PARIS (January 29) – World and Olympic Games medalists bring their glitter to the second Grand Prix of Paris wrestling tournament, January 31-February 1, led by French world champions Melonin NOUMONVI (FRA) and Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA).

Noumonvi won the 85kg Greco-Roman world title last September in Tashkent, but will be wrestling up a category at 98kg, while Khadjiev will test his skills in his first senior event at since becoming France’s first freestyle junior world champion in August.

Both Noumonvi and Khadjiev take to the mats at Robert Charpentier Sports Palace on the first day of competition. Noumonvi could face junior world champion, Orkhan NURIYEV (AZE), at 98kg while Khadjiev faces a strong field at 74kg led by Yabrail HASANOV (AZE), a silver medalist at last year’s European championships.

Along with Hasanov, Azerbaijan sends two freestyle gold medalists from the London 2012 Olympic Games, Togrul ASGAROV (70kg) and Sharif SHARIFOV (97kg), along with reigning world champion Haji ALIEV (61kg).

Asgarov, the gold medal winner at 60kg, will try to make up for his one-and-done disappointment at 65kg in last year’s European championships, moving up to 70kg apparently with an eye on the Baku 2015 European Games in June.

Sharifov, who won at 84kg in London, meanwhile, faces the possibility of a London 2012 gold medal showdown at 97kg with Jakob VARNER (USA). 

Not to be outdone, Iran sends its trio of freestyle junior world champions – Iman SADEGH KOUKANDEH (61kg), Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (70kg), and Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (86kg) – along with 61kg world silver medalist Masoud ESMAEILPOUR, entered at 65kg.

In Greco-Roman, with Noumonvi at 98kg, defending champion at 85kg Samba DIONG (FRA) hopes to grab some of the spotlight in front of the hometown crowd with another triumph.

Diong, however, will have to contend with two London 2012 bronze medalists – Aleksander KAZAKEVIC (LTU) and Damian JANIKOWSKI (POL) – as well as junior world champ Islam ABBASOV (AZE).

Along with Nuriyev and Abbasov, Murad MAMMADOV (59kg) makes it a trio of junior world champions for Azerbaijan in Paris along with junior world silver medalist Ruhin MIKHAILOV (66kg).

In the women’s events, the hosts also boast a returning champion in Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA) at 53kg, but she faces a rough road to a repeat crown, especially with Asian Games bronze medalist ZHONG Xuechen (CHN) lurking along the wayside.

Zhong, who came within a heartbeat of pinning the fabled Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) in Incheon, Korea last September, is joined by 2013 world champions SUN Yanan (48kg) and ZHANG Fengliu (75kg) as well as 2011 world champ XILUO Zhuoma (63kg) and Asian Games gold medalist ZHOU Feng (75kg).

And while the Mongolian men won three freestyle titles in the inaugural Paris meeting, it may be the women’s turn to shine with world champion SUKHEE Tserenshimed (63kg) leading the way. She is joined by Asian Games silver medalist SUNDEV Byambatseren (58kg) and Asian championships runner-up ERDENESUKH Narangerel (48kg).

Other wrestlers of note include five-time world champion Stanka ZLATEVA (BUL) at 75kg, 2013 world champion Marianna SASTIN (HUN) at 58kg, two-time Olympic Games bronze medalist Jackeline RENTERIA (COL) at 63kg.

Meanwhile, Brazil’s first wrestling world medalist Aline FERREIRA (75kg) returns as defending champion to Paris where she kicked off a stellar year that saw her win four tournament titles and a silver medal at the world championships in Tashkent.