The 2012 Olympic Summer Games

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Olympic preview in freestyle wrestling at 74 kg/163 lbs.


American Jordan Burroughs stormed into his first World Championships last year and emerged from a tough bracket to win a gold medal.

The multi-talented Burroughs is the favorite heading into London, but he is in a very strong weight class.

Burroughs beat Russia’s Denis Tsargush, the 2009 and 2010 World champion, en route to winning the World freestyle title. Tsargush has bounced back strong this season, winning the Russian Nationals. Russia could enter Adam Saitiev, who won the European Olympic qualifier this year.

Two other wrestlers Burroughs beat at last year’s Worlds – Iran’s Sadegh Saeed Goudarzi and Azerbaijan’s Ashraf Aliyev – are very strong. Goudarzi has been second at the last two World Championships and Aliyev was third last year.

Burroughs earned another win over Goudarzi in May’s World Cup. Burroughs has won all 34 of his freestyle matches on the Senior level after winning the 2011 NCAA title for Nebraska.

EXPECTED OLYMPIC ENTRIES
74 kg/163 lbs.

1st at 2011 World Championships – Jordan Burroughs (United States)
2nd at 2011 World Championships – Sadegh Goudarzi (Iran)
3rd at 2011 World Championships – Ashraf Aliev (Azerbaijan)
3rd at 2011 World Championships – David Khutishvili (Georgia)
5th at 2011 World Championships – Ricardo Antonio Robertty Moreno (Venezuela)
5th at 2011 World Championships – Abdulhakim Shapiev (Kazakhstan)
2012 European Olympic qualifier champion – Adam Saitiev (Russia) or Denis Tsargush (Russia)
2012 European Olympic qualifier runner-up – Kiril Terziev (Bulgaria)
2012 Asian Olympic qualifier champion – Rashid Kurbanov (Uzbekistan)
2012 Asian Olympic qualifier runner-up – Sosuke Takatani (Japan)
2012 Pan American Olympic qualifier champion – Matthew Gentry (Canada)
2012 Pan American Olympic qualifier runner-up – Francisco Daniel Soler Tanco (Puerto Rico)
2012 Africa/Oceania Olympic qualifier champion – Auusto Midana (Guinea-Bisau)
2012 Africa/Oceania Olympic qualifier runner-up – Bilel Ouechtati (Tunisia)
Olympic Qualifier #1 champion – Purejav Unurbat (Mongolia)
Olympic Qualifier #1 runner-up – Gabor Hatos (Hungary)
Olympic Qualifier #1 bronze medalist – Chongyao Zhang (China)
Olympic Qualifier #2 champion – Narasingh Pancham Yadav (India)
Olympic Qualifier #2 runner-up – Oleg Motsalin (Greece)

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Olympic preview in freestyle wrestling at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.



EXPECTED OLYMPIC ENTRIES
66 kg/145.5 lbs.

1st at 2011 World Championships – Mehdi Taghavi (Iran)
2nd at 2011 World Championships – Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu (Japan)
3rd at 2011 World Championships – Yabrail Hasanov (Azerbaijan)
3rd at 2011 World Championships – Livan Lopez Azcuy (Cuba)
5th at 2011 World Championships – Leonid Bazan (Bulgaria)
5th at 2011 World Championships – Alan Gaughan (Russia)
2012 European Olympic qualifier champion – Ali Shabanov (Belarus)
2012 European Olympic qualifier runner-up – David Safaryan (Armenia)
2012 Asian Olympic qualifier champion – Ikhtiyor Navruzov (Uzbekistan)
2012 Asian Olympic qualifier runner-up – Akzhurek Tanatarov (Kazakhstan)
2012 Pan American Olympic qualifier champion –Haislan Garcia (Canada)
2012 Pan American Olympic qualifier runner-up – Jared Frayer (United States)
2012 Africa/Oceania Olympic qualifier champion – Omar Abdou Abdou (Egypt)
2012 Africa/Oceania Olympic qualifier runner-up – Haithem Ben Alayech (Tunisia)
Olympic Qualifier #1 champion – Sushil Kumar (India)
Olympic Qualifier #1 runner-up – Otar Tushishvili (Georgia)
Olympic Qualifier #1 bronze medalist – Andrey Kviatkovski (Ukraine)
Olympic Qualifier #2 champion – Zelimkhan Yusupov (Tajikistan)
Olympic Qualifier #2 runner-up – Ramazan Shahin (Turkey)

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Olympic preview in freestyle wrestling at 60 kg/132 lbs.

EXPECTED OLYMPIC ENTRIES
60 kg/132 lbs.

1st at 2011 World Championships – Besik Kudukhov (Russia)
2nd at 2011 World Championships – Franklin Gomez (Puerto Rico)
3rd at 2011 World Championships – Kenichi Yumoto (Japan)
3rd at 2011 World Championships – Dauren Zhumgaziev (Kazakhstan)
5th at 2011 World Championships – Didier Pais (France)
5th at 2011 World Championships – Malkhaz Zarkua (Georgia)
2012 European Olympic qualifier champion – Togrul Asgarov (Azerbaijan)
2012 European Olympic qualifier runner-up – Anatoli Guidea (Bulgaria)
2012 Asian Olympic qualifier champion – Masoud Esmailpour (Iran)
2012 Asian Olympic qualifier runner-up – Yogeshwar Dutt (India)
2012 Pan American Olympic qualifier champion – Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba)
2012 Pan American Olympic qualifier runner-up – Guillermo Torres Cervantes (Mexico)
2012 Africa/Oceania Olympic qualifier champion – Hassan Ibrahim Madani (Egypt)
2012 Africa/Oceania Olympic qualifier runner-up – Farzad Tarash (Australia)
Olympic Qualifier #1 champion – Jong Myong Ri (North Korea)
Olympic Qualifier #1 runner-up – Seung-Chul Lee (Korea)
Olympic Qualifier #1 bronze medalist – Coleman Scott (United States)
Olympic Qualifier #2 champion – Vasyl Fedoryshin (Ukraine)
Olympic Qualifier #2 runner-up – Tim Schleicher (Germany)

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Olympic preview in freestyle wrestling at 55 kg/121 lbs.


The U.S. has enjoyed great success in this weight class at the Olympics, with American Henry Cejudo striking gold at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Cejudo lost in the semifinals of the 2012 Olympic Team Trials with veteran Sam Hazewinkel stepping up to make the U.S. freestyle team in this class.

Hazewinkel has now competed extensively overseas in freestyle after excelling in freestyle, and he has gained momentum heading into London with a strong season.

Hazewinkel beat Nick Simmons, fifth in the World last year, in the finals of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials to earn a trip to London for the 2012 Olympics. Simmons knocked off Cejudo in the semifinals of the Trials.

Russia’s Viktor Lebedev won World titles the past two years, but lost to Jamar Otarsultanov in the finals of the Russian Nationals.

Lebedev beat past World champion Radoslav Velikov of Bulgaria in the World finals last year. Velikov won an Olympic bronze medal in 2008 after losing to Cejudo in the first round.

Kazakstan’s Daulet Niyabekov and Iran’s Hassan Rahimi won World bronze medals in 2011. Armenia’s Armenia’s Mihran Jaburyan, fifth in the World last year, is another top wrestler to watch in this division.

2009 World champion Kyong-Il Yang of North Korea could be a big factor in this weight class.

EXPECTED OLYMPIC ENTRIES
55 kg/121 lbs.
1st at 2011 World Championships – Viktor Lebedev (Russia)
2nd at 2011 World Championships – Radoslav Velikov (Bulgaria)
3rd at 2011 World Championships – Daulet Niyazbekov (Kazakhstan)
3rd at 2011 World Championships – Hassan Rahimi (Iran)
5th at 2011 World Championships – Mihan Jaburyan (Armenia)
5th at 2011 World Championships – Sam Hazewinkel (United States)
2012 European Olympic qualifier champion – Vladimir Khinchegashvili (Georgia)
2012 European Olympic qualifier runner-up – Ahmet Peker (Turkey)
2012 Asian Olympic qualifier champion – Amit Kumar (India)
2012 Asian Olympic qualifier runner-up – Shinichi Yumoto (Japan)
2012 Pan American Olympic qualifier champion – David Tremblay (Canada)
2012 Pan American Olympic qualifier runner-up – Brandon Jesus Escobar Amador (Honduras)
2012 Africa/Oceania Olympic qualifier champion – Ibrahim Farag Abdelhakim (Egypt)
2012 Africa/Oceania Olympic qualifier runner-up – Naatele Sem Shilimela (Namibia)
Olympic Qualifier #1 champion – Kyong-Il Yang (North Korea)
Olympic Qualifier #1 runner-up – Dilshod Mansurov (Uzbekistan)
Olympic Qualifier #1 bronze medalist – Jin-Cheol Kim (Korea)
Olympic Qualifier #2 champion – Naranbaatar Bayaraa (Mongolia)
Olympic Qualifier #2 runner-up – Nikolai Noev (Tajikistan)

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Olympic preview in women’s freestyle wrestling at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.

Once upon a time, there was a weight class that wasn’t dominated by the Japanese. That time is now and that weight class, 72 kg/158.5 pounds is dominated by a Bulgarian.

Stanka Zlateva of Bulgaria’s been the force in women’s wrestling the last seven years. Since 2006, Zlateva has won five world championships, an Olympic silver medal and another world bronze medal just for good measure.

But Zlateva’s dominance isn’t without a few setbacks. In 2008, Zlateva was a favorite to win the Olympic gold, but fell to China’s Jiao Wang. Zlateva recovered to win the 2008 Worlds in Tokyo. In 2009, she was upset early and finished with a bronze. In her six World and Olympic finals bouts, she’s faced six different opponents, a testament to the balance the weight possesses below Zlateva.

Russian Ekaterina Bukina was the silver medalist at the 2011 World Championships and should be the country’s entry. Wang, who didn’t medal at last year’s worlds, is still a big threat, as are previous finalists Burmaa Ochirbat of Mongolia, and Kyoko Hamaguchi of Japan.

Hamaguchi is on the backside of her career, but she did pick up a bronze at the 2010 World Championships after reeling off five previous world championships and two Olympic medals. At 34, this is probably her last shot at Olympic gold.

American Ali Bernard finished third at the 2011 World Championships and beat three world medalists in the tournament, including Wang and Jenny Fransson of Sweden. Bernard, a late replacement for U.S. Olympic Trials champion Stephany Lee, could be a real threat. Even while getting behind in bouts, Bernard’s shown the ability to fight back and break opponents.

Nine medalists since the 2004 Olympic Games are expected to compete, making the field solid from top to bottom.

Gouzel Manyurova of Kazakhkstan was a previous world silver medalist while representing Russia.

Expected Participants
72 kg/158.5 lbs.- Women's Freestyle
1st at 2011 World Championships – Stanka Zlateva Hristova (Bulgaria)
2nd at 2011 World Championships – Ekaterina Bukina (Russia)
3rd at 2011 World Championships – Vasilisa Marzaliuk (Belarus)
3rd at 2011 World Championships – Ali Bernard (United States)
5th at 2011 World Championships – Laure Ali Annabel (Cameroon)
5th at 2011 World Championships – Gouzel Manyurova (Kazakhstan)
2012 European Olympic qualifier champion – Jenny Fransson (Sweden)
2012 European Olympic qualifier runner-up – Katerina Burmistrova (Ukraine)
2012 Asian Olympic qualifier champion – Jiao Wang (China)
2012 Asian Olympic qualifier runner-up – Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan)
2012 Pan American Olympic qualifier champion – Leah Callahan (Canada)
2012 Pan American Olympic qualifier runner-up –Ana Talia Betancourt (Colombia)
2012 Africa/Oceania Olympic qualifier champion – Amarachi Obiajunwa (Nigeria)
2012 Africa/Oceania Olympic qualifier runner-up – Josiane Soloniaina (Madagascar)
Olympic Qualifier #1 champion – Burmaa Ochirbat (Mongola)
Olympic Qualifier #1 runner-up – Svetlana Saenco (Moldova)
Olympic Qualifier #2 champion – Madier Unda Gonzales (Spain)
Olympic Qualifier #2 runner-up – Cynthia Vescan (France)

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Olympic preview in women’s freestyle wrestling at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.


It’s common knowledge, but it bears repeating.

Japan is really good in women’s freestyle wrestling. Really good.

The country’s dominance has centered around many great athletes, but for the last decade, Japanese wrestling and the world has been essentially owned by Kaori Icho and Saori Yoshida.

Icho looks to join Yoshida in becoming the first three-time women’s Olympic wrestling champions in history. Standing in her way, scores of oft-beaten opponents looking for revenge and a chance to prevent history from happening on their watch.

Like Yoshida, Icho’s won every World or Olympic championship since 2002, but Yoshida’s got one more title, the 2008 World Championship held after the Olympics. Japan still won that spot, but it wasn’t Icho.

American Elena Pirozhkova finished second at the 2010 World Championships to Icho and feels she’s closed the gap on her Japanese nemesis. The two met in the semifinals of the 2011 Worlds as well.

Pirozhkova makes her first Olympic team after being born in Russia and growing up in Massachusetts. She bested World bronze medalist Adeline Gray to make the U.S. team and has a wealth of international experience.

For Pirozhkova to be a threat at the gold, she’ll have to wrestle consistently throughout and not get behind early.

Over half of the field of expected participants has a world medal in hand, including last year’s silver medalist, Marianna Sastin of Hungary. Sastin was a bronze medalist in 2009 and competed at the 2008 Olympics. She moved up from 59 kg in 2007 and has met with modest international success since.

Expected Participants
63 kg/138.75 lbs.- Women's Freestyle
1st at 2011 World Championships – Kaori Icho (Japan)
2nd at 2011 World Championships –Marianna Sastin (Hungary)
3rd at 2011 World Championships – Rui Xue Jing (China)
3rd at 2011 World Championships – Nasanburmaa Ochirbat (Mongolia)
5th at 2011 World Championships – Elena Pirozhkova (United States)
5th at 2011 World Championships – Ran-Mi Kim (North Korea)
2012 European Olympic qualifier champion – Yulia Ostapchuk (Ukraine)
2012 European Olympic qualifier runner-up – Lyubov Volossova (Russia)
2012 Asian Olympic qualifier champion – Elena Shalygina (Kazakhstan)
2012 Asian Olympic qualifier runner-up – Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan)
2012 Pan American Olympic qualifier champion – Martine Dugrenier (Canada)
2012 Pan American Olympic qualifier runner-up – Katherine Vidiaux Lopez (Cuba)
2012 Africa/Oceania Olympic qualifier champion – Jacira Francisco Mendonca (Guinea-Bissau)
2012 Africa/Oceania Olympic qualifier runner-up – Blessing Oborududu (Nigeria)
Olympic Qualifier #1 champion – Hanna Johansson (Sweden)
Olympic Qualifier #1 runner-up – Elif Jale Yesilirmak (Turkey)
Olympic Qualifier #2 champion – Monika Michalik (Poland)
Olympic Qualifier #2 runner-up – Anastasija Grigorjeva (Latvia)

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The above excerpted from http://www.themat.com/

[TabascoElvis]

Yea, [expletive] the Olympics. Let's watch dudes run in circles, but not actually include a summer sport that's the center of attention in pretty much every continent except Europe, Africa and Antarctica.

[cards2468]

Yea, [expletive] the Olympics. Let's watch dudes run in circles, but not actually include a summer sport that's the center of attention in pretty much every continent except Europe, Africa and Antarctica.

The athletic events they put in the Olympics that aren't actually sports are boring.

[TabascoElvis]

Yea, [expletive] the Olympics. Let's watch dudes run in circles, but not actually include a summer sport that's the center of attention in pretty much every continent except Europe, Africa and Antarctica.

The athletic events they put in the Olympics that aren't actually sports are boring.

The was more about the "world view" part.

It's fine that you find the Olympics boring. I do too in a lot of cases. Thankfully they're infrequent.