World Championships preview in men's freestyle at 57 kg/125.5 lbs.
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by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
Photo: U.S. World Team member Thomas Gilman in action at the U.S. World Team Trials held in Lincoln, Neb. Photo by Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com.
Video: Thomas Gilman at World Team Training camp
Date of competition: Friday, August 25
We begin our analysis of the men’s freestyle World Championships with the 57 kg/125.5 lbs. weight class, and all the evidence points to fresh blood taking over the medal stand come Paris.
The lightweights across the world will take the mats inside AccorHotels Arena with at minimum three of the four Olympic medalists from Rio de Janeiro expected to be absent.
Olympic champion Vladimer Khinchegashvili of Georgia, Olympic silver medalist Rei Higuchi of Japan and Olympic bronze medalist and past World champion Haji Aliyev of Azerbaijan have all made the move up to 61 kg/134 lbs. The last medalist standing at 57 kg is Iran’s longtime superstar Hassan Rahimi.
Currently ranked No. 1 in the UWW World Rankings, Rahimi has medaled at the World Championships and Olympic Games each of the last five years. In 2013, Rahimi topped the World in Budapest, Hungary, to capture his first and only World title. He finished with World silver in 2015 and World bronze in 2011 and 2014. His only international competition this year was the Freestyle World Cup, where he posted a 3-0 record.
Recent reports coming out of Iran have indicated Rahimi could be out for the Worlds due to injury. His replacement would be Reza Atrinagharchi, who was third at the Asian Championships.
UWW recently announced a new seeding system for the World Championships that will separate the top four athletes in each weight class through a results-based points system. Khinchegashvili, Higuchi, Aliyev and Rahimi were named the top-four seeds for the World Championships. With three, and possibly all four, of the seeded athletes out of the running, handicapping 57 kg will be a crapshoot.
When in doubt, logic points to the European champion as a top-threat for World gold. Azerbaijan’s Giorgi Edisherashvili, a recent transfer from Georgia, holds that title for 2017. He would be the highest ranked wrestler in the UWW World Rankings at No. 2 should Rahimi forego the tournament.
The situation gets tricky for Azerbaijan because Edisherashvili fell short in the Ali Aliev Tournament last month to his countryman Makhir Amiraslanov, who is considered one of the best young prospects at 57 kg regardless of country. Currently ranked No. 8 in the World, Amiraslanov won the Junior World Championships in 2015 and took two Cadet World silver medals in years prior. As is stands, expect Edisherashvili to get the nod, but the Amiraslanov option is there.
Romania’s Andrei Dukov finished with silver at the European Championships behind Edisherashvili, but his history does not lend itself to World Championship success. Dukov, ranked No. 6 in the World, has competed at five World tournaments and finished no higher than 13th place.
World No. 3 Suleyman Atli of Turkey and World No. 4 Zaur Uguev of Russia are strong contenders. Both men won bronze medals at the European Championships.
Atli was the Yasar Dogu champion this year with a strong win over Amiraslanov in the finals. He added to his resume with a gold at the U23 Europeans. Atli is another promising up-and-comer with a recent Junior World title under his belt, not to mention an Olympic berth in 2016.
Uguev has picked up titles at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix and Russia Nationals in 2017. Toss in a bronze from the Yasar Dogu and two Cadet World crowns, and the Russian possesses enough experience to go with anyone at the weight.
Coming in at No. 5 in the World Rankings is 2015 World bronze medalist Bekhbayar Erdenebat of Mongolia. Erdenebat has gone undefeated internationally, with gold medals from the Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov Tournament and the Mongolia Open, since his disappointing Olympic outing. The alternative for Mongolia is Asian silver medalist Zanabazar Zandanbud, who slots in at No. 11 in the World.
Asian champion Yuki Takahashi of Japan will man the gaping void left by Higuchi. Takahashi has competed at two World Championships, finishing in the top 10 on both occasions. He finished far from the podium at this year’s Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, but did snatch a bronze at the Golden Grand Prix last November. He was a Youth Olympic Games champion in 2010.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is in an interesting spot with two credible medal threats in two-time World champion and Olympic bronze medalist Kyong-Il Yang and two-time World Military champion Hak-Jin Jong. Both men are ranked in the World, Yang at No. 16 and Jong at No. 15. Indications are Jong will get the nod this time around.
World No. 17 Tyler Graff of the United States won the Pan American Championships with ease, but as us Americans know, it will be bad boy Thomas Gilman donning the Stars and Stripes in Paris.
Gilman owns solid international experience having been a part of two Junior World Teams and one Cadet World Team. He won a bronze medal at the 2014 Junior Worlds in Zagreb, Croatia. Gilman recently won gold at the Grand Prix of Spain with a key win over France standout Zoheir El Ouarraqe, who was fifth at the Europeans.
There is some uncertainty about Georgia’s representative for Paris. Otari Gogava represented the nation at the Europeans, but did not post favorable results. 2017 World silver medalist Beka Lomtadze, who is slotted at No. 7 in the World Rankings, is an option. However, sources are pointing toward Lasha Lomtadze as the man to replace Khinchegashvili.
Morocco’s Chakir Ansari won the African Championships and has competed at the World Championships and Olympic Games in the past two years. He could play spoiler to one of the top contenders in the early rounds.
This weight category will be contested on the first day of men’s freestyle action, Aug. 25. The tournament will begin at 10 a.m. local time, with finals scheduled for 7 p.m. Paris is situated six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time.
A live stream of the World Championships, as well as brackets for each weight, will be provided to U.S. residents on Trackwrestling.com.
UWW World Rankings
1. Hassan Rahimi (Iran)
2. Giorgi Edisherashvili (Azerbaijan)
3. Suleyman Atli (Turkey)
4. Zaur Uguev (Russia)
5. Bekhbayar Erdenebat (Mongolia)
6. Andrei Dukov (Romania)
7. Beka Lomtadze (Georgia)
8. Makhir Amiraslanov (Azerbaijan)
9. Yuki Takahashi (Japan)
10. Andrey Yatsenko (Ukraine)
11. Zanabazar Zandanbud (Mongolia)
12. Artyom Gebekov (Russia)
13. Mirjalal Hasanzade (Azerbaijan)
14. Sandeep Tomar (India)
15. Hak-Jin Jong (DPR Korea)
16. Kyong-Il Yang (DPR Korea)
17. Tyler Graff (United States)
18. Azamat Tuskaev (Russia)
19. Afgan Khashalov (Azerbaijan)
20. Nurislam Sanayev (Kazakhstan)
World Championships Seeds
1. Vladimer Khinchegashvili (Georgia)
2. Rei Higuchi (Japan)
3. Haji Aliyev (Azerbaijan)
4. Hassan Rahimi (Iran)
Recent World and Olympic Results
2016 Olympic Games
57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Gold – Vladimer Khinchegahsvili (Georgia); Silver – Rei Higuchi (Japan); Bronze – Haji Aliyev (Azerbaijan); Bronze – Hassan Rahimi (Iran); 5th – Vladimir Dubov (Bulgaria); 5th – Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba); 7th – Asadulla Lachinau (Belarus); 8th – Kyong-Il Yang (DPR Korea); 9th – Victor Lebedev (Russia); 10th – Adama Diatta (Senegal)
2015 World Championships
57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Gold – Vladimer Khinchegashvili (Georgia); Silver – Hassan Rahimi (Iran); Bronze – Bekhbayar Erdenebat (Mongolia); Bronze – Viktor Lebedev (Russia); 5th – Artas Sanaa (Kazakhstan); 5th – Hak Jin Jong (North Korea); 7th – Asadulia Lachinau (Belarus); 8th – Georgi Vangelov (Bulgaria); 9th – Yuki Takahashi (Japan); 10th – Zoheir El Ouarraqe (France)
2014 World Championships
57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Gold – Kyong Il Yang (North Korea); Silver – Vladimer Khinchegashvili (Georgia); Bronze – Uladzislau Andreyeu (Belarus); Bronze – Hassan Rahimi (Iran); 5th – Bekhbayar Erdenebat (Mongolia); 5th – Yuki Takahashi (Japan); 7th – Axmedmabi Guezzatilov (Azerbaijan); 8th – Mehmed Feraim (Bulgaria); 9th – Viktor Lebedev (Russia); 10th – Qi Mude (China)
2013 World Championships
55 kg/121 lbs. – Gold – Hassan Rahimi (Iran); Silver – Amit Kumar (India); Bronze – Sezar Akgul (Turkey); Bronze – Nariman Israpilov (Russia); 5th – Angel Escobedo (USA); 5th – Rasul Kaliyev (Kazakhstan); 7th – Zoheir El Ouarraqe (France); 8th – Altynbek Alymbaev (Kyrgyzstan); 9th – Bekhbayar Erdenebat (Mongolia); 10th – Giorgi Edisherashvili (Georgia)
Video: Thomas Gilman at World Team Training camp
Date of competition: Friday, August 25
We begin our analysis of the men’s freestyle World Championships with the 57 kg/125.5 lbs. weight class, and all the evidence points to fresh blood taking over the medal stand come Paris.
The lightweights across the world will take the mats inside AccorHotels Arena with at minimum three of the four Olympic medalists from Rio de Janeiro expected to be absent.
Olympic champion Vladimer Khinchegashvili of Georgia, Olympic silver medalist Rei Higuchi of Japan and Olympic bronze medalist and past World champion Haji Aliyev of Azerbaijan have all made the move up to 61 kg/134 lbs. The last medalist standing at 57 kg is Iran’s longtime superstar Hassan Rahimi.
Currently ranked No. 1 in the UWW World Rankings, Rahimi has medaled at the World Championships and Olympic Games each of the last five years. In 2013, Rahimi topped the World in Budapest, Hungary, to capture his first and only World title. He finished with World silver in 2015 and World bronze in 2011 and 2014. His only international competition this year was the Freestyle World Cup, where he posted a 3-0 record.
Recent reports coming out of Iran have indicated Rahimi could be out for the Worlds due to injury. His replacement would be Reza Atrinagharchi, who was third at the Asian Championships.
UWW recently announced a new seeding system for the World Championships that will separate the top four athletes in each weight class through a results-based points system. Khinchegashvili, Higuchi, Aliyev and Rahimi were named the top-four seeds for the World Championships. With three, and possibly all four, of the seeded athletes out of the running, handicapping 57 kg will be a crapshoot.
When in doubt, logic points to the European champion as a top-threat for World gold. Azerbaijan’s Giorgi Edisherashvili, a recent transfer from Georgia, holds that title for 2017. He would be the highest ranked wrestler in the UWW World Rankings at No. 2 should Rahimi forego the tournament.
The situation gets tricky for Azerbaijan because Edisherashvili fell short in the Ali Aliev Tournament last month to his countryman Makhir Amiraslanov, who is considered one of the best young prospects at 57 kg regardless of country. Currently ranked No. 8 in the World, Amiraslanov won the Junior World Championships in 2015 and took two Cadet World silver medals in years prior. As is stands, expect Edisherashvili to get the nod, but the Amiraslanov option is there.
Romania’s Andrei Dukov finished with silver at the European Championships behind Edisherashvili, but his history does not lend itself to World Championship success. Dukov, ranked No. 6 in the World, has competed at five World tournaments and finished no higher than 13th place.
World No. 3 Suleyman Atli of Turkey and World No. 4 Zaur Uguev of Russia are strong contenders. Both men won bronze medals at the European Championships.
Atli was the Yasar Dogu champion this year with a strong win over Amiraslanov in the finals. He added to his resume with a gold at the U23 Europeans. Atli is another promising up-and-comer with a recent Junior World title under his belt, not to mention an Olympic berth in 2016.
Uguev has picked up titles at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix and Russia Nationals in 2017. Toss in a bronze from the Yasar Dogu and two Cadet World crowns, and the Russian possesses enough experience to go with anyone at the weight.
Coming in at No. 5 in the World Rankings is 2015 World bronze medalist Bekhbayar Erdenebat of Mongolia. Erdenebat has gone undefeated internationally, with gold medals from the Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov Tournament and the Mongolia Open, since his disappointing Olympic outing. The alternative for Mongolia is Asian silver medalist Zanabazar Zandanbud, who slots in at No. 11 in the World.
Asian champion Yuki Takahashi of Japan will man the gaping void left by Higuchi. Takahashi has competed at two World Championships, finishing in the top 10 on both occasions. He finished far from the podium at this year’s Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, but did snatch a bronze at the Golden Grand Prix last November. He was a Youth Olympic Games champion in 2010.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is in an interesting spot with two credible medal threats in two-time World champion and Olympic bronze medalist Kyong-Il Yang and two-time World Military champion Hak-Jin Jong. Both men are ranked in the World, Yang at No. 16 and Jong at No. 15. Indications are Jong will get the nod this time around.
World No. 17 Tyler Graff of the United States won the Pan American Championships with ease, but as us Americans know, it will be bad boy Thomas Gilman donning the Stars and Stripes in Paris.
Gilman owns solid international experience having been a part of two Junior World Teams and one Cadet World Team. He won a bronze medal at the 2014 Junior Worlds in Zagreb, Croatia. Gilman recently won gold at the Grand Prix of Spain with a key win over France standout Zoheir El Ouarraqe, who was fifth at the Europeans.
There is some uncertainty about Georgia’s representative for Paris. Otari Gogava represented the nation at the Europeans, but did not post favorable results. 2017 World silver medalist Beka Lomtadze, who is slotted at No. 7 in the World Rankings, is an option. However, sources are pointing toward Lasha Lomtadze as the man to replace Khinchegashvili.
Morocco’s Chakir Ansari won the African Championships and has competed at the World Championships and Olympic Games in the past two years. He could play spoiler to one of the top contenders in the early rounds.
This weight category will be contested on the first day of men’s freestyle action, Aug. 25. The tournament will begin at 10 a.m. local time, with finals scheduled for 7 p.m. Paris is situated six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time.
A live stream of the World Championships, as well as brackets for each weight, will be provided to U.S. residents on Trackwrestling.com.
UWW World Rankings
1. Hassan Rahimi (Iran)
2. Giorgi Edisherashvili (Azerbaijan)
3. Suleyman Atli (Turkey)
4. Zaur Uguev (Russia)
5. Bekhbayar Erdenebat (Mongolia)
6. Andrei Dukov (Romania)
7. Beka Lomtadze (Georgia)
8. Makhir Amiraslanov (Azerbaijan)
9. Yuki Takahashi (Japan)
10. Andrey Yatsenko (Ukraine)
11. Zanabazar Zandanbud (Mongolia)
12. Artyom Gebekov (Russia)
13. Mirjalal Hasanzade (Azerbaijan)
14. Sandeep Tomar (India)
15. Hak-Jin Jong (DPR Korea)
16. Kyong-Il Yang (DPR Korea)
17. Tyler Graff (United States)
18. Azamat Tuskaev (Russia)
19. Afgan Khashalov (Azerbaijan)
20. Nurislam Sanayev (Kazakhstan)
World Championships Seeds
1. Vladimer Khinchegashvili (Georgia)
2. Rei Higuchi (Japan)
3. Haji Aliyev (Azerbaijan)
4. Hassan Rahimi (Iran)
Recent World and Olympic Results
2016 Olympic Games
57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Gold – Vladimer Khinchegahsvili (Georgia); Silver – Rei Higuchi (Japan); Bronze – Haji Aliyev (Azerbaijan); Bronze – Hassan Rahimi (Iran); 5th – Vladimir Dubov (Bulgaria); 5th – Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba); 7th – Asadulla Lachinau (Belarus); 8th – Kyong-Il Yang (DPR Korea); 9th – Victor Lebedev (Russia); 10th – Adama Diatta (Senegal)
2015 World Championships
57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Gold – Vladimer Khinchegashvili (Georgia); Silver – Hassan Rahimi (Iran); Bronze – Bekhbayar Erdenebat (Mongolia); Bronze – Viktor Lebedev (Russia); 5th – Artas Sanaa (Kazakhstan); 5th – Hak Jin Jong (North Korea); 7th – Asadulia Lachinau (Belarus); 8th – Georgi Vangelov (Bulgaria); 9th – Yuki Takahashi (Japan); 10th – Zoheir El Ouarraqe (France)
2014 World Championships
57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Gold – Kyong Il Yang (North Korea); Silver – Vladimer Khinchegashvili (Georgia); Bronze – Uladzislau Andreyeu (Belarus); Bronze – Hassan Rahimi (Iran); 5th – Bekhbayar Erdenebat (Mongolia); 5th – Yuki Takahashi (Japan); 7th – Axmedmabi Guezzatilov (Azerbaijan); 8th – Mehmed Feraim (Bulgaria); 9th – Viktor Lebedev (Russia); 10th – Qi Mude (China)
2013 World Championships
55 kg/121 lbs. – Gold – Hassan Rahimi (Iran); Silver – Amit Kumar (India); Bronze – Sezar Akgul (Turkey); Bronze – Nariman Israpilov (Russia); 5th – Angel Escobedo (USA); 5th – Rasul Kaliyev (Kazakhstan); 7th – Zoheir El Ouarraqe (France); 8th – Altynbek Alymbaev (Kyrgyzstan); 9th – Bekhbayar Erdenebat (Mongolia); 10th – Giorgi Edisherashvili (Georgia)
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