namzi Avluca (Turkey); 5th - Kim Jung-Sub (Korea); 5th - Oleg Daragan (Ukraine); 7th - Artur Michalkiewicz (Poland); 8th - Shingo Matsumoto (Japan); 9th - Ntante Charempasvili (Greece); 10th - Luis Mendez (Cuba)
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