Olympic Games preview in men's freestyle at 86 kg/189 lbs.
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
J'den Cox of the USA, down low in his stance during the Olympic Trials, has been making a name for himself worldwide at 86 kg. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors.
One of the most exciting young wrestlers on the planet is 2014 and 2015 World champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev of Russia, who has taken over the 86 kg weight class with skill and style. A 2012 and 2013 Cadet World champion, Sadulaev jumped onto the Senior level in 2014, won the European Championships, then claimed the gold medal at the Worlds in Uzbekistan. He kept it rolling in 2015, winning the European Games then his second World title in Las Vegas. He has won 11 straight Senior events heading into Rio.
There are numerous past World or Olympic medalists gunning for Sadulaev, who is going to his first Olympic Games. Turkey’s Selim Yasar won a 2015 World silver medal and a 2014 World bronze medal, along with a 2009 Junior World title.
Cuban star Reineris Salas boasts three World medals, including silvers in 2013 and 2014, plus a bronze in 2010. A 2015 Pan American Games champion, Salas has also won four Pan American Championships titles and two Junior World bronze medals.
Georgia boasts a 2015 World bronze medalist, Sandro Aminashvili, but could also enter 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Dato Marsagishvili, who was a 2011 World bronze medalist and 2011 Junior World champion. According to the latest UWW entry list, it should be Aminashvili
According to the UWW entry list, Azerbaijan has apparently selected 2012 Olympic champion and 2011 World champion Sharif Sharifov instead of the guy who qualified the weight, Magomedhadshi Khatiev, who was fifth at the 2015 World Championships and second at the 2015 European Championships. Sharifov competed at 97 kg the last three years but came down to 86 kg for the German Grand Prix, where he lost in the finals to another Azeri, 2015 Junior World champion Nurmagomed Gadzhiev.
Bulgaria’s Mihail Ganev was a 2010 World champion, but has not won another World medal since. A 2005 Junior World champion, Ganev qualified for Rio with his fifth place finish at the 2015 Worlds in Las Vegas.
Iran is expected to bring 2015 World bronze medalist Alireza Karimimachiani, who was also a 2014 Junior World champion and won the 2015 Asian Championships. Istvan Vereb of Hungary won a 2013 World bronze medal and competed at the 2008 Olympic Games. Vereb won the European Olympic Qualifier to join the field in Rio.
2012 Olympic silver medalist Jaime Espinal of Puerto Rico punched his return trip to the Olympics by placing second at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier. Uitumen Orgodol of Mongolia, who competed in the 2008 Olympics and was a 2014 World Military champion, qualified for Rio by claiming gold at the Asian Olympic Qualifier.
J’den Cox of the United States is a dark horse candidate, after bursting onto the Senior scene by winning the U.S. Olympic Team Trials from a No. 9 seed. The two-time NCAA champion from Missouri responded days later by winning the 1st World Olympic Qualifier in Mongolia. Cox won his match at the Beat the Streets dual, and had strong efforts at the World Cup and the German Grand Prix. Ironically, going into the Olympics, Cox has a No. 9 World ranking, and will now attempt to climb to No. 1 one more time like he did at Trials.
Mohamad Aly Zaghloul Mohamed of Egypt won the African/Oceania Olympic Qualifier and has won two African Championships. Bi Shengfeng won gold at the 2nd World Olympic Qualifier in Turkey, easily his best performance ever on the Senior level.
Aslan Kakhidze of Kazakhstan placed fifth at the 2014 World Championships, and was second in the 2014 Asian Championships. Kim Gwan-Uk of Korea was third in the 2014 Asian Games. Mohamed Saadaoui of Tunisia is a two-time African champion. Other veterans in the field include Amarhadji Mahamedau of Belarus, Poland’s Zbigniew Baranowski and Pedro Ceballos of Venezuela.
PROJECTED OLYMPIC GAMES FIELD
Azerbaijan - Sharif Sharifov (World No. 15)
Belarus - Amarhadji Mahamedau (World No. 17)
Bulgaria - Mihail Ganev
China – Bi Shengfeng (World No. 19)
Cuba - Reineris Salas (World No. 3)
Egypt - Mohamed Ali Zaghoul Mohamed
Georgia - Sandro Aminashvili (World No. 10)
Hungary - Istvan Vereb (World No. 16)
Iran - Alireza Karimimachiani (World No. 13)
Kazakhstan - Aslan Kakhidze (World No. 18)
Korea - Kim Gwan-Uk (World No. 20)
Mongolia - Uitumen Orgodol (World No. 6)
Poland - Zbigniew Baranowski (World No. 14)
Puerto Rico - Jaime Espinal
Russia - Abdulrashid Sadulaev (World No. 1)
Tunisia - Mohamed Saadaoui
Turkey - Selim Yasar (World No. 4)
United States – J’den Cox (World No. 9)
Venezuela - Pedro Ceballos
*UWW Pre-Olympics World ranking released July 26
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2015 World Championships
86 kg/189 lbs. - Gold – Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia); Silver – Selim Yasar (Turkey); Bronze – Sandro Aminashvili (Georgia); Bronze – Alireza Karimimachiani (Iran); 5th – Magomedgadzhi Khatiyev (Azerbaijan); 5th – Mihail Ganev (Bulgaria); 7th – Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine); 8th – Uitumen Orgodol (Mongolia); 9th – Armands Zvirbulis (Latvia); 10th – Pedro Francisco Ceballos Fuentes (Venezuela)
2014 World Championships
86 kg/189 lbs. - Gold – Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia); Silver – Reineris Salas (Cuba); Bronze – Mohammadhossein Mohammadian (Iran); Bronze – Selim Yasar (Turkey); 5th – Gamzat Osmanov (Azerbaijan); 5th – Aslan Kakhidze (Kazakhstan); 7th – Naresh Kumar (India); 8th – Michail Ganev (Bulgaria); 9th – Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia); 10th – Pedro Ceballas Fuentes (Venezuela)
2013 World Championships
84 kg/185 lbs. - Gold – Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine); Silver – Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba); Bronze – Istvan Vereb (Hungary); Bronze – Ehsan Lashgari (Iran); 5th – Murad Gaidarov (Belarus); 5th – Talmuraz Naskidaeva (Spain); 7th - Georg Seregelyi (Germany); 8th - Uitumen Orgodol (Mongolia); 9th - Serdar Boke (Turkey); 10th - Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia)
2012 Olympic Games
84 kg/185 lbs. – Gold – Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan); Silver – Jaime Espinal (Puerto Rico); Bronze – Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia); Bronze – Ehsan Lashgari (Iran); 5th – Soslan Gattsiev (Belarus); 5th – Ibrahim Bolukbasi (Turkey); 7th – Jake Herbert (USA); 8th – Anzor Urishev (Russia); 9th – Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine); 10th – Armands Zvirbulis (Latvia)
2011 World Championships
84 kg/185 lbs. – Gold – Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan); Silver – Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine); Bronze – Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia); Bronze – Albert Saritov (Russia); 5th – Armands Zvirbulis (Latvia); 5th – Cael Sanderson (USA); 7th – Alireza Goudarzi (Iran); 8th – Shinya Matsumoto (Japan); 9th – Alex Dolly (Ireland); 10th – Yermek Baiduashov (Kazakhstan)
2010 World Championships
84 kg/185 lbs. – Gold – Mihail Ganev (Bulgaria); Silver – Zaurbek Sokhiev (Uzbekistan); Bronze – Soslan Ktsoev (Russia); Bronze – Reineris Salas (Cuba); 5th – Piotr Ianulov (Moldova); 5th – Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine); 7th – Maciej Balawender (Poland); 8th – Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia); 9th – Vadim Laliev (Armenia); 10th – Nauruz Temrezov (Azerbaijan)
2009 World Championships
84 kg/185 lbs. – Gold – Zaurbek Sokhiev (Uzbekistan); Silver – Jake Herbert (USA); Bronze – Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine); Bronze – Sharif Sharipov (Azerbaijan); 5th – Jousop Abdulsalomov (Tajikistan); 5th – Abdusalam Gadisov (Russia); 7th – Gokhan Yavaser (Turkey); 8th – Reineris Salas (Cuba); 9th – Jaime Espinal Fajardo (Puerto Rico); 10th – Istvan Vereb (Hungary)
One of the most exciting young wrestlers on the planet is 2014 and 2015 World champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev of Russia, who has taken over the 86 kg weight class with skill and style. A 2012 and 2013 Cadet World champion, Sadulaev jumped onto the Senior level in 2014, won the European Championships, then claimed the gold medal at the Worlds in Uzbekistan. He kept it rolling in 2015, winning the European Games then his second World title in Las Vegas. He has won 11 straight Senior events heading into Rio.
There are numerous past World or Olympic medalists gunning for Sadulaev, who is going to his first Olympic Games. Turkey’s Selim Yasar won a 2015 World silver medal and a 2014 World bronze medal, along with a 2009 Junior World title.
Cuban star Reineris Salas boasts three World medals, including silvers in 2013 and 2014, plus a bronze in 2010. A 2015 Pan American Games champion, Salas has also won four Pan American Championships titles and two Junior World bronze medals.
Georgia boasts a 2015 World bronze medalist, Sandro Aminashvili, but could also enter 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Dato Marsagishvili, who was a 2011 World bronze medalist and 2011 Junior World champion. According to the latest UWW entry list, it should be Aminashvili
According to the UWW entry list, Azerbaijan has apparently selected 2012 Olympic champion and 2011 World champion Sharif Sharifov instead of the guy who qualified the weight, Magomedhadshi Khatiev, who was fifth at the 2015 World Championships and second at the 2015 European Championships. Sharifov competed at 97 kg the last three years but came down to 86 kg for the German Grand Prix, where he lost in the finals to another Azeri, 2015 Junior World champion Nurmagomed Gadzhiev.
Bulgaria’s Mihail Ganev was a 2010 World champion, but has not won another World medal since. A 2005 Junior World champion, Ganev qualified for Rio with his fifth place finish at the 2015 Worlds in Las Vegas.
Iran is expected to bring 2015 World bronze medalist Alireza Karimimachiani, who was also a 2014 Junior World champion and won the 2015 Asian Championships. Istvan Vereb of Hungary won a 2013 World bronze medal and competed at the 2008 Olympic Games. Vereb won the European Olympic Qualifier to join the field in Rio.
2012 Olympic silver medalist Jaime Espinal of Puerto Rico punched his return trip to the Olympics by placing second at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier. Uitumen Orgodol of Mongolia, who competed in the 2008 Olympics and was a 2014 World Military champion, qualified for Rio by claiming gold at the Asian Olympic Qualifier.
J’den Cox of the United States is a dark horse candidate, after bursting onto the Senior scene by winning the U.S. Olympic Team Trials from a No. 9 seed. The two-time NCAA champion from Missouri responded days later by winning the 1st World Olympic Qualifier in Mongolia. Cox won his match at the Beat the Streets dual, and had strong efforts at the World Cup and the German Grand Prix. Ironically, going into the Olympics, Cox has a No. 9 World ranking, and will now attempt to climb to No. 1 one more time like he did at Trials.
Mohamad Aly Zaghloul Mohamed of Egypt won the African/Oceania Olympic Qualifier and has won two African Championships. Bi Shengfeng won gold at the 2nd World Olympic Qualifier in Turkey, easily his best performance ever on the Senior level.
Aslan Kakhidze of Kazakhstan placed fifth at the 2014 World Championships, and was second in the 2014 Asian Championships. Kim Gwan-Uk of Korea was third in the 2014 Asian Games. Mohamed Saadaoui of Tunisia is a two-time African champion. Other veterans in the field include Amarhadji Mahamedau of Belarus, Poland’s Zbigniew Baranowski and Pedro Ceballos of Venezuela.
PROJECTED OLYMPIC GAMES FIELD
Azerbaijan - Sharif Sharifov (World No. 15)
Belarus - Amarhadji Mahamedau (World No. 17)
Bulgaria - Mihail Ganev
China – Bi Shengfeng (World No. 19)
Cuba - Reineris Salas (World No. 3)
Egypt - Mohamed Ali Zaghoul Mohamed
Georgia - Sandro Aminashvili (World No. 10)
Hungary - Istvan Vereb (World No. 16)
Iran - Alireza Karimimachiani (World No. 13)
Kazakhstan - Aslan Kakhidze (World No. 18)
Korea - Kim Gwan-Uk (World No. 20)
Mongolia - Uitumen Orgodol (World No. 6)
Poland - Zbigniew Baranowski (World No. 14)
Puerto Rico - Jaime Espinal
Russia - Abdulrashid Sadulaev (World No. 1)
Tunisia - Mohamed Saadaoui
Turkey - Selim Yasar (World No. 4)
United States – J’den Cox (World No. 9)
Venezuela - Pedro Ceballos
*UWW Pre-Olympics World ranking released July 26
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2015 World Championships
86 kg/189 lbs. - Gold – Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia); Silver – Selim Yasar (Turkey); Bronze – Sandro Aminashvili (Georgia); Bronze – Alireza Karimimachiani (Iran); 5th – Magomedgadzhi Khatiyev (Azerbaijan); 5th – Mihail Ganev (Bulgaria); 7th – Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine); 8th – Uitumen Orgodol (Mongolia); 9th – Armands Zvirbulis (Latvia); 10th – Pedro Francisco Ceballos Fuentes (Venezuela)
2014 World Championships
86 kg/189 lbs. - Gold – Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia); Silver – Reineris Salas (Cuba); Bronze – Mohammadhossein Mohammadian (Iran); Bronze – Selim Yasar (Turkey); 5th – Gamzat Osmanov (Azerbaijan); 5th – Aslan Kakhidze (Kazakhstan); 7th – Naresh Kumar (India); 8th – Michail Ganev (Bulgaria); 9th – Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia); 10th – Pedro Ceballas Fuentes (Venezuela)
2013 World Championships
84 kg/185 lbs. - Gold – Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine); Silver – Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba); Bronze – Istvan Vereb (Hungary); Bronze – Ehsan Lashgari (Iran); 5th – Murad Gaidarov (Belarus); 5th – Talmuraz Naskidaeva (Spain); 7th - Georg Seregelyi (Germany); 8th - Uitumen Orgodol (Mongolia); 9th - Serdar Boke (Turkey); 10th - Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia)
2012 Olympic Games
84 kg/185 lbs. – Gold – Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan); Silver – Jaime Espinal (Puerto Rico); Bronze – Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia); Bronze – Ehsan Lashgari (Iran); 5th – Soslan Gattsiev (Belarus); 5th – Ibrahim Bolukbasi (Turkey); 7th – Jake Herbert (USA); 8th – Anzor Urishev (Russia); 9th – Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine); 10th – Armands Zvirbulis (Latvia)
2011 World Championships
84 kg/185 lbs. – Gold – Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan); Silver – Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine); Bronze – Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia); Bronze – Albert Saritov (Russia); 5th – Armands Zvirbulis (Latvia); 5th – Cael Sanderson (USA); 7th – Alireza Goudarzi (Iran); 8th – Shinya Matsumoto (Japan); 9th – Alex Dolly (Ireland); 10th – Yermek Baiduashov (Kazakhstan)
2010 World Championships
84 kg/185 lbs. – Gold – Mihail Ganev (Bulgaria); Silver – Zaurbek Sokhiev (Uzbekistan); Bronze – Soslan Ktsoev (Russia); Bronze – Reineris Salas (Cuba); 5th – Piotr Ianulov (Moldova); 5th – Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine); 7th – Maciej Balawender (Poland); 8th – Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia); 9th – Vadim Laliev (Armenia); 10th – Nauruz Temrezov (Azerbaijan)
2009 World Championships
84 kg/185 lbs. – Gold – Zaurbek Sokhiev (Uzbekistan); Silver – Jake Herbert (USA); Bronze – Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine); Bronze – Sharif Sharipov (Azerbaijan); 5th – Jousop Abdulsalomov (Tajikistan); 5th – Abdusalam Gadisov (Russia); 7th – Gokhan Yavaser (Turkey); 8th – Reineris Salas (Cuba); 9th – Jaime Espinal Fajardo (Puerto Rico); 10th – Istvan Vereb (Hungary)
