#WrestleTokyo

#WrestleTokyo Olympic Games Preview: 74kg

By Eric Olanowski

TOKYO, Japan (July 20) --- Despite donning a trio of multiple-time world champions, Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) heads into the Tokyo Olympic Games as the front-runner to win 74kg Olympic gold after he stole the show at the '18 and '19 World Championships. He’s seeded No. 3 behind Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) and Daniyar KAISANOV (KAZ), respectively.

He'd Join Buvaisar SAITIEV (RUS) as the only Russian wrestler to win 74kg Olympic gold.

Sidakov made his world-level debut for Russia's freestyle squad at the '18 World Championships and has reigned supreme over the field since then. The 26-year-old Beslan, North Ossetia-Alania native, entered the World Championships in Budapest relatively unknown but upset Olympic champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) and fellow two-time world champions Chamizo before ultimately winning gold. He repeated the feat a year later in Nur-Sultan. Sidakov stole the match from Burroughs for a second consecutive year after he scored a stepout with less than two seconds left. He followed that up with a second win over Chamizo and reached the top of the podium for a second consecutive year. He's yet to drop a match to a non-Russian opponent, all while claiming gold medals at the World Championships in '18 and '19, and '19 gold at the European Games and Ivan Yariguin Ranking Series event. 

Even though he's fallen to Sidakov in their previous two meetings, it's Chamizo, who just turns 29 on July 10, that's seeded first at the weight. The two-time world champion and Rio Olympic bronze medalist reached the top of the seeds at 74kg after winning gold at the '20 European Championships and silver medals at the '19 World Championships and '21 Poland Open Ranking Series event.

Kaisanov and Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI (IRI) are the other two seeded wrestlers at 74kg. 

Kaisanov, the 28-year-old Semey-born wrestler, is seeded second and sits on the same side of the bracket Sidakov. He originally placed fifth '19 World Championships to secure Kazakhstan's place at Tokyo Olympics but was upgraded to bronze in February 2020 after Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) tested positive for doping. 

Hosseinkhani is the fourth-seeded and will share the top side of the bracket with Frank Chamizo. Iran elected to roll with the 32-year-old over Younes EMAMI, who qualified the weight for Iran through his gold-medal performance at the Asian Olympic Qualifier. 

Meanwhile, Kyle 'Kid Dynamite' DAKE (USA) is the third two-time world champion on everyone's radar.

Dake strolls into Tokyo riding a 48 match win streak that dates back to mid-2018. During that run, the 30-years-old struck 79kg gold in back-to-back years while outsourcing his opponents 64-6.

After the '19 World Championships, Dake descended from the non-Olympic weight of 79kg to 74kg to make an Olympic run. The father-of-two punched his ticket to the Olympic Games on USA's freestyle squad with a pair of convincing wins over four-time world champion Burroughs at the United States Olympic Trials and earned his spot in Tokyo.

Other past world finalists include Jeandry GARZON CABALLERO (CUB), Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) and Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO).

Kenchadze was the most recent of the three to reach a finals match. The 25-year-old from Ambrolauri, Georgia, grabbed four wins at the '18 World Championships -- highlighted by victories over Rio Olympic bronze medalist Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) and world bronze medalist Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB) -- and reached the gold-medal match. However, he dropped a close 2-2 match against Sidakov and finished in second place.

When Gomez takes the mat in Tokyo, he'll be the first Puerto Rican to wrestle in three Olympic Games. The soon-to-be 35-year-old fell to his '11 world finalist opponent and eventual silver medalist Besik KUDUKHOV (RUS) in the first round of the London Olympic Games and finished in 15th-place. In Rio, he fell to eventual bronze medalist Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB) and finished in 9th place.

At 37-years-old, Garzon Caballero will be wrestling in his second Olympic Games. The four-time world medalist and '07 finalist will compete in his first Games since the '08 Beijing Olympic Games, where he finished in fifth place. 

Outside of the heavy hitters at 74kg, a pair outside dark horses that could shake up the bracket are Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB) and Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (BLR). 

Abdurakhmonov, known for his 11-1 thumping of Burroughs at the Rio Olympic Games, will look to improve on his fifth-place finish from Brazil. This year, the two-time world bronze medalist finished on the podium at the two events he's entered. He won a bronze meal at the International Ukrainian Tournament and a silver medal at the Asian Olympic Qualifier.

Kadimahamedau is another guy who can end the title hopes for a lot of guys. Since transferring to Belarus in '20, the 27-year-old Khushtada, Tsumadinsky, Dagestan-born wrestler, won gold at the European Championships and World Olympic Qualifier and finished in third place at the Individual World Cup. 

It’s also worth noting, on July 20, Azerbaijan replaced Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE) with Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE).

Wrestling at the Tokyo Olympic Games kicks off August 1-7 at the Makuhari Messe with 74kg action beginning on August 5.

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)

#WrestleTokyo

#WrestleTokyo Olympic Games Preview: 97kg

By Andrew Hipps

TOKYO, Japan (July 22) – One of wrestling's greatest rivalries could be renewed in Tokyo if the seeds hold. Musa EVLOEV (RUS) and Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM), two of Greco-Roman's biggest stars, enter Tokyo Games as the top two seeds at 97kg. They have combined to win every world or Olympic title in this weight category since 2014.

Aleksanyan, seeded No.2, will be looking to claim his second consecutive Olympic gold medal and third Olympic medal. The Armenian wrestling great won world and Olympic titles every year from 2014 to 2017. The tide turned in 2018 when Evloev knocked off Aleksanyan in the semifinals of the World Championships in Budapest on his way to capturing gold. Evloev repeated as world champion in 2019, beating Aleksanyan for the gold medal.

This past December, Evloev and Aleksanyan faced off in the qualification round of the Individual World Cup, with the Russian star coming out on top 5-1. Evloev would go on to win gold at the Individual World Cup, beating Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) in the semifinals before topping Alex SZOKE (HUN) in the finals.

In March, Evloev cruised to a gold medal at the Matteo Pellicone Tournament, a Rankings Series event. It marked his third gold medal of the Series. Evloev had two technical superiority victories in three matches and did not surrender a single point in the competition held in Ostia, Italy. A month later, Evloev earned his second European crown, beating Balasz KISS (HUN) 8-0 in the gold medal match and outscoring his four opponents by a combined score of 28-1. The 28-year-old Evloev enters the Tokyo Games as the top seed and odds-on favorite to win gold at 97kg.

Saravi, a 2020 Asian champion, is seeded third at 97kg. The Iranian won a gold medal at the Asian Olympic Qualifier. In June, Saravi dominated at the Poland Open, beating compatriot Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) in the finals. That victory earned Saravi a spot on Iran's Olympic team.

The fourth seed is Tadeusz MICHALIK (POL), a bronze medalist at the Grand Prix of Zagreb. He was fifth at the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan.

Cenk ILDEM (TUR) is one of the more accomplished unseeded wrestlers in this weight category. Ildem was a bronze medalist at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. He is also a three-time world bronze medalist, with his most recent one coming in 2019.

Mihail KAJAIA (SRB) won back-to-back bronze medals at the World Championships in 2018 and 2019. He has also been a silver medalist at the Asian Championships.

Giorgi MELIA (GEO) is a past junior world champion and multiple-time U23 world medalist. He won a gold medal this year at the Grand Prix de France Henri Deglane.

Kiril MILOV (BUL), a 2018 world silver medalist, qualified for the Tokyo Olympics at the European Qualification Tournament held in March.

2019 junior world champion Gabriel ROSILLO KINDELAN (CUB) has earned multiple Pan American medals, including a gold medal at the 2019 Pan American Games.

Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) is an accomplished wrestler who won a gold medal at the 2019 Asian Championships and has multiple Asian medals.

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)