Who's In?

Who’s In? Freestyle Wrestling Olympic Qualifiers

By Andrew Hipps

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (April 22) --  In response to the IOC’s decision to postpone the Tokyo Olympic Games until the summer of 2021, United World Wrestling has announced that all Olympic qualification spots already earned will continue to be honored.

For the nations whose wrestlers qualified at the World Championships or Pan Am Qualifiers that means they are done, but for those who haven’t qualified in each weight category there will be events in March and April of 2021 to determine the remaining eight spots in each category.

We’ve broken down “Who’s In,” and which stars still need to qualify.

Russia crowned four world champions and one bronze medalist in Olympic freestyle weight categories at the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, to qualify five weight categories for the Tokyo Olympics. The only weight category not yet qualified for Russia is 125kg.

The United States had a strong performance at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Ottawa, Canada, qualifying three weight categories to go along with the two qualified at the World Championships. 

Kazakhstan has four Olympic qualifiers in freestyle and will look to add to that total at the Asian Olympic Qualifier and World Olympic "Last Chance" Qualifier. 

Cuba, India, and Iran currently sit at three Olympic qualifiers. 

Let's examine where things stand in each of the six freestyle weight categories heading into the final four Olympic qualifying events.

57kg
Thomas GILMAN (USA), a 2017 world silver medalist, won gold at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier to qualify the United States at 57kg. 

Colombia grabbed the other qualification spot at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier.

Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) and Bekhbayar ERDENEBAT (MGL) will be among the favorites at the Asian Olympic Qualifier. Higuchi was an Olympic silver medalist in 2016. He competed at 65kg in 2018 where he won a U23 world title and has since made the move down to 57kg. 

Erdenebat is a two-time world bronze medalist. The Mongolian fell short of a world medal in Nur-Sultan, losing in repechage. 

The 57kg wrestlers to watch at the European Qualifier include Mahir AMIRASLANOV (AZE) and Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM). Amiraslanov was a European Games gold medalist in 2019 and past junior world champion while Harutyunyan was a European champion in 2019 and a European bronze medalist in 2020. 

65kg
At the Pan Am Qualifiers it was Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (CUB) who was able to wrestle well in Ottawa and came through to win gold, and punch his ticket to the 2020 Games.

He was joined by Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG) who defeated Zain RETHERFORD (USA) in the semifinals, preventing the United States from qualifying all six weight categories in freestyle. Destribats also became Argentina's first male Olympic wrestler since 1996.

Expect some fireworks at the European Olympic Qualifier as world champions Haji ALIYEV (AZE) and Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) are expected to compete. Aliyev defeated Khinchegashvili to win the European Games gold in 2019. Three years prior, it was Khinchegashvili who defeated Aliyev on his way to Olympic gold in 2016.

Another wrestler to watch at the European Olympic Qualifier is Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR). He won a bronze medal at the Matteo Pellicone and has won multiple European medals.

Amirmohammad YAZDANICHERATI (IRI) is a top contender in the Asian Olympic Qualifier. 

74kg
Jordan BURROUGHS, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion, qualified the United States for this weight category in Nur-Sultan, but he will likely have to defeat two-time 79kg world champion Kyle DAKE to earn a spot on USA's Olympic team.

There are several accomplished wrestlers in this weight category still looking to secure Olympic berths. The European Olympic Qualifier is expected to include multiple-time Olympic medalist Toghrul ASGAROV (AZE) or junior world champion Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE), Olympic and world medalist Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR), world silver medalist Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO), Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN) and Azamat NURYKAU (BLR).

Multiple-time world medalist Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB) will look to qualify at the Asian Olympic Qualifier.
 

86kg
David TAYLOR (USA), a world champion in 2018, missed the 2019 season due to injury. He came back in March to earn a qualification spot at 86kg for the United States by winning the Pan American Olympic Qualifier.

Pool AMBROCIO GREIFO (PER) also qualified at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier.

Past world medalists Ali SHABANAU (BLR), Fatih ERDIN (TUR) and Boris MAKOEV (SVK) headline the top contenders at the European Olympic Qualifier in this weight category. Shabanau has won four world bronze medals, with the most recent being in 2018. Erdin reached the finals of the World Championships in 2018, but failed to reach a medal match in 2019. Makoev earned a silver at the Paris World Championships in 2017.

Other notable European wrestlers looking to earn spots at the Tokyo Olympics include Aleksandr GOSTIYEV (AZE), Ahmed DUDAROV (GER) and Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL).

Top wrestlers in Asia looking to qualify include past world silver medalist Sohsuke TAKATANI (JPN) and Adilet DAVLUMBAYEV (KAZ).

97kg
Three-time world medalist Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) and Jordan STEEN (CAN) earned qualification spots at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier.

Olympic champion Kyle SNYDER earned the qualification spot for the United States, but will likely have to get past two-time 92kg world champion J'den COX to make the USA team.

Mohammadhossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) will look to qualify at the Asian Olympic Qualifier. He dominated the field at the Matteo Pellicone, outscoring his four opponents 32-0 and scored a fall in the quarterfinals over Snyder.

Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB), an Olympic bronze medalist and multiple-time Asian champion, is also expected to be at the Asian Olympic Qualifier.

Khadshimourad GATSALOV, one of the all-time great freestyle wrestlers, is now competing for Armenia. Gatsalov won an Olympic gold medal and five world titles for Russia. He will attempt to qualify for the Olympics at the European Olympic Qualifier, along with Olympic bronze medalist Albert SARITOV (ROU).

125kg
Two-time world bronze medalist Nick GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) won gold at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier. Amar DHESI (CAN) was the other Olympic qualifier in Ottawa.

This is the lone weight class that Russia has not yet qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. Russia will likely send European Games gold medalist Anzor KHIZRIEV or Alan KHUGAEV to the European Olympic Qualifier. Multiple-time world medalist Jamaladdin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) and multiple-time European bronze medalist Robert BARAN (POL) are also expected to be at the European Olympic Qualifier.

#WrestleBudapest

Budapest Ranking Series 2025 Entries: Women's Wrestling

By United World Wrestling Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary (June 26) -- The Budapest Ranking Series will begin on July 17 in Budapest and will run till July 20.

Women's Wrestling will be on for two day -- July 18 and 19 -- as around 100 wrestlers are competing in the style.

FREESTYLE ENTRIES | GRECO-ROMAN ENTRIES

For full schedule of the Budapest Ranking Series, click here

Note: These are preliminary entries and subject to change 72 hours before the official draw of Women's Wrestling. For final brackets, refer to arena.uww.org

World Championships Tickets

50kg
Madison PARKS (CAN)
Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA)
Laura FATH (HUN)
Svetlana ANKICHEVA (KAZ)
Jinhee KIM (KOR)
Gabija DILYTE (LTU)
Zehra DEMIRHAN (TUR)
Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR)
Erin GOLSTON (USA)
Audrey JIMENEZ (USA)
Kseniya STANKEVICH (UWW)
Natalia PUDOVA (UWW)
Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (UWW)

53kg
Liliana KAPUVARI (HUN)
Zeinep BAYANOVA (KAZ)
Seoyoung PARK (KOR)
Vestina DANISEVICIUTE (LTU)
Zeynep YETGIL (TUR)
Felicity TAYLOR (USA)
Natalia MALYSHEVA (UWW)

55kg
Karla GODINEZ (CAN)
Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA)
Amory ANDRICH (GER)
Gerda TEREK (HUN)
Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA)
Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW)

57kg
Ana PEREIRA (BRA)
Mia FRIESEN (CAN)
Samantha STEWART (CAN)
Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN)
Tamara DOLLAK (HUN)
Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ)
Youngjin KWON (KOR)
Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR)
Amanda MARTINEZ (USA)
Savannah COSME (USA)
Iryna KURACHKINA (UWW)
Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW)

59kg
Elena BRUGGER (GER)
Eda BALAZS (HUN)
Erika BOGNAR (HUN)
Othelie HOEIE (NOR)
Arian CARPIO (PHI)
Bediha GUN (TUR)
Abigail NETTE (USA)
Aliaksandra BULAVA (UWW)
Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW)

62kg
Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL)
Ana GODINEZ (CAN)
Ameline DOUARRE (FRA)
Nikolett SZABO (HUN)
Yasmine SOLIMAN (HUN)
Tynys DUBEK (KAZ)
Hanbit LEE (KOR)
Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR)
Adaugo NWACHUKWU (USA)
Krystsina SAZYKINA (UWW)
Alina KASABIEVA (UWW)
Amina TANDELOVA (UWW)

65kg
Eniko ELEKES (HUN)
Irina RINGACI (MDA)
Grace BULLEN (NOR)
Elmira YASIN (TUR)
Macey KILTY (USA)
Tiffani BAUBLITZ (USA)
Ekaterina KOSHKINA (UWW)
Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (UWW)

68kg
Grabriela PEDRO (BRA)
Sezen BELBEROVA (BUL)
Aleah NICKEL (CAN)
Kendra DACHER (FRA)
Gerda BARTH (GER)
Karolina POK (HUN)
Noémi SZABADOS (HUN)
Irina KAZYULINA (KAZ)
Hyeonyeong PARK (KOR)
Nesrin BAS (TUR)
Beyza AKKUS (TUR)
Kennedy BLADES (USA)
Brooklyn HAYS (USA)
Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW)

72kg
Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA)
Petra MUELLER (HUN)
Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
Alexandria Junis GLAUDE (USA)
Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (UWW)
Olesia BEZUGLOVA (UWW)

76kg
Thamires MARTINS (BRA)
Vianne ROULEAU (CAN)
Brianna FRASER (CAN)
Veronika NYIKOS (HUN)
Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ)
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
Seoyeon JEONG (KOR)
Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU)
Dymond GUILFORD (USA)