BANGKOK (February 15) – A meeting of world champions looms in the women’s events, a former freestyle world champion launches his bid for a third Olympic Games and two former world champions in Greco-Roman will be conspicuous in their absence.

The Asian Championships get under way at the Bangkok Youth Center on Wednesday, kicking off Phase Two of the qualification process for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The continental championships will not formally determine which national Olympic committees qualify for Rio 2016, but they will set boundaries for which countries can compete in one of four ensuing regional qualifying tournaments.

Two world qualifiers will also follow the continental meets in late April and early May. The first phase of the qualification process was held at last September’s world championships in Las Vegas, where the top six wrestlers in 18 Olympic weight categories earned berths for their countries.

And, while tickets to Rio 2016 will not be at stake in Bangkok, there will be plenty of drama for the wrestlers and wrestling fans from the Mediterranean to the Pacific.

The championships get under way with Greco-Roman and with two of the biggest names in the classic style – defending Asia champions RYU Han-Soo (KOR) and KIM Hyeong-Woo (KOR) – on the sidelines.

Ryu qualified Korea for Rio 2016 at 66kg with a silver medal in Las Vegas and is now focused on securing his own place on the Korean team and ultimately winning at the Olympic Games.

Kim, meanwhile, still needs to qualify Korea at 75kg after slipping to 10th place in Las Vegas. The London 2012 gold medalist will get his first chance to qualify for Rio at the Asian qualifier in Astana, Kazakhstan, March 18-20.

In the women’s events, perennial world team champion Japan sends three of its five Rio 2016 qualifiers – Eri TOSAKA (48kg), Risako KAWAI (63kg) and Sara DOSHO (69kg) – to Bangkok.

Three-time Olympic Games champion Kaori ICHO (58kg), who had been slated to wrestle in the championships, has reportedly been scratched after suffering a neck injury in January at the Yarygin Grand Prix. There, Icho also lost her first bout since 2003.

The highlight of the women’s competition, however, may well be a meeting between three-time world champion Tosaka and 2013 world champion at 51kg SUN Yanan (CHN). The two world champs last met in the finals of the 2014 Asian Games where Tosaka prevailed, 5-1.

In freestyle, two-time world champion Reza YAZDANI (IRI) zeroes in on a chance to qualify for a third Olympic Games. Abbas TAHAN (IRI) qualified Iran at 97kg with a fifth-place finish in Las Vegas, but Asian Games gold medalist Yazdani will challenge for the ticket to his third Olympic Games.

The championships, featuring more than 260 wrestlers from 26 countries, continue through Sunday, February 21.

Greco-Roman (Wednesday-Thursday, February 17-18)

Dozshan KARTIKOV (KAZ), who defeated 2013 world champion Kim and 2014 winner Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARM) on his way to bronze medal in Las Vegas, is the early favorite at 75kg while last year’s Doha bronze medal winner Payam BOUYERI PAYANI (IRI) will challenge.

At 98kg, defending champion Mahdi ALIYARI FEYZABADI (IRI) steps in for world silver medalist Rezaei GHASEMI (IRI) while Murat RAMONOV (KGZ) looks ahead to Bangkok as a springboard to securing qualification at 130kg after finishing in seventh place in Las Vegas.

In addition to Ramonov, Bashir BABAJANZADEH (IRI) will try to improve on last year’s bronze medal in Doha.

Meanwhile, 2006 world champion for Egypt Mohamed Abdelfattah MOHAMED (BNR) takes measure of the field at 98kg before trying to become Bahrain’s first qualifier at the Olympic Games.

On the second day of Greco-Roman, world silver medalist at 85kg Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) could face a challenge from world bronze medalist at 80kg Yousef GHADERIAN (IRI) at middleweight.

At 59kg, with world bronze medalists YUN Won-Chol (PRK) and Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) as well as defending Asia champion Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) all sitting out, the competition should be a wide-open affair with 2013 silver medalist Shota TANOKURA (JPN) getting the early nod.

Women’s Wrestling (Thursday-Saturday, February 18-20)

Women’s wrestling gets under way on Day Two of the championships, sharing the mats with Greco-Roman.

BURNEEBAATAR Nyamgerel (MGL) steps in for world champion SORONZONBOLD Battsetseg (MGL) at 63kg as she tries to win her first senior medal outside of Mongolia. But, world silver medalist Risako KAWAI (JPN) seeks her second Asia crown since bagging the 58kg title in 2014.

Junior world champ Rino ABE (JPN) steps in for defending champion Hiroe SUZUKI (JPN) at 75kg, while last year’s silver medalist BADRAKH Odonchimeg (MGL) has given way to Asian Games bronze medalist OCHIRBAT Burmaa (MGL).

A full day of female wrestling on Friday will feature a likely showdown between Tosaka and Sun at flyweight.  Sun comes into Bangkok after a dominating performance at the Rio 2016 test event in January.

At 53kg, junior world champ Nanami IRIE (JPN) will try to improve on last year’s bronze medal but will likely have to get by silver medalist PAK Yong-Mi (PRK).

Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) hopes a win at 69kg in Bangkok will spark her to a win in Astana and a berth at Rio 2016, after finishing in seventh place in Las Vegas. Sara DOSHO (JPN), who won the Asian title in 2014, qualified Japan for Rio 2016 with a bronze medal in September.

On the final day of women’s wrestling, 2015 Asia medalists Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) and Aiym ABDILDINA (KAZ) are the leading names at 58kg. Rio 2016 test event runner-up LI Qian (CHN) will likely challenge after a win over Tynybekova in the 2015 Spanish Grand Prix.
 
Freestyle (Saturday-Sunday, February 20-21)

Four categories to be contested at Rio 2016 will open the freestyle competition with former world champion and three-time Asian Games gold medalist Yazdani poised to lead the charge at 97kg.  Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ), runner-up in the last to Asian meets, will challenge.

At 57kg, where Asia grabbed four of the six Rio 2016 qualification slots, only JONG Hak-Jin (PRK) is entered in Bangkok. Jong’s biggest challenge might come from 2015 Asia bronze medal winner Younes SARMASTIDIZAJI (IRI).

Asian wrestlers also grabbed half of the six berths each at 65kg and 74kg but none of the Vegas qualifiers are slated to make an appearance in Bangkok.

Takhti Cup winner Meysam NASIRI (IRI) and Masakazu KAMOI (JPN), a bronze medal winner at 61kg in Doha, may be the leaders at lightweight while Moustafa HOSSEINKHANI (IRI), the 2014 Asia champ at 70kg, may be the top welterweight in place of defending champion Peyman YARAHMADI (IRI).

The final day of wrestling will feature Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) trying to defend his title at 61kg against the challenge of last year’s silver medalist Behnam EHSANPOUR (IRI).

The final two categories with potential Rio repercussions will feature London 2012 bronze medalist Ehsan LASHGARI (IRI) attempting to keep the 86kg crown in Iran while Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) will try to keep the super heavyweight title at home. He will face a stiff challenge, however, from Asian Games gold medalist Parviz HADI (IRI).

Schedule

Tuesday, February 16
17:30-18:15 – Medical examination: GR 66, 75, 80, 98 & 130kg
18:30-19:00 – Weigh-in: GR 66, 75, 80, 98 & 130kg

Wednesday, February 17
10:00-13:00 – Qualification rounds & repechage: GR 66, 75, 80, 98 & 130kg
17:30-18:15 – Medical examination: GR 59, 71 & 85kg; FW 63 & 75kg
18:30-19:00 – Weigh-in: GR 59, 71 & 85kg; FW 63 & 75kg
19:00-19:30 – Opening Ceremony
19:30-21:30 – Finals & Awards Ceremonies: GR 66, 75, 80, 98 & 130kg

Thursday, February 18
10:00-13:00 – Qualification rounds & repechage: GR 59, 71 & 85kg; FW 63 & 75kg
16:00-17:00 – Medical examination: FW 48, 53, 55, 60 & 69kg
17:15-17:45 – Weigh-in: FW 48, 53, 55, 60 & 69kg
18:00-20:00 – Finals & Awards Ceremonies: GR 59, 71 & 85kg; FW 63 & 75kg

Friday, February 19
10:00-13:00 – Qualification rounds & repechage: FW 48, 53, 55, 60 & 69kg
16:00-17:00 – Medical examination: FW 58kg; FS 57, 65, 74 & 97kg
17:15-17:45 – Weigh-in: FW 58kg; FS 57, 65, 74 & 97kg
18:00-20:00 – Finals & Awards Ceremonies: FW 48, 53, 55, 60 & 69kg

Saturday, February 20
10:00-13:00 – Qualification rounds & repechage: FW 58kg; FS 57, 65, 74 & 97kg
16:00-17:00 – Medical examination: FS 61, 70, 86 & 125kg
17:15-17:45 – Weigh-in: FS 61, 70, 86 & 125kg
18:00-20:00 – Finals & Award Ceremonies: FW 58kg; FS 57, 65, 74 & 97kg

Sunday, February 21
10:00-13:00 – Qualification rounds & repechage: FS 61, 70, 86 & 125kg
18:00-20:00 – Finals & Award Ceremonies: FS 61, 70, 86 & 125kg