| 2012 Olympic Wrestling Tournament Preview - Freestyle by Mike Finn, Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine 55 kilos / 121 pounds (Competition held August 10) U.S. Entry: Sam Hazewinkel, 29, Pensacola, Fla. The former Oklahoma All-American became the third different American to represent the U.S. at the 121-pound weight class on the world level since Henry Cejudo captured a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. (Since then, Danny Felix was 0-1 at the 2009 Worlds; Obe Blanc finished ninth at the 2010 Worlds where he won two of three bouts; and Nick Simmons finished fifth in last year’s Worlds in Turkey where the 2012 Olympic Trials runner-up won four straight matches before losing in the semifinals and bronze medal bout.) Hazewinkel, who switched from Greco-Roman — finishing second at the 2005, 2006 and 2007 World Team Trials — to freestyle in 2011, earned four All-American honors at Oklahoma, where he now serves as an assistant coach, but never finished higher than third. The former high school wrestler from Pensacola Christian Academy is the third Hazewinkel to earn an Olympic spot. His father, Dave, and uncle, Jim, competed for the U.S. in Greco-Roman at the 1972 Olympics but never medaled. Top Contenders • Viktor Lebedev, Russia — The 24-year-old has represented Russia the last three World Championships and medaled in each. After claiming a bronze medal in the 2009 Worlds — where his only loss was to Turkey’s Sezer Akguel in the semifinals, Lebedev has won the last two World Championships. In 2010, the Russian won all five matches, including a championship bout with Togrul Asgarov of Azerbaijan. Last fall, Lebedev also won all five bouts, which included a gold medal victory over Bulgaria’s Radoslav Veikov. • Radoslav Velikov, Bulgaria — This marks the third Olympics for Velikov, who finished ninth at the 2004 Athens Games and collected a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where he lost in the second round to America’s gold medalist Henry Cejudo but came back to win two consolation bouts. Velikov has also appeared in every World Championship since 2005 and earned three medals: silver in 2005; gold in 2006 — when he beat Russia’s Besik Kudukhov — and another silver in 2011. • Hassan Rahimi, Iran — After appearing in three Junior World championships, highlighted by a gold medal performance in 2009, the 23- year-old Iranian has now competed in three Senior World Championships, including last year’s tournament in Turkey where he won four of five bouts — including a bronze-medal win over Simmons — and only lost to Radoslav Velikov of Bulgaria 60 kilos / 132 pounds (Competition held August 11) U.S. Entry: Coleman Scott, 26, Stillwater, Okla. During the Beat the Streets Gala in New York City, where Scott first defeated Humphrey, 1-0, 0-1, 1-0, in a prelim to the Championship Series. Scott won the first period by finishing a single-leg takedown from the leg clinch after the two wrestled a scoreless two minutes. In the second period Humphrey countered with a late takedown, before Scott again prevailed with the leg clinch to score the decisive point in the third period. That victory set up a best-of-three Championship Series against Bunch later that day and during the exhibition between the U.S. and Russia in Times Square … with Scott coming out on top by virtue of winning the third bout between these two in exciting fashion, 1-0, 5-0. (Scott won the first match 1-0, 0-1, 7-0 before Bunch forced the third match after defeating Scott, 1-1, 1-0, 1-0.) Scott clinched his first Olympic berth on a five-point throw to end the second period in the deciding bout against Bunch. This will also be the first time Scott — originally a native of Waynesburg, Pa. before earning four All-American honors at OSU (2005-08) — will compete on the World stage on the Senior level. Scott, a three-time Junior National champion, did compete at the 2006 Junior Worlds in Guatamala, but lost his only match to Jack Bond of Canada. In the last three World Team Trials, Scott finished third in each tournament, but did win the Dave Schultz Memorial tournament this winter. Top Contenders • Besik Kudukhov, Russia — Kudukhov, who will turn 26 four days after this Olympic competition, also competed for Russia in the 2008 Olympics … but at 121 pounds where he earned a bronze medal — losing only to Japan’s Tomohiro Matasunaga (who lost the gold medal bout to USA’s Henry Cejudo) after first winning a World title in 2006 and finishing second in the 2007 Worlds at that weight class. Since moving up to 132 pounds, Kudukhov has won the last three World Championships and did not face any of America’s entries: Shawn Bunch in 2009, Mike Zadick in 2010, and Reece Humphrey in 2011. In fact, since joining the Senior circuit, Kuduhkov has never faced an American in Olympic or World competition. • Vasyl Fedorishin, Ukraine — This will mark the third Olympic experience for Fedorishin, who finished fourth in the 2004 Games in Athens before claiming a silver medal in the 2008 Games in Beijing. In China he defeated USA’s Mike Zadick in a first-round match and eventually reached the finals before falling to Russian Mavlet Batirov. The 31-year-old Ukrainian first started competing on the highest World stage beginning in 2001 but never finished higher than fifth in five World competitions. Since the 2008 Olympics, he has a bronze (2009) and silver (2010), but failed to place in last year’s Worlds, where he was 1-1 and lost to 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Kenichi Yumoto. • Franklin Gomez, Puerto Rico — This 26-year-old was better known as a three-time NCAA All-American and 2009 champion from Michigan State before returning to freestyle and representing his native country at the 2010 Worlds, where he lost his only match against Malkhaz Kurdiani from the country of Georgia. (Gomez moved to New York and then Florida — competing for Brandon High School — as a youngster before competing at Michigan State.) Then in the 2011 Worlds, Gomez earned his first medal (silver); beating 2009 World silver medalist Zelimkhan Huseinov of Azerbaijan before losing to Kudukhov in the finals. • Seyed Mohammadi, Iran — This is a common last name for many Iranian wrestlers and this 32-year-old has been competing as a Senior on the world level since 2005. That year he earned a bronze medal before claiming gold in the 2006 Worlds, defeating Zadick in the title bout. Since then, the Iranian has competed in one Olympics (bronze, losing only to Batirov) and three Worlds (also finishing third in 2010.) 66 kilos / 145.5 pounds (Competition held August 12) U.S. Entry: Jared Frayer, 33, Norman, Okla. Jared Frayer was left bloodied after he defeated Brent Metcalf at the Olympic Trials in April. Not only will this former Oklahoma University All-American try to win a medal at the London Games, he will also try to do something no American has done at this weight class since the 2007 World Championships: win a match. Since Doug Schwab finished fifth at the 2007 Worlds in Baku, Azerbaijan, the U.S. team has not had a 145.5-pounder seen his arm raised in victory in five straight matches at this level of competition: • in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, Schwab finished 0-2, losing to eventual silver medalist Andrey Stanik of Ukraine and bronze medalist Sushil Kumar of India; • in the 2009 Worlds, Trent Paulson lost his only match to eventual bronze medalist Leonid Spiridonov of Kazahkstan; • in 2010, Brent Metcalf dropped his only Worlds bout to Otar Tushishvili of Georgia. • during the 2011 Worlds, Teyon Ware also lost to the Ukrainian Stanik in his only match in Istanbul, Turkey, last September. In Frayer, the U.S. does not feature an Olympic or World veteran, but instead a veteran wrestler who spent a collegiate and post-graduate career just falling short of his yearly goal; finishing as high as second at the 2001 NCAAs at 149 pounds for Oklahoma … and settling for the runner-up spot at the 2006 and 2009 World Team Trials. But the current Sooner assistant coach put it all together this April, when he first defeated Teyon Ware in the semifinals of the Olympic Trials before he defeated Iowa crowd favorite Brent Metcalf in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Frayer also has held his own against international competition since the Trials, winning three of five matches at the World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, May 12-13, earning a bronze medal … before scoring an exciting five-point move to defeat Russia’s Dzalaludin Kurbanaliev during the “Beat The Streets” Gala in New York City’s Times Square on June 7. Top Contenders • Mehdi Taghavi, Iran — This level of international competition has been a hot and cold experience for the 25-year-old Iranian. In the 2008 Olympics, Taghavi finished 10th in his first year on the Senior level, winning just one of three bouts. In the next three years, he won two World championships — in 2009 and 2011 — but was forced to settle for 11th place in the 2010 Worlds, where he lost in the quarterfinals to Cuba’s Geandry Garzon, who defeated him in the 2008 Olympics. Among his victories in six matches in the 2011 Worlds were wins over 2008 Olympic gold medalist Mavlet Batirov of Russia and Japan’s two-time World medalist Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu in the championship bout. • Sushil Kumar, India — This will be the third Olympic experience for the 29-year-old Indian, who first made a name for himself at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where he first defeated American Doug Schwab en route to claiming a bronze medal. (In 2004, Kumar split his two Olympic bouts in Athens.) Then in 2010, Kumar won his first World championship in Moscow, where he defeated Russian Alan Gogaev in the championship bout. Unfortunately, Kumar fell back in the pack during the 2011 Worlds, where he lost to 2008 Olympic silver medalist Andrey Stadnik of Ukraine in a second-round bout. • Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu, Japan — Since taking over the spot on the Japanese team since the 2008 Olympics, the 26-year-old has earned two World medals: claiming a bronze medal in 2009 in Herning, Denmark, where he defeated India’s Sushil Kumar for third place; and securing a silver medal in the 2011 Worlds, where his only loss in five bouts was to Iranian Mehdi Taghavi. It should also be noted that Yonemitsu did not medal in the 2010 Worlds in Moscow, after losing a first-round match to Cuba’s Geandry Garzon, a four-time World medalist who also finished fifth in the 2008 Olympics. • Yabrail Hasanov, Azerbaijan — The 2009 Junior World gold medalist also competed in the Senior-level Worlds that year and finished seventh in Denmark. Since then, the 22-year-old Hasanov has captured bronze medals in the last two Worlds: losing only to India’s Kumar in the semifinals (after beating former Oregon State wrestler Heinrich Barnes, representing his native South Africa) in 2010; and last September when he lost a quarterfinal bout to Japan’s Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu but came back to win two consolation bouts. 74 kilos / 163 pounds (Competition held Aug. 10) U.S. Entry: Jordan Burroughs, 23, Sicklerville, N.J. Before Burroughs ended a remarkable 2011 calendar year with his second NCAA title at Nebraska, WIN’s Hodge Trophy and a World title, the former New Jersey high school state champion from Winslow Township had not competed in freestyle since finishing tenth in the 2008 Junior Worlds. Now this former Cornhusker is considered the man to beat in London … after winning all five bouts at the World Championships last fall. Among his biggest victories was a come-from-behind 1-3, 1-0, 2-1 win over Russia’s two-time World champion Denis Tsargush and a 3-2, 4-1 gold-medal triumph over Iran’s three-time World medalist Sadegh Goudarzi. The last time the United States won a gold medal near this weight class came in 2000 when Brandon Slay upset Russia’s three-time Olympic champion and seven-time World titlist Bouvaisa Saitiev in Sydney, Australia, in the 167-pound weight class. In 2004, when the weight class changed to 163 pounds, Joe Williams finished fifth in Athens, Greece. Ben Askren settled for seventh in Beijing in 2008. In the two Worlds before Burroughs claimed gold, Dustin Schlatter (the former Minnesota NCAA champion) and (former Iowa State All-American) Trent Paulson each went 0-1 in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Top Medal Challengers • Denis Tsargush, Russia — The 24-year-old, before losing to Jordan Burroughs, nearly made his countrymen forget the legendary Bouvaisa Saitiev when the 2007 Junior World champion also captured gold in his first two World tournaments in 2009 and 2010. But he lost some of his luster last September in Turkey, where he also lost a second-round consolation bout to Venezuela’s Ricardo Moreno and settled for 11th place. • Sadegh Goudarzi, Iran — Also 24 years old, Goudarzi has done nearly everything on the World/Olympic level except win a gold medal. In 2009, three years after he finished second in the Junior Worlds, the Iranian claim a bronze medal in Herning, Denmark, where his only loss in five bouts was to Tsargush. In 2010, he lost again to the Russian in the gold-medal match in Moscow, before settling for a second consecutive silver medal last fall. Before losing to Burroughs, Goudarzi won five matches, including a third-round win over 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Murad Gaidarov of Belarus. • David Khutishvili, Georgia — Before claiming a bronze medal in last year’s World Championships — where his only loss in six bouts was to Iran’s Sadegh Goudarzi in the quarterfinals and where he defeated 2010 World bronze medalist Abdulhakim Shapiev of Kazahkstan — the 21-year-old won a Junior World championship in 2010. 84 kilos / 185 pounds (Competition held Aug. 11) U.S. Entry:Jake Herbert, 27, North Allegheny, Pa. After losing his U.S. National team spot to 2004 Olympic gold medalist — and current Penn State head coach — Cael Sanderson for last year’s World Championships, the former 2009 World silver medalist regained his spot and will compete in his first Olympic Games. Prior to this experience, Herbert’s best year came in 2009. He won his second NCAA championship for Northwestern — the first came in 2007 before he took an Olympic redshirt in 2008 – and was honored with the Hodge Trophy before he earned a spot on the 2009 World Team … and earned the silver medal at the Worlds in Herning, Denmark. Herbert won his first five matches — including a second-round win over eventual 2011 World champion Sharif Sharifov of Azerbaijan — during those Worlds before falling to Zaurbek Sokhiev of Uzebekistan in the gold-medal match. Unfortunately, one year later in Moscow, Herbert wrestled in one match and lost to Cuban Reineri Salas, who also defeated American Andy Hrovat in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In the 2011 World Team Trials, Herbert lost his spot to Sanderson, who came out of a seven-year retirement and eventually finished fifth in last September’s Worlds in Istanbul, Turkey. (Sanderson won four bouts there but lost to eventual champion Sharifov in a second-round bout and to Russian Albert Saritov of Russia in the bronze-medal match.) Herbert, who signed with Cliff Keen Wrestling since the Trials, now makes his home Ann Arbor, Mich., where he also trains with Sean Bormet, a current Michigan assistant. Before coming to Northwestern, where Herbert became the Wildcats’ first two-time NCAA champ since Jack Riley in 1931 and 1932 and first four-time All-American, he won the 2003 Pennsylvania state championship for North Allegheny High School. Top Medal Challengers • Sharif Sharifov, Azerbaijan — After earning a bronze medal at the 2009 Worlds — where his only loss to was to American Jake Herbert — the current 23-year-old did not compete in the 2010 Worlds. But he did come back to become the most dominant man at this weight last September. He won his first World gold medal in Istanbul, where his second-round win was against American Cael Sanderson. • Zaurbek Sokhiev, Uzebekistan — This marks the second Olympics for Sokheiv, who split two matches in Beijing and failed to place. In the next two years, he collected a gold medal (2009) and silver (2010) at the Worlds before failing to place last fall in Turkey. There he split two matches and was eliminated by Russia’s Albert Saritov, who also defeated Sanderson in the bronze-medal match. • Ibragim Aldatov, Ukraine — Since winning a World championship in 2006, the 28-year-old Ukrainian has been a mainstay at such World- level events and added a World silver medal in 2007 and 2011 as well as a bronze medal in 2009 and a fifth-place finish at the 2010 Worlds. Aldatov also competed in the 2008 Olympics, but only competed in one match; 84 kilos / 211.5 pounds (Competition held Aug. 12) U.S. Entry: Jake Varner, 26, Bakersfield, Calif. Perhaps no American has grown more in this sport — literally — than the former two-time NCAA champion (2009 and ’10) and four-time finalist, who competed at 185 pounds during the 2008 Olympic Trials but has since dominated this heavier weight class in the U.S. Except for the 2010 Worlds, where he was beat out by J.D. Bergman, Varner competed in both the 2009 and 2011 Worlds; highlighted by his bronze medal performance last September in Istanbul, Turkey, where he lost a quarterfinal to eventual silver medalist Serhi Balci of Turkey but came back to win two consolation bouts for third place. In the 2009 Worlds, Varner finished ninth in Herning Denmark, where he won his first two matches before losing to Saeed Abrahimi of Iran. In some people’s minds, Varner is a clone of 2004 Olympic champion Cael Sanderson, who coached him at Iowa State and eventually brought Varner to State College, Pa., where he trains with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. Before starting his college career, Varner won two California state championships for Bakersfield High School and later earned the Junior Schalles Award as the best prep pinner. Top Medal Challengers • Khetag Gazumov, Azerbaijan — He was 25 years old when he earned the 2008 Olympic bronze medal. He added another third-place finish at the 2009 Worlds and a championship in the 2010 Worlds. Last year, he failed to place after losing to Belarus’ Rouslan Sheikov in the second round. • Khadshimourad Gatsalov, Russia — Became the top Russian at this spot since the 2008 Olympics by winning a World championship in 2009 and silver medal in 2010. In 2011, he failed to medal when he lost to Kazahkstan’s Taimuraz Tigiev in the quarterfinals. • Reza Yazdani, Iran — After settling for bronze in his first Worlds in 2006 and 2007, the 28-year-old Iranian won the 2011 World championship. He also competed in the 2008 Olympics where he split two matches and failed to place. • Serhat Balci, Turkey — A two-time World medalist since 2008 Olympics, he earned a bronze in 2009 and silver in 2011. 120 kilos / 264.5 pounds (Competition Date: Aug. 11) U.S. Entry: Tervel Dlagnev, 26, Arlington, Texas Even though Dlagnev was born in wrestling-rich country of Bulgaria, before moving to this country at the age of four, the heavyweight did not take up the sport of wrestling until high school … before he eventually ended up at Nebraska-Kearney and won two NCAA Division II championships (2007 and ’08). Since then, Dlagnev has excelled in freestyle, earning the first of two Worlds visits in 2009, when he won a bronze medal in Herning, Denmark. During those Worlds, Dlagnev finished 4-1, which included a victory of 2011 World champ Aleksey Shermarov of Belarus. In 2010, Dlagnev lost the Worlds spot to former college-rival Les Sigman before earning a trip to the 2011 Worlds last September, when he finished fifth. Dlagnev opened with three straight wins, including a quarterfinal win over 2008 Olympic champion Artur Taimazov of Uzebekistan before losing to Shermarov and David Modzmanashvili of Georgia. Top Medal Challengers • Beylal Makhov, Russia — One year after countryman Bakhtiar Akhmedov won an Olympic silver medal, this Russian has been the World’ s most consistent big man, winning consecutive World Championships in 2009 and 2010 before settling for a silver medal in the 2011 Worlds, when he lost to Aleksey Shermarov of Belarus. • Aleksey Shermarov (Belarus) — Two years after losing to American Tervel Dlagnev in the 2009 Worlds, this Shermarov surprised many when he captured his first World championship last September when he upset two-time World champ Beylal Makhov of Russia. • Ioannis Arzoumanidis, Greece — The Greek captured a pair of World bronze medals in 2009 and 2010. |
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