Non-Olympic Weight Class World Championships, Greco-Roman 71 kg and 80 kg preview
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Patrick Martinez, shown at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas, will seek a World medal in Hungary this weekend. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors.
World titles are up for grabs in the two Greco-Roman Non-Olympic weight classes this weekend, as the world comes together in Budapest, Hungary. When UWW decided to add a World event for the two weight classes in each style which were not included in the Rio Olympic Games, a set of athletes were giving another opportunity to come home with big-time hardware.
The Greco-Roman weight classes being contested are 71 kg/156 lbs. and 80 kg/176 lbs. Athletes who competed in the Rio Games are not eligible to wrestle in Budapest, but there will be a number of past World medalists, as well as some Olympians from earlier Olympic Games who are on the preliminary lists.
2010 World champion Hasan Aliyev of Azerbaijan is on the preliminary roster at 71 kg, and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Emin Ahmadov of Azerbaijan is also on the list at 80 kg. There is strong depth in both weight classes, with a mix of veterans and rising talents.
Greco-Roman 71 kg/156 lbs. Preview
The biggest name on the preliminary rosters is 2010 World champion Hasan Aliyev of Azerbaijan, who was fifth in the 2012 Olympic Games. Aliyev also boasts a 2009 Junior World title and a 2016 World Military World gold medal. Recently, he claimed the gold medal at the UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals on his home mats. However, Azerbaijan also listed Hasan Aliyev, who was fifth at the 2009 Junior Worlds as another option here.
Iran’s tough Afshin Byabangard, a 2014 World bronze medalist, is expected to battle for top honors. He was a 2012 Asian champion and also won a bronze medal at the University World Championships in 2010.
This field has a bunch of experienced wrestlers, many who are looking for the first big breakthrough at a World-level event. Some have extensive age-group World resumes.
2016 European champion Varsham Boranyan of Armenia has emerged in recent seasons. Boranyan was fifth in the 2014 World Championships.
2016 University World champion Pavel Liakh of Belarus is another top contender. Aleksandar Maksimovic of Serbia, a 2012 Olympian who was fifth in the 2013 World Championships, also brings great credentials. Maksimovic, a 2008 Junior World silver medalist, won a bronze in the tune-up event, the UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals.
Host Hungary brings a talented challenger, Balint Korpasi, who was third in the 2016 European Championships and second in the 2015 European Games. Korpasi also was a 2010 World University silver medalist. He won a silver at the UWW Golden Grand Prix a few weeks ago in Azerbaijan.
Russia brings a 2013 Junior World champion in Abuiazid Mantsigov, who won the Russian Senior Nationals in 2016.
Croatia’s Dominik Etlinger has also been very active, with a silver medal at the 2015 European Championships and a bronze medal at the 2015 European Games. He also boasts a pair of Junior World medals, with a silver in 2010 and a bronze in 2012.
2014 African champion Akrem Boudjemline of Algeria was also second in the 2014 Military World Championships. Artak Margaryan of France was second in the 2013 European Championships. Poland’s Dawid Karecinski boasts a 2011 Junior World silver medal and a 2016 World Military Championships bronze medal.
Denys Demyankov of Ukraine was a 2015 World University Games bronze medalist and a 2010 World Military Championships bronze medalist. Kazakhstan also has a 2013 World University Games bronze medalist in Ashkat Zhanbirov.
2016 Asian bronze medalist Ridong Zhang of China was a bronze medalist at the 2016 UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals, a strong showing going into the World meet.
Others to watch include 2015 European U23 chamoion Daniel Cataraga of Moldova, 2016 Commonwealth Championships silver medalist Mohammed Holi of India and Mindia Tsulukidze, who was third in the 2014 UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals.
Team USA has a first-time World Team member in Christopher Gonzalez, who has very limited international experience but has improved quickly on the domestic scene.
Greco-Roman 71 kg/156 lbs. Preliminary entries
Algeria - Akrem BOUDJEMLINE
Armenia - Varsham BORANYAN
Austria - Stefan STEIGL
Azerbaijan - Hasan ALIYEV or Rustam ALIYEV
Belarus - Pavel LIAKH
Bulgaria - Svilen Plamenov KOSTADINOV
China - Ridong ZHANG
Croatia - Dominik ETLINGER
Czech Republic - Filip DUBSKY
Finland - Tero Antero Matias HALMESMAEKI
France - Artak MARGARYAN
Georgia - Mindia TSULUKIDZE
Germany - Timo BADUSCH
Hungary - Balint KORPASI
India - Mohammed Rafiq HOLI
Iran - Afshin Nemat BYABANGARD
Japan - Takahiro UMENO
Kazakhstan - Askhat ZHANBIROV
Kyrgyzstan - Kairatbek TUGOLBAEV
Moldova - Daniel CATARAGA
Poland - Dawid KARECINSKI
Romania - Ilie COJOCARI
Russia - Abuiazid MANTSIGOV
Serbia - Aleksandar MAKSIMOVIC
Slovakia - Leos DRMOLA
Turkey - Yunus Saban OZEL or Selcuk Gursel CAN
Ukraine - Denys DEMYANKOV
United States - Christopher Matthew GONZALEZ
Uzbekistan - Fazliddin NOMOZOV
Greco-Roman 80 kg/176 lbs. Preview
This is a weight class with some veteran stars. Azerbaijan lists a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist in Emin Ahmadov, but also could enter Rafig Huseynov, who has an extensive list of achievements. Huseynov was fifth in the 2009 and 2010 World Championships. He also won a 2015 World Military gold medal and boasts Junior World bronze medals from 2007 and 2008. Huseynov won the gold at the UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals a few weeks ago in preparation for the Worlds.
There are five other past World medalists in the preliminary lists, a very strong field. Viktar Sasunouski of Belarus won a 2015 World silver medal. He was also third in the 2016 University World Championships.
Longtime star Nenad Zugaj of Croatia won a World bronze medal in 2010. He was a 2012 Olympian, and placed as high as third at the 2013 European Championships.
Iran’s Yousef Ghaderian was a 2015 World bronze medalist, and added an Asian Championships gold medal in 2016.
Lasha Gobadze of Georgia was third in the 2015 World Championships, and a 2014 Junior World bronze medalist. He also has won gold medals at the 2015 and 2016 European U23 Championships.
Don’t forget Russia’s 2010 World bronze medalist Imil Sharafetdinov, who was third in the 2016 World Military Championships and was second in Russia’s respected Poddubny International in 2012.
These past World medalists will be pushed hard by some rising young talents. Germany has a top hopeful in 2016 European champion Pascal Eisele, who also won the 2016 Military World Championships.
Ashkat Dilmukhamedov of Kazakhstan was in World medal matches, placing fifth in both 2011 and 2015. He was a 2012 Olympian, and has been third at the 2016 Asian Championships and third in the 2006 University Worlds.
Edgar Babayan of Poland was second in the 2016 European Championships and was third in the 2005 University World Championships. Romania’s George Vlad Mariea was a 2016 Junior World silver medalist.
Host Hungary will challenge with 2014 University World champion Laszlo Szabo, who was also second in the 2012 University World Championships.
Turkey has a couple of strong options. Aslan Atem was a 2014 University World champion and a 2011 Junior World bronze medalist. He was also third in the 2016 European Championships. Atem won the silver medal at the UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals earlier this fall. Another option would be Burhan Akbudak, a 2015 Junior World silver medalist.
The USA has a rising star in Patrick Martinez, who competed well at the 2015 World Championships, and has been as active as any athlete on the international scene in the last few years. He brings increased confidence after some good wins over top foreign talent. Martinez was third in the 2016 Pan American Championships.
Armenia has strong expectations for Sargis Kocharyan, a 2014 Junior World bronze medalist. Kocharyan also was third in the 2015 World Military Games and second in the 2015 European U23 Championships.
Kyrgyzstan’s Atabek Azisbekov was second in the 2015 Asian Championships and a 2012 Cadet World bronze medalist. 2016 Commonwealth champion Harpreet Singh of India also was third at the 2016 Asian Championships.
Jonibek Otabekov of Uzbekistan was third in the 2015 Asian Championships. Soh Sakabe of Japan was third in the 2014 University World Championships.
Based upon preliminary entries, this weight class has tremendous depth and should have some very competitive battles. Those reaching medal rounds will have to beat some excellent wrestlers for the right to bring home some hardware.
Greco-Roman 80 kg/176 lbs. Preliminary entries
Armenia - Sargis KOCHARYAN
Austria - Michael WAGNER
Azerbaijan - Rafig HUSEYNOV or Emin AHMADOV
Belarus - Viktar SASUNOUSKI
Bulgaria - Iliyan Todorov GEORGIEV
China - Junjie NA
Croatia - Nenad ZUGAJ
Czech Republic - Oldrich VARGA
Georgia - Lasha GOBADZE
Germany - Pascal EISELE
Greece - Nikolaos VARKAS
Hungary - Laszlo SZABO
India - Singh HARPREET
Iran - Yousef Ahmad GHADERIAN
Japan - Soh SAKABE
Kazakhstan - Askhat DILMUKHAMEDOV
Kenya - Ibrahim Azariah TEMBE
Kyrgyzstan - Atabek AZISBEKOV
Moldova - Igor BESLEAGA
Poland - Edgar BABAYAN
Romania George Vlad MARIEA
Russia - Imil SHARAFETDINOV
Serbia - Petar BALO
Slovakia - Denis HORVATH
Sweden - Alex Michel BJURBERG KESSIDIS
Turkey - Aslan ATEM or Burhan AKBUDAK
Ukraine - Yaroslav FILCHAKOV
United States - Patrick Anthony MARTINEZ
Uzbekistan - Jonibek OTABEKOV
World titles are up for grabs in the two Greco-Roman Non-Olympic weight classes this weekend, as the world comes together in Budapest, Hungary. When UWW decided to add a World event for the two weight classes in each style which were not included in the Rio Olympic Games, a set of athletes were giving another opportunity to come home with big-time hardware.
The Greco-Roman weight classes being contested are 71 kg/156 lbs. and 80 kg/176 lbs. Athletes who competed in the Rio Games are not eligible to wrestle in Budapest, but there will be a number of past World medalists, as well as some Olympians from earlier Olympic Games who are on the preliminary lists.
2010 World champion Hasan Aliyev of Azerbaijan is on the preliminary roster at 71 kg, and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Emin Ahmadov of Azerbaijan is also on the list at 80 kg. There is strong depth in both weight classes, with a mix of veterans and rising talents.
Greco-Roman 71 kg/156 lbs. Preview
The biggest name on the preliminary rosters is 2010 World champion Hasan Aliyev of Azerbaijan, who was fifth in the 2012 Olympic Games. Aliyev also boasts a 2009 Junior World title and a 2016 World Military World gold medal. Recently, he claimed the gold medal at the UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals on his home mats. However, Azerbaijan also listed Hasan Aliyev, who was fifth at the 2009 Junior Worlds as another option here.
Iran’s tough Afshin Byabangard, a 2014 World bronze medalist, is expected to battle for top honors. He was a 2012 Asian champion and also won a bronze medal at the University World Championships in 2010.
This field has a bunch of experienced wrestlers, many who are looking for the first big breakthrough at a World-level event. Some have extensive age-group World resumes.
2016 European champion Varsham Boranyan of Armenia has emerged in recent seasons. Boranyan was fifth in the 2014 World Championships.
2016 University World champion Pavel Liakh of Belarus is another top contender. Aleksandar Maksimovic of Serbia, a 2012 Olympian who was fifth in the 2013 World Championships, also brings great credentials. Maksimovic, a 2008 Junior World silver medalist, won a bronze in the tune-up event, the UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals.
Host Hungary brings a talented challenger, Balint Korpasi, who was third in the 2016 European Championships and second in the 2015 European Games. Korpasi also was a 2010 World University silver medalist. He won a silver at the UWW Golden Grand Prix a few weeks ago in Azerbaijan.
Russia brings a 2013 Junior World champion in Abuiazid Mantsigov, who won the Russian Senior Nationals in 2016.
Croatia’s Dominik Etlinger has also been very active, with a silver medal at the 2015 European Championships and a bronze medal at the 2015 European Games. He also boasts a pair of Junior World medals, with a silver in 2010 and a bronze in 2012.
2014 African champion Akrem Boudjemline of Algeria was also second in the 2014 Military World Championships. Artak Margaryan of France was second in the 2013 European Championships. Poland’s Dawid Karecinski boasts a 2011 Junior World silver medal and a 2016 World Military Championships bronze medal.
Denys Demyankov of Ukraine was a 2015 World University Games bronze medalist and a 2010 World Military Championships bronze medalist. Kazakhstan also has a 2013 World University Games bronze medalist in Ashkat Zhanbirov.
2016 Asian bronze medalist Ridong Zhang of China was a bronze medalist at the 2016 UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals, a strong showing going into the World meet.
Others to watch include 2015 European U23 chamoion Daniel Cataraga of Moldova, 2016 Commonwealth Championships silver medalist Mohammed Holi of India and Mindia Tsulukidze, who was third in the 2014 UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals.
Team USA has a first-time World Team member in Christopher Gonzalez, who has very limited international experience but has improved quickly on the domestic scene.
Greco-Roman 71 kg/156 lbs. Preliminary entries
Algeria - Akrem BOUDJEMLINE
Armenia - Varsham BORANYAN
Austria - Stefan STEIGL
Azerbaijan - Hasan ALIYEV or Rustam ALIYEV
Belarus - Pavel LIAKH
Bulgaria - Svilen Plamenov KOSTADINOV
China - Ridong ZHANG
Croatia - Dominik ETLINGER
Czech Republic - Filip DUBSKY
Finland - Tero Antero Matias HALMESMAEKI
France - Artak MARGARYAN
Georgia - Mindia TSULUKIDZE
Germany - Timo BADUSCH
Hungary - Balint KORPASI
India - Mohammed Rafiq HOLI
Iran - Afshin Nemat BYABANGARD
Japan - Takahiro UMENO
Kazakhstan - Askhat ZHANBIROV
Kyrgyzstan - Kairatbek TUGOLBAEV
Moldova - Daniel CATARAGA
Poland - Dawid KARECINSKI
Romania - Ilie COJOCARI
Russia - Abuiazid MANTSIGOV
Serbia - Aleksandar MAKSIMOVIC
Slovakia - Leos DRMOLA
Turkey - Yunus Saban OZEL or Selcuk Gursel CAN
Ukraine - Denys DEMYANKOV
United States - Christopher Matthew GONZALEZ
Uzbekistan - Fazliddin NOMOZOV
Greco-Roman 80 kg/176 lbs. Preview
This is a weight class with some veteran stars. Azerbaijan lists a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist in Emin Ahmadov, but also could enter Rafig Huseynov, who has an extensive list of achievements. Huseynov was fifth in the 2009 and 2010 World Championships. He also won a 2015 World Military gold medal and boasts Junior World bronze medals from 2007 and 2008. Huseynov won the gold at the UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals a few weeks ago in preparation for the Worlds.
There are five other past World medalists in the preliminary lists, a very strong field. Viktar Sasunouski of Belarus won a 2015 World silver medal. He was also third in the 2016 University World Championships.
Longtime star Nenad Zugaj of Croatia won a World bronze medal in 2010. He was a 2012 Olympian, and placed as high as third at the 2013 European Championships.
Iran’s Yousef Ghaderian was a 2015 World bronze medalist, and added an Asian Championships gold medal in 2016.
Lasha Gobadze of Georgia was third in the 2015 World Championships, and a 2014 Junior World bronze medalist. He also has won gold medals at the 2015 and 2016 European U23 Championships.
Don’t forget Russia’s 2010 World bronze medalist Imil Sharafetdinov, who was third in the 2016 World Military Championships and was second in Russia’s respected Poddubny International in 2012.
These past World medalists will be pushed hard by some rising young talents. Germany has a top hopeful in 2016 European champion Pascal Eisele, who also won the 2016 Military World Championships.
Ashkat Dilmukhamedov of Kazakhstan was in World medal matches, placing fifth in both 2011 and 2015. He was a 2012 Olympian, and has been third at the 2016 Asian Championships and third in the 2006 University Worlds.
Edgar Babayan of Poland was second in the 2016 European Championships and was third in the 2005 University World Championships. Romania’s George Vlad Mariea was a 2016 Junior World silver medalist.
Host Hungary will challenge with 2014 University World champion Laszlo Szabo, who was also second in the 2012 University World Championships.
Turkey has a couple of strong options. Aslan Atem was a 2014 University World champion and a 2011 Junior World bronze medalist. He was also third in the 2016 European Championships. Atem won the silver medal at the UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals earlier this fall. Another option would be Burhan Akbudak, a 2015 Junior World silver medalist.
The USA has a rising star in Patrick Martinez, who competed well at the 2015 World Championships, and has been as active as any athlete on the international scene in the last few years. He brings increased confidence after some good wins over top foreign talent. Martinez was third in the 2016 Pan American Championships.
Armenia has strong expectations for Sargis Kocharyan, a 2014 Junior World bronze medalist. Kocharyan also was third in the 2015 World Military Games and second in the 2015 European U23 Championships.
Kyrgyzstan’s Atabek Azisbekov was second in the 2015 Asian Championships and a 2012 Cadet World bronze medalist. 2016 Commonwealth champion Harpreet Singh of India also was third at the 2016 Asian Championships.
Jonibek Otabekov of Uzbekistan was third in the 2015 Asian Championships. Soh Sakabe of Japan was third in the 2014 University World Championships.
Based upon preliminary entries, this weight class has tremendous depth and should have some very competitive battles. Those reaching medal rounds will have to beat some excellent wrestlers for the right to bring home some hardware.
Greco-Roman 80 kg/176 lbs. Preliminary entries
Armenia - Sargis KOCHARYAN
Austria - Michael WAGNER
Azerbaijan - Rafig HUSEYNOV or Emin AHMADOV
Belarus - Viktar SASUNOUSKI
Bulgaria - Iliyan Todorov GEORGIEV
China - Junjie NA
Croatia - Nenad ZUGAJ
Czech Republic - Oldrich VARGA
Georgia - Lasha GOBADZE
Germany - Pascal EISELE
Greece - Nikolaos VARKAS
Hungary - Laszlo SZABO
India - Singh HARPREET
Iran - Yousef Ahmad GHADERIAN
Japan - Soh SAKABE
Kazakhstan - Askhat DILMUKHAMEDOV
Kenya - Ibrahim Azariah TEMBE
Kyrgyzstan - Atabek AZISBEKOV
Moldova - Igor BESLEAGA
Poland - Edgar BABAYAN
Romania George Vlad MARIEA
Russia - Imil SHARAFETDINOV
Serbia - Petar BALO
Slovakia - Denis HORVATH
Sweden - Alex Michel BJURBERG KESSIDIS
Turkey - Aslan ATEM or Burhan AKBUDAK
Ukraine - Yaroslav FILCHAKOV
United States - Patrick Anthony MARTINEZ
Uzbekistan - Jonibek OTABEKOV
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