#WrestleTokyo

#WrestleTokyo Olympic Games Entries

By Eric Olanowski

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (July 7) -- United World Wrestling has confirmed the 289 final entries and the top-four seeds for the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games. Wrestlers from 60 different nations, along with Aker AL OBAIDI (EOR), who will compete on the IOC's Refugee Olympic Team, will compete for Olympic gold at the Makuhari Messe August 1-7.

The final entry list includes the names of the athletes who qualified their respective nations for the Olympic Games and who have been confirmed by their NOCs. The changes between the athlete who qualified their NOC's spot and the athlete registered by his/her NOC are listed in bold. Please note: The Late Athlete Replacement (LAR) process is in place, which means the current registered athletes could still be replaced.

As the entries sit, there are 11 Rio Olympic champions who'll be looking to defend their titles in Tokyo. Freestyle and women's wrestling each have a quartet of '16 champions, while Greco-Roman returns three champions -- including Cuba's Mijain LOPEZ NUNEZ who is on a quest to become the first male wrestler to win four Olympic gold medals.

Freestyle returning champs:
86kg - Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) 
97kg - Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) 
97kg - Kyle Frederick SNYDER (USA)
125kg - Taha AKGUL (TUR)

Greco-Roman returning champs:
67kg - Ismael BORRERO MOLINA
97kg - Artur ALEKSANYAN
130kg - Mijain LOPEZ NUNEZ

Women's Wrestling returning champs:
57kg - Risako KAWAI (JPN)
57kg - Helen Louise MAROULIS (USA)
68kg - Sara DOSHO (JPN)
76kg - Erica WIEBE (CAN)

Freestyle
57kg

No. 1 Stevan Andria MICIC (SRB)
No. 2 Zavur UGUEV (RUS)
No. 3 Suleyman ATLI (TUR)
No. 4 Kumar RAVI (IND)
Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ)
Reza Ahmadali ATRINAGHARCHI (IRI)
Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS)
Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG)
Thomas Patrick GILMAN (USA)
Oscar Eduardo TIGREROS URBANO (COL)
Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
Georgi Valentinov VANGELOV (BUL)
Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB)
Minghu LIU (CHN)
Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN)
Bekhbayar ERDENEBAT (MGL)

65kg
No. 1 Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS)
No. 2 Bajrang BAJRANG (IND)
No. 3 Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ)
No. 4 Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN)
Takuto OTOGURO (JPN)
Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL)
Adama DIATTA (SEN)
Haithem DAKHLAOUI (TUN)
Alejandro Enrique VALDES TOBIER (CUB)
Agustin Alejandro DESTRIBATS (ARG)
Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM)
Haji ALIYEV (AZE)
Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ)
Morteza Hassanali GHIASI CHEKA (IRI)
Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL)
Georgios PILIDIS (GRE)

74kg
No. 1 Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA)
No. 2 Daniyar KAISANOV (KAZ)
No. 3 Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS)
No. 4 Mostafa Mohabbali HOSSEINKHANI (IRI)
Kyle Douglas DAKE (USA)
Keisuke OTOGURO (JPN)
Kamil RYBICKI (POL)
Amr Reda Ramadan HUSSEN (EGY)
Augusto MIDANA (GBS)
Jeandry GARZON CABALLERO (CUB)
Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR)
Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO)
Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB)
Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (BLR)
Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR)

86kg
No. 1 Hassan AliazamYAZDANICHARATI (IRI)
No. 2 Deepak PUNIA (IND)
No. 3 Myles Nazem AMINE (SMR)
No. 4 Artur NAIFONOV (RUS)
Stefan REICHMUTH (SUI)
Carlos Arturo IZQUIERDO MENDEZ (COL)
Ekerekeme AGIOMOR (NGR)
Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG)
David Morris TAYLOR III (USA)
Pool Edinson AMBROCIO GREIFO (PER)
Ali SHABANAU (BLR)
Osman GOCEN (TUR)
Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB)
Zushen LIN (CHN)
Sohsuke TAKATANI (JPN)
Boris MAKOEV (SVK)

97kg
No. 1 Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS)
No. 2 Kyle Frederick SNYDER (USA)
No. 3 Alisher YERGALI (KAZ)
No. 4 Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD)
Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE)
Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO)
Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN)
Mohammed FARDJ (ALG)
Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB)
Jordan STEEN (CAN)
Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR)
Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR)
Mohammadhossein Askari MOHAMMADIAN (IRI)
Magomed Idrisovitch IBRAGIMOV (UZB)
Abraham de Jesus CONYEDO RUANO (ITA)
Albert SARITOV (ROU)

125kg
No. 1 Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)
No. 2 Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ)
No. 3 Taha AKGUL (TUR)
No. 4 Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR)
Zhiwei DENG (CHN)
Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI)
Egzon SHALA (KOS)
Diaaeldin Kamal Gouda ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY)
Djahid BERRAHAL (ALG)
Gable Dan STEVESON (USA)
Amarveer DHESI (CAN)
Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR)
Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER)
Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL)
Sergei KOZYREV (RUS)
AiaalLAZAREV(KGZ)

Mijain LOPEZ NUNEZ (CUB) heads into Tokyo looking to become the first male to win four Olympic gold medals. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

Greco-Roman

60kg
No. 1 Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN)
No. 2 Sergey EMELIN (RUS)
No. 3 Kerem KAMAL (TUR)
No. 4 Ali Reza Ayat Ollah NEJATI (IRI)
Mirambek AINAGULOV (KAZ)
Lenur TEMIROV (UKR)
Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB)
Haithem Mahmoud Ahmed Fahmy MAHMOUD (EGY)
Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG)
Luis Alberto ORTA SANCHEZ (CUB)
Ildar HAFIZOV (USA)
Etienne KINSINGER (GER)
Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ)
Sailike WALIHAN (CHN)
Victor CIOBANU (MDA)
Armen MELIKYAN (ARM)

67kg 
No. 1 Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB)
No. 2 Mohamed Ibrahim Elsayed Ibrahi ELSAYED (EGY)
No. 3 Artem SURKOV (RUS)
No. 4 Mate NEMES (SRB)
Frank STAEBLER(GER)
Fredrik Holmquist BJERREHUUS (DEN)
Souleymen NASR (TUN)
Abdelmalek MERABET (ALG)
Julian Stiven HORTA ACEVEDO (COL)
Alejandro SANCHO (USA)
Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO)
Balint KORPASI (HUN)
Mohammadreza Abdolhamid GERAEI (IRI)
Hansu RYU (KOR)
Karen ASLANYAN (ARM)
Parviz NASIBOV (UKR)
Aker AL OBAIDI (EOR)

77kg 
No. 1 Tamas LORINCZ(HUN)
No. 2 Alex Michel BJURBERG KESSIDIS (SWE)
No. 3 Karapet CHALYAN (ARM)
No. 4 Mohammadali Abdolhamid GERAEI (IRI)
Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB)
Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ)
Lamjed MAAFI (TUN)
ZiedAIT OUAGRAM (MAR)
Yosvanys PENA FLORES (CUB)
Alfonso Antonio LEYVA YEPEZ (MEX)
Aleksandr CHEKHIRKIN (RUS)
Bozo STARCEVIC (CRO)
Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ)
Shohei YABIKU (JPN)
Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL)
Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE)

87kg 
No. 1Viktor LORINCZ (HUN)
No. 2 Zhan BELENIUK (UKR)
No. 3 Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB)
No. 4 Daniel GREGORICH HECHAVARRIA (CUB)
Denis Maksymilian KUDLA (GER)
Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR)
Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ)
Mohamed Moustafa Ahmed Abdall METWALLY (EGY)
Bachir SID AZARA (ALG)
John Walter STEFANOWICZ JR (USA)
Islam ABBASOV (AZE)
Lasha GOBADZE (GEO)
Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ)
Fei PENG (CHN)
Ivan HUKLEK (CRO)
Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB)

97kg
No. 1 Musa EVLOEV (RUS)
No. 2 Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM)
No. 3 Mohammadhadi Abdollah SARAVI (IRI)
No. 4 Tadeusz MICHALIK (POL)
Mihail KAJAIA (SRB)
Cenk ILDEM (TUR)
Giorgi MELIA (GEO)
Adem BOUDJEMLINE (ALG)
Haikel ACHOURI (TUN)
Gabriel Alejandro ROSILLO KINDELAN (CUB)
Tracy Gangelo HANCOCK (USA)
Arvi Martin SAVOLAINEN (FIN)
Kiril Milenov MILOV (BUL)
Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ)
Alex Gergo SZOKE (HUN)
Artur OMAROV (CZE)

130kg
No. 1 Riza KAYAALP (TUR)
No. 2 Abdellatif Mohamed Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY)
No. 3 Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB)
No. 4 Amin Mohammadzaman MIRZAZADEH (IRI)
Mijain LOPEZ NUNEZ (CUB)
Artur VITITIN (EST)
Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO)
Eduard POPP (GER)
Amine GUENNICHI (TUN)
Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI)
Eduard SOGHOMONYAN (BRA)
Sergey SEMENOV (RUS)
Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU)
Minseok KIM (KOR)
Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU)
Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN)

Defending Olympic champion Risako KAWAI (JPN) headlines the women's wrestling entries at the Olympic Games. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

Women's Wrestling
50kg
No. 1 Mariya STADNIK (AZE)
No. 2 Emilia Alina VUC (ROU)
No. 3 Oksana LIVACH (UKR)
No. 4 Valentina Ivanovna ISLAMOVA BRIK (KAZ)
Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS)
Yanan SUN (CHN)
Sarra HAMDI (TUN)
Adijat Avorshai IDRIS (NGR)
Yusneylis GUZMAN LOPEZ (CUB)
Sarah Ann HILDEBRANDT (USA)
Miglena Georgieva SELISHKA (BUL)
Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR)
Yui SUSAKI (JPN)
Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL)
Seema SEEMA (IND)
Lucia Yamileth YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU)

53kg
No. 1 Vinesh VINESH (IND)
No. 2 Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN)
No. 3 Luisa Elizabeth VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU)
No. 4 Qianyu PANG (CHN)
Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE)
Joseph Emilienne ESSOMBE TIAKO (CMR)
Rckaela Maree Ramos AQUINO (GUM)
Roksana Marta ZASINA (POL)
Laura HERIN AVILA (CUB)
Jacarra Gwenisha WINCHESTER (USA)
Sofia Magdalena MATTSSON (SWE)
Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR)
Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL)
Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ)
Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS)
Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU)

57kg 
No. 1 Risako KAWAI (JPN)
No. 2 Odunayo Folasade ADEKUOROYE (NGR)
No. 3 Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR)
No. 4 Ningning RONG (CHN)
Jowita Maria WRZESIEN (POL)
Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)
Siwar BOUSETA (TUN)
Fatoumata Yarie CAMARA (GUI)
Alma Jane VALENCIA ESCOTO (MEX)
Helen Louise MAROULIS (USA)
Evelina Georgieva NIKOLOVA (BUL)
Tatyana KIT (UKR)
Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL)
Anshu ANSHU (IND)
Valeria KOBLOVA (RUS)
Mathilde Hélène RIVIERE (FRA)

62kg 
No. 1 Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ)
No. 2 Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL)
No. 3 Yukako KAWAI (JPN)
No. 4 Kayla Colleen Kiyoko MIRACLE (USA)
Henna Katarina JOHANSSON (SWE)
Marianna SASTIN (HUN)
Kriszta Tunde INCZE (ROU)
Marwa AMRI (TUN)
Aminat Oluwafunmilayo ADENIYI (NGR)
Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA)
Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR)
Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT)
Jia LONG (CHN)
Sonam SONAM (IND)
Liubov OVCHAROVA (RUS)
Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL)

68kg
No. 1 Tamyra Mariama STOCK MENSAH (USA)
No. 2 Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)
No. 3 Koumba Selene Fanta LARROQUE (FRA)
No. 4 Anna Carmen SCHELL (GER)
Agnieszka Jadwiga WIESZCZEK KORDUS (POL)
Battsetseg SORONZONBOLD (MGL)
Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR)
Sara DOSHO (JPN)
Enas Mostafa Youssef Khourshed AHMED (EGY)
Danielle Suzanne LAPPAGE (CAN)
Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB)
Khanum VELIEVA (RUS)
Feng ZHOU (CHN)
Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL)
Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)

76kg
No. 1 Adeline Maria GRAY (USA)
No. 2 Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER)
No. 3 Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN)
No. 4 Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ)
Epp MAEE (EST)
Qian ZHOU (CHN)
Samar Amer Ibrahim HAMZA (EGY)
Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN)
Erica Elizabeth WIEBE (CAN)
Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA)
Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS)
Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR)
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
Burmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL)
Alla BELINSKA (UKR)
Yasemin ADAR (TUR)

Development

DNSS Program in Cambodia: Building Foundations for Wrestling Growth

By United World Wrestling Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (December 2) --- From July 18 to November 30, 2024, the Development of the National Sports System (DNSS) program in Cambodia marked a significant milestone for the growth of wrestling in the country. Led by UWW Educator Martin Hauck (USA), this program provided a comprehensive approach to enhancing coaching, athlete development, and refereeing in Cambodia. Through a mix of workshops, camps, and tournaments, the initiative sought to foster collaboration, education, and enthusiasm for wrestling at all levels.

During the program, more educational opportunities were created for coaches, athletes, and referees. A key highlight was a youth national tournament held during the second visit, which connected athletes and coaches from several provinces, promoting competition and collaboration. Plans were made to make this event an annual tradition, further strengthening the sport’s foundation in Cambodia.

The program objectives included observing and assessing the national team during a high-performance camp in July, educating coaches on long-term athlete development, and organizing a one-day seminar in a neighboring province to introduce wrestling games to youth. Meetings with the Cambodia Wrestling Federation leadership helped establish a roadmap for future development and in-person training sessions.

Key deliverables included:

  • Running camps and seminars for coaches and athletes, focusing on practical and theoretical education.
  • Creating a Cambodian Coaches Course Curriculum and teaching topics such as emergency action planning, practice structuring, periodization, talent identification, and connecting traditional Cambodian wrestling with Olympic styles.
  • Organizing a youth national tournament and camp, which saw participation from almost all provinces, showcasing significant growth on and off the mat.
  • Promoting communication, education, and resource-sharing platforms for ongoing development.

The DNSS program not only strengthened technical skills but also built excitement and unity within the Cambodia Wrestling Federation. With a focus on collaboration among referees, coaches, athletes, and stakeholders, this initiative laid the groundwork for sustained development and opportunities in wrestling throughout Cambodia.

The Development of National Sports System (DNSS) program, conducted in Cambodia from July 18 to November 30, 2024, marked a significant step toward developing wrestling in the country. Led by UWW Educator Martin Hauck (USA), the program aimed to address critical gaps in coaching, athlete development, and organizational structure while fostering growth and enthusiasm for the sport nationwide.

CAMOver 100 participants competed in the national youth tournament during the Development of the National Sports System (DNSS) program in Cambodia.

Program Activities and Achievements

The DNSS program implemented a range of initiatives to address these challenges and lay the groundwork for wrestling’s growth:

  1. Youth Development and Competitions:
    The program introduced a national youth tournament, drawing over 100 athletes from nearly all provinces. This event not only provided a platform for competition but also fostered excitement and collaboration among athletes, coaches, referees, parents, and stakeholders.
  2. Coaching Education and Communication:
    Coaches participated in comprehensive seminars covering emergency action planning, athlete development, periodization, video analysis, coaching females, and practice structuring. A centralized communication platform on the Cambodia Wrestling Federation website improved collaboration among coaches and clubs, helping connect rural and urban areas.
  3. Structured Athlete Development:
    New frameworks for athlete progression were introduced, enabling coaches and athletes to engage in long-term development cycles. Practical sessions during national team camps allowed coaches to apply their learning while working with athletes from across the country.
  4. Safety and Inclusivity:
    Emphasis on mental health, recovery practices, and safety protocols improved understanding and implementation of safe wrestling environments.
  5. Stakeholder Engagement:
    Meetings with the Cambodia Wrestling Federation leadership resulted in a shared vision for growth, including plans to strengthen partnerships, increase opportunities, and enhance stakeholder representation.

Key Outcomes

The program’s efforts led to several important outcomes:

  • Improved communication and collaboration within the wrestling community.
  • Significant growth in coaches’ theoretical and practical knowledge.
  • Increased participation and retention among athletes and coaches.
  • The successful execution of Cambodia’s first youth national tournament.
  • The identification of Coach Sotheara as a future leader for the sport.

Path to Success

The success of wrestling in Cambodia will depend on sustained education, participation, and collaboration. With improved communication, increased opportunities, and the emergence of local leaders like Coach Sotheara, the sport is well-positioned for growth. The DNSS program has laid a strong foundation, and with continued effort, wrestling in Cambodia has the potential to thrive at both national and international levels.

By fostering education, inclusivity, and passion, this program has not only addressed immediate needs but also set a vision for wrestling’s bright future in Cambodia.