World Championships Bracketology: Men's Freestyle 57 kg, 61 kg, 86 kg and 125 kg
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by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
Photo: Olympic champion and two-time World champion Taha Akgul (Turkey) leads the pack of 125 kg contenders in Paris. Photo by Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com.
Brackets have been released for the first day of men’s freestyle competition at the 2017 World Championships being held at AccorHotels Arena in Paris, France.
Weight classes competing tomorrow include 57 kg/125.5 lbs., 61 kg/134 lbs., 86 kg/189 lbs. and 125 kg/275 lbs.
Each bracket has been broken down into several categories to add extra insight and perspective on what fans can expect during day three of the World Championships.
Complete brackets, as well as a live stream of the event, are available to U.S. residents on Trackwrestling.com.
57 kg/125.5 lbs.
The favorite: Suleyman Atli (Turkey)
Potential bracket buster: Hak-Jin Jong (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)
Early matches to watch: Round of 32 – Beka Lomtadze (Georgia) vs Suleyman Atli (Turkey); Round of 32 – Sandeep Tomar (India) vs. Zaur Uguev (Russia); Round of 16 – Reza Atrigharchi (Iran) vs. Thomas Gilman (United States)
Strongest quadrant: Without question, quadrant three will be the toughest to navigate at 57 kg. Bekhbayar Erdenebat (Mongolia) and Beka Lomtadze (Georgia) have both won a World medal in the past two years. European bronze medalists Suleyman Atli (Turkey) and Zaur Uguev (Russia) are strong gold-medal hopefuls. Toss in a duo of Asian champions, Yuki Takahashi (Japan) and Sandeep Tomar (India), in addition to 2016 University World bronze Ulukbek Zholdoshbekov (Kyrgyzstan), and you can see why we expect mass chaos in this region of the bracket.
The tough road: Whoever survives the first-round tussle between Lomtadze and Atli will have quite the minefield to navigate. Erdenebat, Uguev and two-time World medalist Vladimer Dubov (Bulgaria) are likely opponents for either Lomtadze or Atli to make the finals.
American outlook: Thomas Gilman opens with 2016 European runner-up Andrey Yatsenko (Ukraine). His path to the finals thereafter could be Asian bronze medalist Reza Atrinagharchi (Iran), 2015 Junior World champion Makhir Amiraslanov (Azerbaijan) and two-time Military World champion Hak-Jin Jong (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea). Gilman’s road is tough, but favorable for a medal.
61 kg/134 lbs.
The favorite: Vladimer Khinchegashvili (Georgia)
Potential bracket buster: Cengizhan Erdogan (Turkey)
Early matches to watch: Round of 16 – Logan Stieber (United States) vs. Gadshimurad Rashidov (Russia); Round of 16 – Behnam Ehsanpoor (Iran) vs. Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba)
Strongest quadrant: The top quadrant features three of the top five ranked wrestlers in the World. Reigning World champion and World No. 3 Logan Stieber sits atop the bracket as the No. 1 seed. Olympic and World champion Vladimer Khinchegashvili (Georgia) holds the No. 1 World ranking. World No. 5 Gadshimurad Rashidov (Russia) was the European champion in 2016. Past Asian medalist and 2014 University World champion Tuvshintulga Tumenbileg (Mongolia) and 2011 Cadet World champion Husein Shakhbanau (Belarus) add even more depth to this section.
The tough road: Give Rashidov the edge for toughest draw to a World final. He will start against Jozsef Molnar (Hungary), but then would have to face Stieber, Khinchegashvili and three-time European champion Cengizhan Erdogan (Turkey), formerly known as Opan Sat when he competed for Russia, to make the finals.
American outlook: Barring any major upsets, Stieber’s road to the finals will run through Rashidov, Khinchegashvili and Erdogan. Stieber does own a past win over Erdogan, but has not faced Rashidov or Khinchegashvili.
86 kg/189 lbs.
The favorite: Hassan Yazdanicharati (Iran)
Potential bracket buster: Yurieski Torreblanca (Cuba)
Early matches to watch: Round of 32 – Hassan Yazdanicharati (Iran) vs. Azamat Dauletbekov (Kazakhstan); Round of 32 – Umidjon Ismanov (Uzbekistan) vs. Yurieski Torreblanca (Cuba); Round of 16 – David Khutishvili (Georgia) vs. Aleksander Gostiev (Azerbaijan)
Strongest quadrant: This weight class has pretty well separated the top contenders through the early rounds. A miniscule edge for toughest section of the bracket goes to quadrant two. Competing for a semifinals berth will be 2016 Olympic champion Hassan Yazdanicharati (Iran), Three-time European medalist Aleksander Gostiev (Azerbaijan), 2011 World bronze medalist David Khutishvili (Georgia), 2015 European Games silver medalist Piotr Ianulov (Moldova) and 2017 Asian silver medalist Azamat Dauletbekov (Kazakhstan).
The tough road: Sitting with the most difficult path to the finals of the top-flight talents is Aleksander Gostiev (Azerbaijan). Gostiev opens with relative unknown Baktiyar Karagul Uulu (Kyrgyzstan). His likely road would then be Khutishvili, Yazdanicharati and 2016 Olympic silver medalist Selim Yasar (Turkey).
American outlook: Things could not be drawn up better for J’den Cox. He opens with a solid first-round test against 2012 Junior World silver medalist Ahmed Dudarov (Germany). His next opponent looks to be Ville Heino (Finland), who just finished his NCAA career at Campbell University. A likely quarterfinal opponent is 2017 European bronze medalist Istvan Vereb (Hungary). On paper, 2010 World champion Mihail Ganev (Bulgaria) looks to be Cox’s potential semifinal opponent, but watch out for two-time Pan American champion Yurieski Torreblanca (Cuba) as a sleeper here.
125 kg/275 lbs.
The favorite: Taha Akgul (Turkey)
Potential bracket buster: David Modzmanashvili (Uzbekistan)
Early matches to watch: Round of 32 – David Modzmanashvili (Uzbekistan) vs. Yadollah Mohebbi (Iran); Round of 16 – Levan Berianidze (Armenia) vs. Daulet Shabanbay (Kazakhstan); Round of 16 – David Modzmanashvili (Uzbekistan)/Yadollah Mohebbi (Iran) vs. Alen Zasieiev (Ukraine)
Strongest quadrant: Quadrant two appears to have the most depth across this bracket. Featured in this area are 2013 World silver medalist Alen Zasieiev (Ukraine), Olympic and World medalist David Modzmanashvili (Uzbekistan), Asian champion Yadollah Mohebbi (Iran), three-time European medalist Daniel Ligeti (Hungary) and top prospect Nick Gwiazdowski (United States).
The tough road: Yadollah Mohebbi (Iran) is expected to have a strong showing, but will have a brutal path to the finals. His expected combatants would be Modzmanashvili, Zasieiev, Gwiazdowski and 2016 Olympic champion and two-time World champion Taha Akgul (Turkey).
American outlook: Gwiazdowski’s draw sets up nicely for at least a quarterfinal berth. He opens with 2008 Junior European silver medalist Andrei Romanov (Moldova), then would face Ligeti in a very winnable match. He will be tested in the quarters by either Zasieiev, Modzmanashvili or Mohebbi. A win there puts him up against gold-medal favorite Akgul in the semis. Clearly, the key for Gwiazdowski is to push through to the semifinals.
Brackets have been released for the first day of men’s freestyle competition at the 2017 World Championships being held at AccorHotels Arena in Paris, France.
Weight classes competing tomorrow include 57 kg/125.5 lbs., 61 kg/134 lbs., 86 kg/189 lbs. and 125 kg/275 lbs.
Each bracket has been broken down into several categories to add extra insight and perspective on what fans can expect during day three of the World Championships.
Complete brackets, as well as a live stream of the event, are available to U.S. residents on Trackwrestling.com.
57 kg/125.5 lbs.
The favorite: Suleyman Atli (Turkey)
Potential bracket buster: Hak-Jin Jong (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)
Early matches to watch: Round of 32 – Beka Lomtadze (Georgia) vs Suleyman Atli (Turkey); Round of 32 – Sandeep Tomar (India) vs. Zaur Uguev (Russia); Round of 16 – Reza Atrigharchi (Iran) vs. Thomas Gilman (United States)
Strongest quadrant: Without question, quadrant three will be the toughest to navigate at 57 kg. Bekhbayar Erdenebat (Mongolia) and Beka Lomtadze (Georgia) have both won a World medal in the past two years. European bronze medalists Suleyman Atli (Turkey) and Zaur Uguev (Russia) are strong gold-medal hopefuls. Toss in a duo of Asian champions, Yuki Takahashi (Japan) and Sandeep Tomar (India), in addition to 2016 University World bronze Ulukbek Zholdoshbekov (Kyrgyzstan), and you can see why we expect mass chaos in this region of the bracket.
The tough road: Whoever survives the first-round tussle between Lomtadze and Atli will have quite the minefield to navigate. Erdenebat, Uguev and two-time World medalist Vladimer Dubov (Bulgaria) are likely opponents for either Lomtadze or Atli to make the finals.
American outlook: Thomas Gilman opens with 2016 European runner-up Andrey Yatsenko (Ukraine). His path to the finals thereafter could be Asian bronze medalist Reza Atrinagharchi (Iran), 2015 Junior World champion Makhir Amiraslanov (Azerbaijan) and two-time Military World champion Hak-Jin Jong (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea). Gilman’s road is tough, but favorable for a medal.
61 kg/134 lbs.
The favorite: Vladimer Khinchegashvili (Georgia)
Potential bracket buster: Cengizhan Erdogan (Turkey)
Early matches to watch: Round of 16 – Logan Stieber (United States) vs. Gadshimurad Rashidov (Russia); Round of 16 – Behnam Ehsanpoor (Iran) vs. Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba)
Strongest quadrant: The top quadrant features three of the top five ranked wrestlers in the World. Reigning World champion and World No. 3 Logan Stieber sits atop the bracket as the No. 1 seed. Olympic and World champion Vladimer Khinchegashvili (Georgia) holds the No. 1 World ranking. World No. 5 Gadshimurad Rashidov (Russia) was the European champion in 2016. Past Asian medalist and 2014 University World champion Tuvshintulga Tumenbileg (Mongolia) and 2011 Cadet World champion Husein Shakhbanau (Belarus) add even more depth to this section.
The tough road: Give Rashidov the edge for toughest draw to a World final. He will start against Jozsef Molnar (Hungary), but then would have to face Stieber, Khinchegashvili and three-time European champion Cengizhan Erdogan (Turkey), formerly known as Opan Sat when he competed for Russia, to make the finals.
American outlook: Barring any major upsets, Stieber’s road to the finals will run through Rashidov, Khinchegashvili and Erdogan. Stieber does own a past win over Erdogan, but has not faced Rashidov or Khinchegashvili.
86 kg/189 lbs.
The favorite: Hassan Yazdanicharati (Iran)
Potential bracket buster: Yurieski Torreblanca (Cuba)
Early matches to watch: Round of 32 – Hassan Yazdanicharati (Iran) vs. Azamat Dauletbekov (Kazakhstan); Round of 32 – Umidjon Ismanov (Uzbekistan) vs. Yurieski Torreblanca (Cuba); Round of 16 – David Khutishvili (Georgia) vs. Aleksander Gostiev (Azerbaijan)
Strongest quadrant: This weight class has pretty well separated the top contenders through the early rounds. A miniscule edge for toughest section of the bracket goes to quadrant two. Competing for a semifinals berth will be 2016 Olympic champion Hassan Yazdanicharati (Iran), Three-time European medalist Aleksander Gostiev (Azerbaijan), 2011 World bronze medalist David Khutishvili (Georgia), 2015 European Games silver medalist Piotr Ianulov (Moldova) and 2017 Asian silver medalist Azamat Dauletbekov (Kazakhstan).
The tough road: Sitting with the most difficult path to the finals of the top-flight talents is Aleksander Gostiev (Azerbaijan). Gostiev opens with relative unknown Baktiyar Karagul Uulu (Kyrgyzstan). His likely road would then be Khutishvili, Yazdanicharati and 2016 Olympic silver medalist Selim Yasar (Turkey).
American outlook: Things could not be drawn up better for J’den Cox. He opens with a solid first-round test against 2012 Junior World silver medalist Ahmed Dudarov (Germany). His next opponent looks to be Ville Heino (Finland), who just finished his NCAA career at Campbell University. A likely quarterfinal opponent is 2017 European bronze medalist Istvan Vereb (Hungary). On paper, 2010 World champion Mihail Ganev (Bulgaria) looks to be Cox’s potential semifinal opponent, but watch out for two-time Pan American champion Yurieski Torreblanca (Cuba) as a sleeper here.
125 kg/275 lbs.
The favorite: Taha Akgul (Turkey)
Potential bracket buster: David Modzmanashvili (Uzbekistan)
Early matches to watch: Round of 32 – David Modzmanashvili (Uzbekistan) vs. Yadollah Mohebbi (Iran); Round of 16 – Levan Berianidze (Armenia) vs. Daulet Shabanbay (Kazakhstan); Round of 16 – David Modzmanashvili (Uzbekistan)/Yadollah Mohebbi (Iran) vs. Alen Zasieiev (Ukraine)
Strongest quadrant: Quadrant two appears to have the most depth across this bracket. Featured in this area are 2013 World silver medalist Alen Zasieiev (Ukraine), Olympic and World medalist David Modzmanashvili (Uzbekistan), Asian champion Yadollah Mohebbi (Iran), three-time European medalist Daniel Ligeti (Hungary) and top prospect Nick Gwiazdowski (United States).
The tough road: Yadollah Mohebbi (Iran) is expected to have a strong showing, but will have a brutal path to the finals. His expected combatants would be Modzmanashvili, Zasieiev, Gwiazdowski and 2016 Olympic champion and two-time World champion Taha Akgul (Turkey).
American outlook: Gwiazdowski’s draw sets up nicely for at least a quarterfinal berth. He opens with 2008 Junior European silver medalist Andrei Romanov (Moldova), then would face Ligeti in a very winnable match. He will be tested in the quarters by either Zasieiev, Modzmanashvili or Mohebbi. A win there puts him up against gold-medal favorite Akgul in the semis. Clearly, the key for Gwiazdowski is to push through to the semifinals.
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