Looking at the men's freestyle Olympic weight class results at the European Championships

Photo of three-time Senior World champion Geno Petriashvili courtesy of United World wrestling

The 2020 European Championships concluded in Rome, Italy last week. While there were no Olympic spots on the line, the tournament gave us some insight into which wrestlers could represent their countries at the European Olympic Games Qualifier in March and potentially the Olympic Games. If a wrestler placed in the top five at an Olympic weight class at the 2019 World Championships, they already qualified their country for the Olympic Games, and the country will not have a representative at the qualifier.

It should be noted that wrestlers that earned spots for Russia may be competing in the 2020 Olympic Games as individuals but not technically representing Russia in wake of the doping scandal.

Let’s take a look at the 2020 European Championships Olympic weight class men’s freestyle medalists.

57 kg Place Winners
Gold – Azamat Tuskaev (Russia)
Silver – Suleyman Atli (Turkey)
Bronze – Justin Horst Lehr (Germany)
Bronze – Stevan Micic (Serbia)

At 57 kg Russia showed off their insane depth. Azamat Tuskaev took gold, defeating returning 2019 World silver medalist, Suleyman Atli in the finals, 3-1. Even with his impressive performance, Tuskaev will most likely not be Russia’s Olympic representative given that Zaur Uguev has taken gold for Russia at the past two World Championships. Additionally, 2019 World silver medalist at 61 kg Magomedrasul Idrisov could be a factor at the weight class.

Stevan Micic, currently taking a redshirt year at the University of Michigan, took bronze representing Serbia, falling to Atli in the semifinals. Micic qualified the weight class for Tokyo already, finishing fifth at the 2019 World Championships and will be Serbia’s representative.

The other bronze medalist, Justin Horst Lehr of Germany placed 18th at the World Championships and will need to qualify the weight class at the Olympic qualifier.

65 kg Place Winners
Gold – Kurban Shiraev (Russia)
Silver – Niurgun Skriabin (Belarus)
Bronze – Ali Rahimzade (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Erik Arushanian (Ukraine)

Once again, Russia took the weight class with a wrestler they will most likely not be sending to the World Championships. Kurban Shiraev is a 2019 Junior World Silver medalist and Ivan Yarygin champion. However, 2019 World champion (and runner-up in 2017 and 2018 at 61 kg) Gadshimurad Rashidov will most likely be their Olympic representative.

Niurgun Skriabin of Belarus, who finished 29th at the 2019 World Championships, finished second. Given that Belarus did not have strong performances at 61 kg or 70 kg, it seems likely that Skriabin will be tasked with qualifying the weight for the Olympic Games at the qualifier. Skriabin’s signature win of the tournament was a, 12-1, technical fall over 2019 World bronze medalist Iszmail Muszukajev of Hungary.

Ali Rahimzade of Azerbaijan, the 2020 Yasar Dogu champion, finished with a bronze medal. It seems more likely that Azerbaijan will rely on Haji Aliyev, a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist at 57 kg and three-time World champion at 61 kg, to qualify the weight. However, Aliyev has struggled on the big stage since moving up to 65 kg, placing 25th at the 2018 World Championships and 12th at the 2019 World Championships.

The other bronze medalist was 2019 70 kg Junior World champion Erik Arushanian of Ukraine. At the 2019 World Championships, Ukraine sent Gor Ogannesyan who finished in 28th place. It seems likely that they could rely on the younger Arushanian to try to qualify the weight.

74 kg Place Winners
Gold – Frank Chamizo (Italy)
Silver – Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov (Silver)
Bronze – Avtandil Kentchadze (Georgia)
Bronze – Soner Demirtas (Turkey)

2019 World silver medalist, Frank Chamizo claimed gold at 74 kg. Chamizo has claimed two World titles at 70 kg and a 2016 Olympic bronze at 65 kg. In the finals he defeated two-time World champion at 70 kg Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov, 5-3. Gazimagomedov will most likely not be Russia’s representative for the Olympics because Zaurbek Sidakov has won the past two World Championships at the weight class defeating both Chamizo and American legend Jordan Burroughs in both tournaments.

2018 Senior World runner-up and U23 champion Avtandil Kentchadze of Georgia took one of the bronze medals. Despite a disappointing 34th place showing at the 2019 World Championships, he will most likely be the man Georgia relies on to qualify the weight.

2016 Olympic bronze medalist Soner Demirtas of Turkey was the other bronze medalist in the bracket. Demirtas, who is also a 2017 World bronze medalist, is very likely to represent Turkey in trying to qualify the weight class. Demirtas was 13th at the 2019 World Championships.

86 kg Place Winners
Gold – Artur Naifonov (Russia)
Silver – Myles Amine (San Marino)
Bronze – Rasul Tsikhayeu (Belarus)
Bronze – Boris Makoev (Slovakia)

Artur Naifonov most likely secured his place as Russia’s Olympic representative at 86 kg by taking gold. Naifonov placed third at the 2019 World Championships at 86 kg. Myles Amine, another University of Michigan redshirt, took second, falling in the finals, 4-0. Amine already qualified the weight class for San Marino by placing fifth at the 2019 World Championships.

Rasul Tsikkhayeu finished with a bronze medal for Belarus. Tsikhaeu has never competed at World Championship at any age level. Belarus may instead try to use Ali Shabanau to attempt to qualify the weight. Shabanau finished 35th at the 2019 World Championships but is a four-time World bronze medalist. Three of his medals came at 74 kg, but his most recent was at 79 kg in 2018.

The second bronze medalist, Boris Makoev of Slovakia finished 24th at the 2019 World Championships. In 2017, Makoev defeated two-time World champion J’den Cox in the semifinals and finished with a silver medal at the World Championships. He will almost certainly be the wrestler Slovakia relies on to attempt to qualify the weight class.

97 kg Place Winners
Gold – Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia)
Silver – Albert Saritov (Romania)
Bronze – Abraham de Jesus Conyedo Ruano (Italy)
Bronze – Elizbar Odikadze (Georgia)

The reigning World champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev of Russia took gold at 97 kg. Those that follow wrestling know that Sadulaev is considered to be the pound-for-pound best wrestler on the planet. Sadulaev is a 2016 Olympic gold medalist at 86 kg and a four-time Senior World champion. In 2017, he finished runner-up to American Kyle Snyder. For a wrestler that will go down as one of the greatest in the sport, Sadulaev did not have a dominant showing. In fact, he was almost pinned by Ibrahim Bolukbasi of Turkey in his second match of the tournament. Bolukbasi has only wrestled at the World Championships once. He finished eighth in 2015. Sadulaev would end up winning the match, 9-4.

In the finals, Sadulaev defeated Albert Saritov of Romania, 6-0. Saritov placed 17th at the 2019 World Championships and is Romania’s most likely candidate to try to qualify the weight. He has looked tough so far in 2020, winning both the Henri Deglane and the Yasar Dogu tournaments.

2018 World bronze medalist Abraham de Jesus Conyedo Ruano finished with a bronze medal for Italy. A former Cuban like Chamizo, Conyedo Ruano did not compete at the 2019 World Championships, and Italy did not have a representative. He most likely will be their representative at the qualifier.

Elizbar Odikadze of Georgia, the other bronze medalist, already qualified the spot for the Olympic Games when he placed fifth at the 2019 World Championships. Odikadze is a 2017 World bronze medalist and a 2016 Olympic Games fifth place finisher.

125 kg Place Winners
Gold – Geno Petriashvili (Georgia)
Silver – Robert Baran (Poland)
Bronze – Baldan Tsyzhipov (Russia)
Bronze – Jamaladdin Magomedov (Azerbaijan)

Reigning World champion Geno Petriashvili of Georgia emerged at the top of the heavyweight heap. Petriashvili has won the last three World Championships and took bronze in the 2016 Olympic Games.

Finishing runner-up was Robert Baran of Poland. Baran is a three-time Senior World Team member and 2016 Olympian who placed 14th at the 2019 World Championships. It seems likely he will attempt to qualify the weight class for Poland.

Baldan Tsyzhipov of Russian claimed a bronze medal. Tsyzhipov has never wrestled at a World Championships before. In 2020 he claimed a title at the Ivan Yarygin, while 2019 Russian World Team member Alan Khugaev finished third. Khugaev finished ninth at the World Championships. It would seem that Tsyzhipov has put himself in a position to at least be considered as the representative to try to qualify the weight class.

Jamaladdin Magomedov of Azerbaijan was the other bronze medalist. Magomedov is a two-time Olympian and 2015 World Silver medalist. He also took bronze at the 2011 World Championships. In 2019, he finished ninth. It seems likely he will be their representative to qualify the weight.