Postponed Olympics Day 4: Gold medals scheduled at 67 kg and 87 kg Greco-Roman, plus 62 kg women
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Joe Rau of the United States, shown at the 2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier, where he won gold. The gold-medal finals at his weight class, 87 kg, would have been held today if the 2020 Games had not been postponed. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers are Warriors.
The United States has an entry in every weight class that would have featured medal match finals on August 5, had the event not been postponed and rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will take a closer look at these three weight classes: 67 kg and 87 kg in Greco-Roman and 62 kg in women’s freestyle.
At this point, half of the field has been determined in every weight class for the 2021 Olympic wrestling competition. We will look at the nations qualified (and the athletes expected to wrestle), as well as those who might be favored to qualify for the Olympics in the Olympic Qualifiers to come in 2021. The United States team will not be determined until April 2021.
Greco-Roman 67 kg review
The United States earned its spot at the 2020 Olympic Games in March at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Ottawa, Canada. The 2019 Senior World Team member Ellis Coleman was still healing from injury, so Team USA brought his U.S. Army teammate and reigning U.S. Open champion Alejandro Sancho to the qualifier. When Sancho reached the finals, the USA earned its spot in the Tokyo field. Now we will have to wait until April to find out whether Coleman, Sancho or somebody else earns the Olympic berth at this weight class.
This could be one of the most exciting weight classes in Greco-Roman in Tokyo, with some talented headliners already qualified. The big news at the 2019 Worlds was the performance of 2016 Olympic champion Ismael Borrero of Cuba, who won his second career World title with an explosive performance. Borrero defeated 2018 World champion Artem Surkov of Russia in the finals. Surkov also boasts 2015 and 2017 World bronze medals. Three-time World champion Frank Staebler of Germany won a bronze medal at the 2019 Worlds, along with Serbia’s Mate Nemes. 2018 U23 World champion Mohammed Ibrahim Elsayed of Egypt earned his trip to Tokyo with a fifth-place finish, while surprising Fredrik Bjerrehuus of Denmark also finished fifth to qualify for the Games. The champion at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier was Julian Horta of Colombia, who has yet to compete at a Senior World Championship or Olympics event in his career.
Looking to qualify for the Olympic field is two-time World champion Hansu Ryu of Korea, who finished eighth last year. Ryu also a 2015 World silver medalist. 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and 2015 World Champion Rasul Chunayev of Azerbaijan is not yet in. 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Shmagi Bolkvadze of Georgia isn’t qualified.2018 World bronze medalists Gevorg Sahakyan of Poland and Meirrzhan Shermakhanbet of Kazakhstan are still in the hunt for an Olympic berth. Add in 2017 World silver medalist Mateusz Bernatek of Poland and 2017 World bronze medalist Atakan Yueksel of Turkey to the list of those seeking to qualify.
Greco-Roman 67 kg/147.5 lbs. Olympic Games qualifiers
2019 World champion - Cuba (Ismael Borrero Molina)
2019 World silver medalist - Russia (Artem Surkov)
2019 World bronze medalist - Serbia (Mate Nemes)
2019 World bronze medalist - Germany (Frank Staebler)
2019 World fifth place - Denmark (Fredrik Bjerrehuus)
2019 World fifth place - Egypt (Mohamed Ibrahim Elsayed)
2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier champion – Colombia (Julian Horta Acevedo)
2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier runner-up – United States (Alejandro Sancho)
Greco-Roman 87 kg review
The USA earned their spot in the 2020 Olympics when Joe Rau won the title at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Ottawa. Rau, who has competed on two Senior World Teams for the USA, was a winner at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials but could not go to the Rio Olympics because the weight did not get qualified. If Rau can maintain his top spot at this weight class, he would be able to go to his first Olympics.
Leading the group of Olympic qualifiers is two-time World champion and 2016 Olympic silver medalist Zhan Beleniuk of Ukraine who has returned to top form. He defeated Hungary’s Viktor Lorincz in the 2019 World finals. Lorincz just missed a medal at the 2016 Olympics, placing fifth. 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Denis Kudla of Germany won a 2017 World silver medal and a 2019 World bronze medal. The other 2019 World bronze medalist, Rustam Assakalov of Uzbekistan, was a 2015 World silver medalist. Punching their ticket for Tokyo were 2019 World fifth-place finishers Mikalai Stadub of Belarus and Atabek Azibekov of Kyrgyzstan, neither who have won a Senior World medal. Joining Rau from the Pan American Qualifier was runner-up Daniel Hechevarria of Cuba, who is a two-time U23 World medalist.
The top star who has not yet qualified is two-time World champion Metehan Basar of Turkey, who did not place at the 2019 Worlds. 2018 World bronze medalists Artur Shahinyan of Armenia and Robert Kobliashivili of Georgia must still qualify. The last Russian to win a medal in this field was 2016 Olympic champion David Chakvetadze, who did not enter the 2019 Worlds. Iran’s Hoseein Ahmad Nouri, a 2017 World bronze medalist, also skipped the 2019 Worlds. Islam Abbasov of Azerbaijan, a two-time U23 World medalist who has been fifth in the Senior Worlds two times, is among those needing to qualify.
Greco-Roman 87 kg/191.5 lbs.
2019 World champion - Ukraine (Zhan Beleniuk)
2019 World silver medalist - Hungary (Viktor Lorincz)
2019 World bronze medalist - Germany (Denis Kudla)
2019 World bronze medalist - Uzbekistan (Rustam Assakalov)
2019 World fifth place - Belarus (Mikalai Stadub)
2019 World fifth place - Kyrgyzstan (Atabek Azisbekov)
2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier champion – United States (Josef Rau)
2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier runner-up – Daniel Grigorich Hechevarria (Cuba)
Women 62 kg review
The United States has talent and experience at this weight. 2019 World Team member Kayla Miracle, a multiple age-group World medalist and a 2019 Pan American Games champion, qualified the weight by reaching the finals of the Pan American Olympic Qualifier. Her top challenger at the Olympic Trials could be 2018 World bronze medalist Mallory Velte. Whichever American emerges at Olympic Trials will have a great shot to win a medal in Tokyo.
The 2019 World champion was Kyrgyzstan’s Aisuluu Tynbekova, the first woman from her nation to win a World title. She also boasts a 2017 World bronze medal. In the finals, she beat a big-time star at this weight class, 2018 World champion Taybe Yusein of Bulgaria, who has won six career Senior World medals. Japan has been strong at this weight, and 2018 U23 World champion Yukako Kawai of Japan won a 2019 Senior World bronze. The other 2019 World bronze went to Sweden’s Henna Johansson, who is already a two-time Olympian. 2013 World champion Marianna Sastin of Hungary, a four-time World medalist, has qualified. Jong Sim Rim of North Korea, fifth in the 2019 Worlds is in the field, along with 2019 Pan American Olympic Qualifier champion Lais Nunez of Brazil.
Among those still seeking a place in the Olympic field is 2014 World champion and four-time World medalist Yulia Tkach Ostapchuk of Ukraine, as well as 2018 World champion and two-time World medalist Petra Olli of Finland. 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Marwa Amri of Tunisia, also a 2017 World silver medalist, is still looking to qualify, as is 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Sakshi Malik of India. Two-time Olympic bronze medalist Jackeline Renteria of Colombia is still competing at a high level. The most recent Russian to medal at this weight class was Valeria Lazinskaya of Russia.
62 kg/136.5 lbs. Olympic Games qualifiers
2019 World champion – Kyrgyzstan (Aisuluu Tynbekova)
2019 World silver medalist – Bulgaria (Taybe Mustafa Yusein)
2019 World bronze medalist – Japan (Yukako Kawai)
2019 World bronze medalist – Sweden (Henna Johansson)
2019 World fifth place – North Korea (Jong Sim Rim)
2019 World fifth place – Hungary (Marianna Sastin)
2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier champion – Brazil (Lais Nunez de Oliveira)
2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier runner-up – United States (Kayla Miracle)
The United States has an entry in every weight class that would have featured medal match finals on August 5, had the event not been postponed and rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will take a closer look at these three weight classes: 67 kg and 87 kg in Greco-Roman and 62 kg in women’s freestyle.
At this point, half of the field has been determined in every weight class for the 2021 Olympic wrestling competition. We will look at the nations qualified (and the athletes expected to wrestle), as well as those who might be favored to qualify for the Olympics in the Olympic Qualifiers to come in 2021. The United States team will not be determined until April 2021.
Greco-Roman 67 kg review
The United States earned its spot at the 2020 Olympic Games in March at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Ottawa, Canada. The 2019 Senior World Team member Ellis Coleman was still healing from injury, so Team USA brought his U.S. Army teammate and reigning U.S. Open champion Alejandro Sancho to the qualifier. When Sancho reached the finals, the USA earned its spot in the Tokyo field. Now we will have to wait until April to find out whether Coleman, Sancho or somebody else earns the Olympic berth at this weight class.
This could be one of the most exciting weight classes in Greco-Roman in Tokyo, with some talented headliners already qualified. The big news at the 2019 Worlds was the performance of 2016 Olympic champion Ismael Borrero of Cuba, who won his second career World title with an explosive performance. Borrero defeated 2018 World champion Artem Surkov of Russia in the finals. Surkov also boasts 2015 and 2017 World bronze medals. Three-time World champion Frank Staebler of Germany won a bronze medal at the 2019 Worlds, along with Serbia’s Mate Nemes. 2018 U23 World champion Mohammed Ibrahim Elsayed of Egypt earned his trip to Tokyo with a fifth-place finish, while surprising Fredrik Bjerrehuus of Denmark also finished fifth to qualify for the Games. The champion at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier was Julian Horta of Colombia, who has yet to compete at a Senior World Championship or Olympics event in his career.
Looking to qualify for the Olympic field is two-time World champion Hansu Ryu of Korea, who finished eighth last year. Ryu also a 2015 World silver medalist. 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and 2015 World Champion Rasul Chunayev of Azerbaijan is not yet in. 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Shmagi Bolkvadze of Georgia isn’t qualified.2018 World bronze medalists Gevorg Sahakyan of Poland and Meirrzhan Shermakhanbet of Kazakhstan are still in the hunt for an Olympic berth. Add in 2017 World silver medalist Mateusz Bernatek of Poland and 2017 World bronze medalist Atakan Yueksel of Turkey to the list of those seeking to qualify.
Greco-Roman 67 kg/147.5 lbs. Olympic Games qualifiers
2019 World champion - Cuba (Ismael Borrero Molina)
2019 World silver medalist - Russia (Artem Surkov)
2019 World bronze medalist - Serbia (Mate Nemes)
2019 World bronze medalist - Germany (Frank Staebler)
2019 World fifth place - Denmark (Fredrik Bjerrehuus)
2019 World fifth place - Egypt (Mohamed Ibrahim Elsayed)
2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier champion – Colombia (Julian Horta Acevedo)
2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier runner-up – United States (Alejandro Sancho)
Greco-Roman 87 kg review
The USA earned their spot in the 2020 Olympics when Joe Rau won the title at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Ottawa. Rau, who has competed on two Senior World Teams for the USA, was a winner at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials but could not go to the Rio Olympics because the weight did not get qualified. If Rau can maintain his top spot at this weight class, he would be able to go to his first Olympics.
Leading the group of Olympic qualifiers is two-time World champion and 2016 Olympic silver medalist Zhan Beleniuk of Ukraine who has returned to top form. He defeated Hungary’s Viktor Lorincz in the 2019 World finals. Lorincz just missed a medal at the 2016 Olympics, placing fifth. 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Denis Kudla of Germany won a 2017 World silver medal and a 2019 World bronze medal. The other 2019 World bronze medalist, Rustam Assakalov of Uzbekistan, was a 2015 World silver medalist. Punching their ticket for Tokyo were 2019 World fifth-place finishers Mikalai Stadub of Belarus and Atabek Azibekov of Kyrgyzstan, neither who have won a Senior World medal. Joining Rau from the Pan American Qualifier was runner-up Daniel Hechevarria of Cuba, who is a two-time U23 World medalist.
The top star who has not yet qualified is two-time World champion Metehan Basar of Turkey, who did not place at the 2019 Worlds. 2018 World bronze medalists Artur Shahinyan of Armenia and Robert Kobliashivili of Georgia must still qualify. The last Russian to win a medal in this field was 2016 Olympic champion David Chakvetadze, who did not enter the 2019 Worlds. Iran’s Hoseein Ahmad Nouri, a 2017 World bronze medalist, also skipped the 2019 Worlds. Islam Abbasov of Azerbaijan, a two-time U23 World medalist who has been fifth in the Senior Worlds two times, is among those needing to qualify.
Greco-Roman 87 kg/191.5 lbs.
2019 World champion - Ukraine (Zhan Beleniuk)
2019 World silver medalist - Hungary (Viktor Lorincz)
2019 World bronze medalist - Germany (Denis Kudla)
2019 World bronze medalist - Uzbekistan (Rustam Assakalov)
2019 World fifth place - Belarus (Mikalai Stadub)
2019 World fifth place - Kyrgyzstan (Atabek Azisbekov)
2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier champion – United States (Josef Rau)
2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier runner-up – Daniel Grigorich Hechevarria (Cuba)
Women 62 kg review
The United States has talent and experience at this weight. 2019 World Team member Kayla Miracle, a multiple age-group World medalist and a 2019 Pan American Games champion, qualified the weight by reaching the finals of the Pan American Olympic Qualifier. Her top challenger at the Olympic Trials could be 2018 World bronze medalist Mallory Velte. Whichever American emerges at Olympic Trials will have a great shot to win a medal in Tokyo.
The 2019 World champion was Kyrgyzstan’s Aisuluu Tynbekova, the first woman from her nation to win a World title. She also boasts a 2017 World bronze medal. In the finals, she beat a big-time star at this weight class, 2018 World champion Taybe Yusein of Bulgaria, who has won six career Senior World medals. Japan has been strong at this weight, and 2018 U23 World champion Yukako Kawai of Japan won a 2019 Senior World bronze. The other 2019 World bronze went to Sweden’s Henna Johansson, who is already a two-time Olympian. 2013 World champion Marianna Sastin of Hungary, a four-time World medalist, has qualified. Jong Sim Rim of North Korea, fifth in the 2019 Worlds is in the field, along with 2019 Pan American Olympic Qualifier champion Lais Nunez of Brazil.
Among those still seeking a place in the Olympic field is 2014 World champion and four-time World medalist Yulia Tkach Ostapchuk of Ukraine, as well as 2018 World champion and two-time World medalist Petra Olli of Finland. 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Marwa Amri of Tunisia, also a 2017 World silver medalist, is still looking to qualify, as is 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Sakshi Malik of India. Two-time Olympic bronze medalist Jackeline Renteria of Colombia is still competing at a high level. The most recent Russian to medal at this weight class was Valeria Lazinskaya of Russia.
62 kg/136.5 lbs. Olympic Games qualifiers
2019 World champion – Kyrgyzstan (Aisuluu Tynbekova)
2019 World silver medalist – Bulgaria (Taybe Mustafa Yusein)
2019 World bronze medalist – Japan (Yukako Kawai)
2019 World bronze medalist – Sweden (Henna Johansson)
2019 World fifth place – North Korea (Jong Sim Rim)
2019 World fifth place – Hungary (Marianna Sastin)
2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier champion – Brazil (Lais Nunez de Oliveira)
2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier runner-up – United States (Kayla Miracle)
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