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2009 World Championships preview at 55 kg/121 lbs. in freestyle wrestling

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by Craig Sesker

Henry Cejudo of the United States turned in one of the surprise performances of the 2008 Olympic Games when he captured the gold medal at 55 kg/121 lbs. in freestyle wrestling.

Cejudo, who is just 22 years old, is taking a year off from wrestling this season.

Olympic silver medalist Tomohiro Matsunaga of Japan also is not expected to compete in the Worlds. 2007 World champion Besik Kudukhov of Russia, a bronze medalist in Beijing, has moved up a class this year to 60 kg/132 lbs.

That leaves 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Radoslav Velikov as the only Olympic medalist back for this season at 55 kilos. Velikov won a World title in 2006. He was third in the 2009 European Championships.

The World Championships in this division will be contested on Sept. 21 in Herning, Denmark.

Georgia's Besarion Gochasvili was second at the 2009 Europeans. Gochasvili was eighth in the Olympics, but Cejudo had to rally to beat him in the quarterfinals in Beijing.

Russia is expected to send Viktor Lebedev to the mat at 55 kilos. Lebedev, who is 21 years old, won Russian Nationals.

Azerbaijan has a very tough wrestler in this division in Namig Sevdimov, who won the recent Heydar Aliyev Golden Grand Prix in his home country. Cejudo rallied to beat Sevidimov in three tough periods at the Olympics.

Japan's Yasuhiro Inaba was second in the event in Azerbaijan.

Korea's Kim Hyo-Sub won the Asian Championships and won a bronze medal at the big tournament in Azerbaijan. He placed ninth at the 2008 Olympics.

Ukraine's Youri Ledenov won the gold medal at the 2009 World Cup.

Iran's Abbas Dabbaghi won the silver medal at the World Cup, but Hassan Rahimi is expected to compete for Iran at the Worlds. Rahimi placed third at the 2009 Asian Championships.

Cuba's Luis Ibanez won the 2009 Pan American Championships.

Rizvan Gadzhiev of Belarus is back competing after finishing seventh at the Olympics. He placed fifth in the recent event in Azerbaijan.

The United States will send 35-year-old Danny Felix to the mat in this division. Felix is competing in his first World Championships.

Felix has the strength, power and experience to wrestle with anyone in the World. He's waited a long time for this opportunity.

RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS

2008 Olympic Games
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Henry Cejudo (USA); Silver - Tomohiro Matsunaga (Japan); Bronze - Radoslav Velikov (Bulgaria); Bronze - Besik Kudukhov (Russia); 5th - Namig Sevdimov (Azerbaijan); 5th - Dilshod Mansurov (Uzbekistan); 7th - Rizvan Gadzhiev (Belarus); 8th - Besarion Gochishvili (Georgia); 9th - Kim Hyo-Sub (Korea); 10th - Abbas Dabbaghi (Iran)

2007 World Championships
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Besik Kudukhov (Russia); Silver - Naranbaatar Bayaraa (Mongolia); Bronze - Andy Moreno (Cuba); Bronze - Rizvan Gadshiev (Belarus); 5th - Sezer Akguel (Turkey); 5th - Dilshod Mansurov (Uzbekistan); 7th - Freddy Serrano (Colombia); 8th - Zhassulan Mukhtabekuly (Kazakhstan); 9th - Anil Kumar (India); 10th - Firas Alrifaei (Syria)

2006 World Championships
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Radoslav Velikov (Bulgaria); Silver - Besik Kudukhov (Russia); Bronze - Namig Abdullayev (Azerbaijan); Bronze - Sammie Henson (USA); 5th - Sub Kim-Hyo (Korea); 5th - Adkham Achilov (Uzbekistan); 7th - Vinod Kumar (India); 7th - Vinod Kumar (India); 8th - Taghi Dadashi (Iran); 9th - O Son Nam (North Korea); 10th - Amiran Kartanov (Greece)

2005 World Championships
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Dilshod Mansurov (Uzbekistan); Silver - Radoslav Velikov (Bulgaria); Bronze - Hyon Guk Jon (North Korea); Bronze - Bayaraa Naranbaatar (Mongolia); 5th - Namig Abdullayev (Azerbaijan); 5th - Tomohiro Matsunaga (Japan); 7th - Jae-Hoon Jan (Korea); 8th - Gevork Markaryan (Ukraine); 9th - Zalimkhan Kutseev (Russia); 10th - Ghenadie Tulbea (Moldova)

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