2009 World Championships at 74 kg/163 lbs. in freestyle wrestling
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by Craig Sesker
Russia's Bouvaisa Saitiev won his third Olympic gold medal in 2008. He also won six World titles and will be remembered as one of the greatest freestyle wrestlers of all-time.
Saitiev is not expected to compete this season, and that opens the door for a number of other strong wrestlers to make their move in the 74 kg/163 lbs. division.
Russia, as expected, will still be very strong in this division. Denis Tsargush won the Russian Nationals and likely will be their entry in the World Championships on Sept. 23 in Herning, Denmark.
Tsargush was a Junior World champion in 2007.
With Saitiev likely not wrestling, Soslan Tigiyev of Uzbekistan may be the favorite. He lost to Saitiev in the finals of the 2008 Olympics. The 2008 Olympic silver medalist recently won the Heydar Aliyev Golden Grand Prix in Azerbaijan.
The Olympic bronze medalists from 2008 are Murad Gaidarov of Belarus and Kiril Terziev of Bulgaria.
Azerbaijan's Chamsulvara Chamsulvaraev has looked very strong this season, winning the World Cup and European Championships.
Veteran Ivan Fundora of Cuba continues to look very strong in this division. He won the Pan American Championships earlier this season. Fundora was a bronze medalist in the 2007 World Championships and placed fifth in the 2008 Olympics.
Iran's Sadegh Goudarzi won the Asian Championships this year.
Turkey's Firat Binici is another wrestler to watch in this division. He was second in the 2009 European Championships.
American Ben Askren placed seventh in the 2008 Olympic Games. Askren is taking a year off from competition this season.
Promising young prospect Dustin Schlatter, an NCAA champion from Minnesota who still has a year of college eligibility left, made his first U.S. World Team this season.
Schlatter has made significant gains in freestyle, and is difficult to score on. He could be a surprise in this division. The U.S. has done very well with first-timers in this class. Donny Pritzlaff won a bronze medal at the 2006 Worlds and Joe Heskett was fifth in 2007.
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2008 Olympic Games
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Bouvaisa Saytiev (Russia); Silver - Soslan Tigiev (Uzbekistan); Bronze - Murad Gaidarov (Belarus); Bronze - Kiril Terziev (Bulgaria); 5th - Gheorghita Stefan (Romania); 5th - Ivan Fundora (Cuba); 7th - Ben Askren (USA); 8th - Arsen Gitinov (Kyrgyzstan); 9th - Emzarios Bentinidis (Greece); 10th - Ahmet Gulhan (Turkey)
2007 World Championships
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Makhach Murtazaliev (Russia); Silver - Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine); Bronze - Chamsulvara Chamsulvaraev (Azerbaijan); Bronze - Ivan Fundora (Cuba); 5th - Stefan Gheorghita (Romania); 5th - Joe Heskett (United States); 7th - Gabor Hatos (Hungary); 8th - Gela Saghirashvili (Georgia); 9th - Ali Asghar Bazrighaleh (Iran); 10th - Emzarios Bentinidis (Greece)
2006 World Championships
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Ibraghim Aldatov (Ukraine); Silver - Ali Asharbazrei (Iran); Bronze - Soslan Tigiev (Uzbekistan); Bronze - Donny Pritzlaff (USA); 5th - Mihail Ganev (Bulgaria); 5th - Murad Gaidarov (Belarus); 7th - Emzarios Betinidis (Greece); 8th - Bouvaisa Saitiev (Russia); 9th - Krystian Brzozowski (Poland); 10th - Stefan Gheorghita (Romania)
2005 World Championships
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Bouvaisa Saitiev (Russia); Silver - Arpad Ritter (Hungary); Bronze - Joe Williams (USA); Bronze - Nikolay Paslar (Bulgaria); 5th - Alexandru Burca (Moldova); 5th - Mehdi Hajizadeh (Iran); 7th - Ivan Fundora (Cuba); 8th - Soslan Tigiev (Uzbekistan); 9th - Talant Jekshenov (Krygyzstan); 10th - Salvatore Rinella (Italy)
Saitiev is not expected to compete this season, and that opens the door for a number of other strong wrestlers to make their move in the 74 kg/163 lbs. division.
Russia, as expected, will still be very strong in this division. Denis Tsargush won the Russian Nationals and likely will be their entry in the World Championships on Sept. 23 in Herning, Denmark.
Tsargush was a Junior World champion in 2007.
With Saitiev likely not wrestling, Soslan Tigiyev of Uzbekistan may be the favorite. He lost to Saitiev in the finals of the 2008 Olympics. The 2008 Olympic silver medalist recently won the Heydar Aliyev Golden Grand Prix in Azerbaijan.
The Olympic bronze medalists from 2008 are Murad Gaidarov of Belarus and Kiril Terziev of Bulgaria.
Azerbaijan's Chamsulvara Chamsulvaraev has looked very strong this season, winning the World Cup and European Championships.
Veteran Ivan Fundora of Cuba continues to look very strong in this division. He won the Pan American Championships earlier this season. Fundora was a bronze medalist in the 2007 World Championships and placed fifth in the 2008 Olympics.
Iran's Sadegh Goudarzi won the Asian Championships this year.
Turkey's Firat Binici is another wrestler to watch in this division. He was second in the 2009 European Championships.
American Ben Askren placed seventh in the 2008 Olympic Games. Askren is taking a year off from competition this season.
Promising young prospect Dustin Schlatter, an NCAA champion from Minnesota who still has a year of college eligibility left, made his first U.S. World Team this season.
Schlatter has made significant gains in freestyle, and is difficult to score on. He could be a surprise in this division. The U.S. has done very well with first-timers in this class. Donny Pritzlaff won a bronze medal at the 2006 Worlds and Joe Heskett was fifth in 2007.
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2008 Olympic Games
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Bouvaisa Saytiev (Russia); Silver - Soslan Tigiev (Uzbekistan); Bronze - Murad Gaidarov (Belarus); Bronze - Kiril Terziev (Bulgaria); 5th - Gheorghita Stefan (Romania); 5th - Ivan Fundora (Cuba); 7th - Ben Askren (USA); 8th - Arsen Gitinov (Kyrgyzstan); 9th - Emzarios Bentinidis (Greece); 10th - Ahmet Gulhan (Turkey)
2007 World Championships
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Makhach Murtazaliev (Russia); Silver - Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine); Bronze - Chamsulvara Chamsulvaraev (Azerbaijan); Bronze - Ivan Fundora (Cuba); 5th - Stefan Gheorghita (Romania); 5th - Joe Heskett (United States); 7th - Gabor Hatos (Hungary); 8th - Gela Saghirashvili (Georgia); 9th - Ali Asghar Bazrighaleh (Iran); 10th - Emzarios Bentinidis (Greece)
2006 World Championships
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Ibraghim Aldatov (Ukraine); Silver - Ali Asharbazrei (Iran); Bronze - Soslan Tigiev (Uzbekistan); Bronze - Donny Pritzlaff (USA); 5th - Mihail Ganev (Bulgaria); 5th - Murad Gaidarov (Belarus); 7th - Emzarios Betinidis (Greece); 8th - Bouvaisa Saitiev (Russia); 9th - Krystian Brzozowski (Poland); 10th - Stefan Gheorghita (Romania)
2005 World Championships
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Bouvaisa Saitiev (Russia); Silver - Arpad Ritter (Hungary); Bronze - Joe Williams (USA); Bronze - Nikolay Paslar (Bulgaria); 5th - Alexandru Burca (Moldova); 5th - Mehdi Hajizadeh (Iran); 7th - Ivan Fundora (Cuba); 8th - Soslan Tigiev (Uzbekistan); 9th - Talant Jekshenov (Krygyzstan); 10th - Salvatore Rinella (Italy)
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