2009 World Championships preview at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. in freestyle wrestling
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by Craig Sesker
Turkey's Ramazan Shahin has reigned in this weight class the past two years.
He won the 2007 World title and the 2008 Olympics.
Shahin is not expected to compete when the wrestlers in the freestyle class of 66 kg/145.5 lbs. take the mat for the World Championships on Sept. 21 in Herning, Denmark.
If Shahin doesn't wrestle, Ukraine's Andriy Stadnik will be the favorite in this division. Stadnik finished second in the 2008 Olympics. He also won the 2009 European Championships and recently captured the title at the Heydar Aliyev Golden Grand Prix in Azerbaijan.
Georgia's Otar Tushivili and India's Sushil Kumar won bronze medals at the Olympics.
The Russians are expected to send Rasul Dyukaev onto the mat for the World Championships. Dyukaev placed fourth at the 2009 World Cup and third in the 2008 European Championships.
Iran's Mehdi Taghavi has won the World Cup and the Asian Championships this year. Japan's Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu was second in the Asian Championships. Both wrestlers are on the entry list for the Worlds.
Veteran Geandry Garzon of Cuba won the Pan American Championships this year. Garzon won a bronze medal in the 2005 and 2006 Worlds, a silver medal in the 2007 Worlds, and placed fifth in the 2008 Olympics. He is explosive and dangerous.
Azerbaijan has a couple of top wrestlers who could compete at the Worlds. Yabrail Hasanov was second in the 2009 Europeans while Khagan Suleymanov was second at a big tournament recently in Azerbaijan. Hasanov is expected to wrestle in Denmark.
The U.S. has another newcomer here in Trent Paulson, a past NCAA champion for Iowa State who has made huge gains since starting to wrestle freestyle full-time last year.
Paulson recently placed third at the Heydar Aliyev Golden Grand Prix in Azerbaijan. He held his own against some of the top wrestlers in the World. He also gained valuable experience in a loss to Stadnik in that event.
Paulson is very strong at this weight class and difficult to score on. The key for him likely will be generating enough of his own offense to pull out some tight matches. He has the potential to win a medal here.
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2008 Olympic Games
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Gold - Ramazan Shahin (Turkey); Silver - Andriy Stadnik (Ukraine); Bronze - Otar Tushishvili (Georgia); Bronze - Sushil Kumar (India); 5th - Geandry Garzon (Cuba); 5th - Leonid Spiridonov (Kazakhstan); 7th - Irbek Farniev (Russia); 8th - Batzorig Buyanjav (Mongolia); 9th - Albert Batyrov (Belarus); 10th - Mehdi Taghavi (Iran)
2007 World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Gold - Ramazan Shahin (Turkey); Silver - Geandry Garzon (Cuba); Bronze - Irbek Farniev (Russia); Bronze - Otar Tushishvili (Georgia); 5th - Andrey Stadnik (Ukraine); 5th - Doug Schwab (United States); 7th - Sushil Kumar (India); 8th - Batzorig Buyanjav (Mongolia); 9th - Takayuki Suzuki (Japan); 10th - Arslan Khutaliev (Uzbekistan)
2006 World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Gold - Bill Zadick (USA); Silver - Otari Tushishvili (Georgia); Bronze - Geandry Garzon (Cuba); Bronze - Andriy Stadnik (Ukraine); 5th - Albert Batyrov (Belarus); 5th - Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria); 7th - Elman Askerov (Azerbaijan); 8th - Fred Jessy (Nigeria); 9th - Makhach Murtazaliev (Russia); 10th - Leonid Spiridonov (Kazakhstan)
2005 World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Gold - Mahach Murtazaliev (Russia); Silver - Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria); Bronze - Otar Tushishvili (Georgia); Bronze - Geandry Garzon (Cuba); 5th - Leonid Spirodonov (Kazakhstan); 5th - Viktor Bilokopytyy (Ukraine); 7th - Bayunjav Batzorig (Mongolia); 8th - Evan MacDonald (Canada); 9th - Omer Cubukci (Turkey); 10th - Masoud Vahedi (Iran)
He won the 2007 World title and the 2008 Olympics.
Shahin is not expected to compete when the wrestlers in the freestyle class of 66 kg/145.5 lbs. take the mat for the World Championships on Sept. 21 in Herning, Denmark.
If Shahin doesn't wrestle, Ukraine's Andriy Stadnik will be the favorite in this division. Stadnik finished second in the 2008 Olympics. He also won the 2009 European Championships and recently captured the title at the Heydar Aliyev Golden Grand Prix in Azerbaijan.
Georgia's Otar Tushivili and India's Sushil Kumar won bronze medals at the Olympics.
The Russians are expected to send Rasul Dyukaev onto the mat for the World Championships. Dyukaev placed fourth at the 2009 World Cup and third in the 2008 European Championships.
Iran's Mehdi Taghavi has won the World Cup and the Asian Championships this year. Japan's Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu was second in the Asian Championships. Both wrestlers are on the entry list for the Worlds.
Veteran Geandry Garzon of Cuba won the Pan American Championships this year. Garzon won a bronze medal in the 2005 and 2006 Worlds, a silver medal in the 2007 Worlds, and placed fifth in the 2008 Olympics. He is explosive and dangerous.
Azerbaijan has a couple of top wrestlers who could compete at the Worlds. Yabrail Hasanov was second in the 2009 Europeans while Khagan Suleymanov was second at a big tournament recently in Azerbaijan. Hasanov is expected to wrestle in Denmark.
The U.S. has another newcomer here in Trent Paulson, a past NCAA champion for Iowa State who has made huge gains since starting to wrestle freestyle full-time last year.
Paulson recently placed third at the Heydar Aliyev Golden Grand Prix in Azerbaijan. He held his own against some of the top wrestlers in the World. He also gained valuable experience in a loss to Stadnik in that event.
Paulson is very strong at this weight class and difficult to score on. The key for him likely will be generating enough of his own offense to pull out some tight matches. He has the potential to win a medal here.
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2008 Olympic Games
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Gold - Ramazan Shahin (Turkey); Silver - Andriy Stadnik (Ukraine); Bronze - Otar Tushishvili (Georgia); Bronze - Sushil Kumar (India); 5th - Geandry Garzon (Cuba); 5th - Leonid Spiridonov (Kazakhstan); 7th - Irbek Farniev (Russia); 8th - Batzorig Buyanjav (Mongolia); 9th - Albert Batyrov (Belarus); 10th - Mehdi Taghavi (Iran)
2007 World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Gold - Ramazan Shahin (Turkey); Silver - Geandry Garzon (Cuba); Bronze - Irbek Farniev (Russia); Bronze - Otar Tushishvili (Georgia); 5th - Andrey Stadnik (Ukraine); 5th - Doug Schwab (United States); 7th - Sushil Kumar (India); 8th - Batzorig Buyanjav (Mongolia); 9th - Takayuki Suzuki (Japan); 10th - Arslan Khutaliev (Uzbekistan)
2006 World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Gold - Bill Zadick (USA); Silver - Otari Tushishvili (Georgia); Bronze - Geandry Garzon (Cuba); Bronze - Andriy Stadnik (Ukraine); 5th - Albert Batyrov (Belarus); 5th - Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria); 7th - Elman Askerov (Azerbaijan); 8th - Fred Jessy (Nigeria); 9th - Makhach Murtazaliev (Russia); 10th - Leonid Spiridonov (Kazakhstan)
2005 World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Gold - Mahach Murtazaliev (Russia); Silver - Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria); Bronze - Otar Tushishvili (Georgia); Bronze - Geandry Garzon (Cuba); 5th - Leonid Spirodonov (Kazakhstan); 5th - Viktor Bilokopytyy (Ukraine); 7th - Bayunjav Batzorig (Mongolia); 8th - Evan MacDonald (Canada); 9th - Omer Cubukci (Turkey); 10th - Masoud Vahedi (Iran)
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