#WrestleSassari

Entries Released for Sassari City Matteo Pellicone Memorial 

By Eric Olanowski

Sassari, Italy (May 15) - Sandy beaches, bright blue waters, and wrestling? Not something you hear very often (unless it's a beach wrestling event) - but that'll be the case next week when wrestling invades the island destination of Sardinia, Italy, for United World Wrestling's third Ranking Series event of the year, the Sassari City Matteo Pellicone Memorial. 

The tournament will be the first of its kind when speaking about Ranking Series events. United World Wrestling has never held a Ranking Series event with all three styles under one roof. The three-day Sassari City Matteo Pellicone Memorial, which starts on May 23, will begin with Greco-Roman. Women's wrestling takes over on the second day, and freestyle closes out the tournament on May 25. 

Though registration is not official until 24 hours before the first whistle, here are some of the world and Olympic medalists, among many others, that fans can expect to see in Sardinia: 

GR 77kg - KIM Hyeonwoo (KOR) – Olympic champion
FS 70kg - Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) – Olympic champion 
WW 76kg - Erica WIEBE (CAN) – Olympic champion
WW 76kg - Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS) – Olympic champion
FS 86kg - Selim YASAR (TUR) - Olympic silver 
WW 72kg - Anna FRANSSON (SWE) – Olympic bronze
FS 74kg - Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) –  Two-time world champion 
GR 67kg - RYU Hansu (KOR) – World champion 
WW 76kg - Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) – World champion
WW 55kg - Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) – World champion
WW 55kg - Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) – World champion
GR 77kg - Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) – World runner-up 
FS 74kg - Khetik TSABALOV (RUS) - World runner-up 
FS 65kg - Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) – Two-time world silver 
GR 87kg -Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) – U23 World champion 
WW 57kg - Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR) – U23 World champion
FS 57kg - Suleyman ATLI (TUR) – Ranked No. 1 at 57kg 
FS 68kg - Fatih ERDIN (TUR) – Ranked No. 1 at 86kg

Freestyle
57kg 

Mikyay Salim NAIM (BUL)
Darthe CAPELLAN (CAN)
Kumar RAVI (IND)
Nader Ahmad HAJIAGHANIASAMAKOUSHI (IRI)
Alireza Nosratolah SARLAK (IRI)
Givi DAVIDOVI (ITA)
Zhandos ISMAILOV (KAZ)
Changjun PARK (KOR)
Azamat TUSKAEV (RUS)
Suleyman ATLI (TUR)
Adam KATES (USA)
Patrick  HEBREARD (USA)

61kg 
Rahul AWARE (IND)
Sonba GONGANE (IND)
Mohammadbagher YAKHKESHI (IRI)
Rassul KALIYEV (KAZ)
Kerim HOJAKOV (TKM)
Recep TOPAL (TUR)
Alec HOOVER (USA)

65kg
Niurhun SKRABIN (BLR)
Dimitar IVANOV (BUL)
Joshua BODNARCHUK (CAN)
Vincent DE MARINIS (CAN)
Connor MCNEICE (CAN)
Mauricio SANCHEZ SALTOS (ECU)
Roman ASHARIN (HUN)
Harphool HARPHOOL (IND)
Amirmohammad YAZDANICHERATI (IRI)
Abdellatif MANSOUR (ITA)
Sayatbek OKASSOV (KAZ)
Junsik YUN (KOR)
Masoud NIAZI (NED)
Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS)
Perman HOMMADOV (TKM)
Mehmet OGUT (TUR)
Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)
Brandon CALLOW (USA)
Andrew HOOVER (USA)
Spencer DUSI (USA)

70kg
George KOLIEV (BLR)
Mihail Iliev GEORGIEV (BUL)
Dillon Emmanuel WILLIAMS (CAN)
Pablo DIEZ PARDO (ESP)
Farhad Jafar NOURI KHORJESTAN (IRI)
Yones Aliakbar EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI)
Nurdaulet AZHIKUL (KAZ)
Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ)
Soslan RAMONOV (RUS)
Batyr BORJAKOV (TKM)
Mustafa KAYA (TUR)
Austin Alexander VICTOR (USA)
Jarrad Keith LASKO (USA)
Brandon Alexander BARTON (USA)

74kg
Andrei KARPACH (BLR)
Miroslav Stefanov KIROV (BUL)
Ty Stuart BRIDGWATER (CAN)
Jasmit Singh PHULKA (CAN)
Daniel ANTAL (HUN)
Amit Kumar DHANKHAR (IND)
Mohammad Ashghar NOKHODILARIMI (IRI)
Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA)
Tommaso FERRARI (ITA)
Daniyar KAISANOV (KAZ)
Seungchul LEE (KOR)
Jie Woon SHIN (KOR)
Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS)
Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS)
Suleyman OMAROV (TKM)
Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR)
Yakup GOR (TUR)
Isaac John COLLIER (USA)
John Delmas CHIPPS (USA)
Shane Michael GING (USA)

79kg
Parveen RANA (IND)
Kautuk Shamarao DAPHALE (IND)
Zhiger ZAKIROV (KAZ)
Shamil MURTAZOV (KAZ)
Galymzhan USSERBAYEV (KAZ)
Khalil AMINOV (RUS)
Sahergeldi SAPARMYRADOV (TKM)
Muhammet Nuri KOTANOGLU (TUR)
Dmytrii TKACHENKO (UKR)
Seth Matthew WINKLE (USA)
Daniel Joseph NOVAK (USA)
Kyle Dylan ROBERTS (USA)

The top-ranked wrestler in the world at 86kg Fatih ERDIN (TUR) (84 points) is set to compete next week in Sardinia. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

86kg
Svetoslav Zhivkov DIMITROV (BUL)
Alexander Robert MOORE (CAN)
Hunter Jeffery LEE (CAN)
Damian IGLESIAS VILELA (ESP)
Richard Ferenc LIGETI (HUN)
Deepak PUNIA (IND)
Ahmad Yousef BAZRIGHALEH (IRI)
William RAFFI (ITA)
Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ)
Hyeokbeom GWON (KOR)
Vladislav VALIEV (RUS)
Dovletmyrat ORAZGYLYJOV (TKM)
Fatih ERDIN (TUR)
Selim YASAR (TUR)
Matthew Christopher FERRARO (USA)
Christian Brian HIPSHER (USA)

92kg
Istvan VEREB(HUN)
Viky VIKY(IND)
Arashk Mohammadkazem MOHEBI (IRI)
Alireza Mohammad KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI)
Batyrbek TCAKULOV (RUS)
Azat GAJYYEV (TKM)

97kg
Ivan YANKOUSKI (BLR)
Nikolay Simeonov CHTEREV (BUL)
Nishan Preet Singh RANDHAWA (CAN)
Mihaly SZABO (HUN)
Satywart KADIAN (IND)
Hamed Delavar TALEBIZARRINKAMAR (IRI)
Abbas Ali FOROUTANRAMI (IRI)
Abraham de Jesus CONYEDO RUANO (ITA)
Bakdaulet ALMENTAY (KAZ)
Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL)
Igor Alekseevitch OVSIANNIKOV (RUS)
Selimmuhammet MUHADYYEV (TKM)
Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR)

125kg
Aly Medhat Abde BARGHOUT (CAN)
Frédérick CHOQUETTE (CAN)
Daniel LIGETI (HUN)
Sumit SUMIT (IND)
Amir Hossein Abbas ZARE (IRI)
Parviz Khodavirdi HADIBASMANJ (IRI)
Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ)
Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ)
Donghwan KIM (KOR)
Zolboo NATSAGSUREN (MGL)
Pavel KRIVTSOV (RUS)
Sohbet BELLIYEV (TKM)
Grant Michael ROBINSON (USA)

Greco-Roman 

55kg
Enrick Jean Flavien BATAILLE (FRA)
Gyanender GYANENDER (IND)
Giovanni FRENI (ITA)
Ekrem OZTURK (TUR)
Dogus AYAZCI (TUR)
Hakan Murat CANKAYA (TUR)

60kg 
Marat GARIPOV (BRA)
Andres Roberto MONTANO ARROYO (ECU)
Daniel BOBILLO VIGIL (ESP)
Latuf MADI (FRA)
Jacopo SANDRON (ITA)
Jungbaik LEE (KOR)
Seunghak KIM (KOR)
Florin TITA (ROU)
Andrei IVANOV (RUS)
Sadyk LALAEV (RUS)
Ruben MINASIAN (RUS)
Dimitar Ivaylov SANDOV (SUI)
Ahmet UYAR (TUR)

63kg 
Haithem Mahmoud Ahmed Fahmy MAHMOUD (EGY)
Leo Alexandre Sylvain TUDEZCA (FRA)
Erik TORBA (HUN)
Fabio CARBONE (ITA)
Kyunghoon KIM (KOR)
Eunbin KIM (KOR)
Razvan ARNAUT (ROU)
Mehmet CEKER (TUR)
Kadir KAMAL (TUR)

67kg 
Mohamed Ibrahim Elsayed Ibrahi ELSAYED (EGY)
Yasin OZAY (FRA)
Mamadassa SYLLA (FRA)
Stefan Roger CLEMENT (FRA)
Mate KRASZNAI (HUN)
Otto LOSONCZI (HUN)
Ignazio SANFILIPPO (ITA)
Ruben MARVICE (ITA)
Hansu RYU (KOR)
Mihai Radu MIHUT (ROU)
Azamat Gadjimuradovitch AKHMEDOV (RUS)
Andreas VETSCH (SUI)
Enes BASAR (TUR)
Haci KARAKUS (TUR)

72kg
Jakub BIELESZ (CZE)
Hassan Hassan Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY)
Anthony TANTINI (FRA)
Robert Attila FRITSCH (HUN)
Balint KORPASI (HUN)
Jeonggeun LEE (KOR)
Adam KURAK (RUS)
Evgenii VYSOTIN (RUS)
Aleksandr PAIVIN (RUS)
Selcuk CAN (TUR)
Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR)

77kg
Brayden William AMBO (CAN)
Oldrich VARGA (CZE)
Gil NUGUES (FRA)
Evrik NIKOGHOSYAN (FRA)
Georgios PREVOLARAKIS (GRE)
Zotlan LEVAI (HUN)
Laszlo SZABO (HUN)
Tamas LORINCZ (HUN)
Singh GURPREET (IND)
Riccardo Vito ABBRESCIA (ITA)
Luca DARIOZZI (ITA)
Ciro RUSSO (ITA)
Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR)
Dmitrii DZHIOEV (RUS)
Nicolas Peter CHRISTEN (SUI)
Aslan ATEM (TUR)
Serkan AKKOYUN (TUR)

82kg
Singh HARPREET (IND)
Matteo MAFFEZZOLI (ITA)
Antonio MALANGONE (ITA)
George Vlad MARIEA (ROU)
Adel SADYKOV (RUS)
Fabio DIETSCHE (SUI)
Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR)

87kg
Ondrej DADAK (CZE)
Rami Antero HIETANIEMI (FIN)
Ariel Andres ALFONSO RODRIGUEZ (HON)
Viktor LORINCZ (HUN)
Erik SZILVASSY (HUN)
Kumar SUNIL (IND)
Fabio PARISI (ITA)
Mirco MINGUZZI (ITA)
Heageun PARK (KOR)
Gadzhimurad DZHALALOV (RUS)
Ramon Rainer BETSCHART (SUI)
Ali CENGIZ (TUR)
Dogan GOKTAS (TUR)
Josef Patrick RAU (USA)

97kg
Artur OMAROV (CZE)
Spyridon KOUNTOURATZIS (GRE)
Kevin MEJIA CASTILLO (HON)
Balazs KISS (HUN)
Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA)
Daigoro TIMONCINI (ITA)
Armen GRIGORYAN (RUS)
Damian VON EUW (SUI)
Cenk ILDEM (TUR)
Ibrahim TIGCI (TUR)
Tracy Gangelo HANCOCK (USA)

130kg 
Stepan DAVID (CZE)
Alexandros Marios ZORATLY (GRE)
Balint LAM (HUN)
Minseok KIM (KOR)
Yongmin KIM (KOR)
Constantin HUTULEAC (ROU)
Lenard Istvan BEREI (ROU)
Osman YILDIRIM (TUR)

Erica WIEBE (CAN) is one of three Olympic champions who will be competing next week at the Sassari City Matteo Pellicone Memorial. She'll wrestle at 76kg. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne) 

Women's Wrestling 

50kg
Kamila BARBOSA VITO DA SILVA (BRA)
Jade Marie DUFOUR (CAN)
Natasha Irene Vera KRAMBLE (CAN)
Madison Bianca PARKS (CAN)
Jacqueline Del Rocio MOLLOCANA ELENO (ECU)
Tabatha Helene Laurence GRUNEWALD (FRA)
Julie Martine SABATIE (FRA)
Valentina Ivanovna ISLAMOVA BRIK (KAZ)
YeoJin KIM (KOR)
Anzhelika VETOSHKINA (RUS)
Fredrika Ida PETERSSON(SWE)

53kg
Samantha Leigh STEWART (CAN)
Diana Mary Helen WEICKER (CAN)
Luisa Elizabeth VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU)
Marina RUEDA FLORES (ESP)
Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA)
Mercedesz DENES (HUN)
Zhuldyz ESHIMOVA (KAZ)
Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ)
Hyungjoo KIM (KOR)
Jessica Cornelia Francisca BLASZKA (NED)
Silje Knutsen KIPPERNES (NOR)
Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS)

55kg
Emily Suzanne SCHAEFER (CAN)
Jayd alexandria DAVIS (CAN)
Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ)
Viktoriia VAULINA (RUS)
Sofia Magdalena MATTSSON (SWE)

57kg
Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE)
Katsiaryna HANCHAR YANUSHKEVICH (BLR)
Hannah Fay TAYLOR (CAN)
Tianna Grace KENNETT (CAN)
Alexandria Rebekkah TOWN (CAN)
Lissette Alexandra ANTES CASTILLO (ECU)
Graciela SANCHEZ DIAZ (ESP)
Mathilde Hélène RIVIERE (FRA)
Emese BARKA (HUN)
Pooja DHANDA (IND)
Sarita SARITA (IND)
Arianna CARIERI (ITA)
Francesca INDELICATO (ITA)
Carola RAINERO (ITA)
Altynay SATYLGAN (KAZ)
Emma TISSINA (KAZ)
Odunayo Folasade ADEKUOROYE (NGR)
Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR)
Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS)
Sara Johanna LINDBORG (SWE)
Kelsey Rene CAMPBELL (USA)

57kg
Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE)
Katsiaryna HANCHAR YANUSHKEVICH (BLR)
Hannah Fay TAYLOR (CAN)
Tianna Grace KENNETT (CAN)
Alexandria Rebekkah TOWN (CAN)
Lissette Alexandra ANTES CASTILLO (ECU)
Graciela SANCHEZ DIAZ (ESP)
Mathilde Hélène RIVIERE (FRA)
Emese BARKA (HUN)
Pooja DHANDA (IND)
Sarita SARITA (IND)
Arianna CARIERI (ITA)
Francesca INDELICATO (ITA)
Carola RAINERO (ITA)
Altynay SATYLGAN (KAZ)
Emma TISSINA (KAZ)
Odunayo Folasade ADEKUOROYE (NGR)
Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR)
Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS)
Sara Johanna LINDBORG (SWE)
Kelsey Rene CAMPBELL (USA)

59kg
Linda MORAIS (CAN)
Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN)
Maria Victoria BAEZ DILONE (ESP)
Ramona GALAMBOS (HUN)
Kumari MANJU (IND)
Madina BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
Nazira AMANZHOLOVA (KAZ)
Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS)

62kg
Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)
Tetiana OMELCHENKO (AZE)
Elmira GAMBAROVA (AZE)
Veranika IVANOVA (BLR)
Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA)
Braxton Rei STONE (CAN)
Lydia PEREZ TOURINO (ESP)
Sakshi MALIK (IND)
Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA)
Annalisa MARZULLI (ITA)
Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ)
Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ)
Jiae CHOI (KOR)
Aminat Oluwafunmilayo ADENIYI (NGR)
Henna Katarina JOHANSSON (SWE)
Moa Lena Maria NYGREN (SWE)
Malin Johanna MATTSSON (SWE)
Marwa AMRI (TUN)
Mallory Maxine VELTE (USA)

65kg
Amanda SAVARD (CAN)
Pauline Denise LECARPENTIER (FRA)
Saidy Lorena CHAVEZ FIGUEROA (HON)
Gabriella SLEISZ (HUN)
Aina TEMIRTASSOVA (KAZ)
Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS)

68kg
Maryia MAMASHUK (BLR)
Danielle Suzanne LAPPAGE (CAN)
Olivia Grace DI BACCO (CAN)
Alexia Rose SHERLAND (CAN)
Divya KAKRAN (IND)
Dalma CANEVA (ITA)
Sara DA COL (ITA)
Irina KAZYULINA (KAZ)
Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)
Anastasiia BRATCHIKOVA (RUS)
Tamyra Mariama MENSAH (USA)

72kg
Dejah Aniela SLATER(CAN)
Samar Amer Ibrahim HAMZA(EGY)
Koumba Selene Fanta LARROQUE(FRA)
Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA(KAZ)
Anna Jenny Eva Maria FRANSSON(SWE)

76kg
Sabira ALIYEVA (AZE)
Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR)
Natallia LANKO (BLR)
Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA)
Gracelynn DOOGAN (CAN)
Erica Elizabeth WIEBE (CAN)
Genesis Rosangela REASCO VALDEZ (ECU)
Epp MAE (EST)
Cynthia Vanessa VESCAN (FRA)
Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER)
Zsanett NEMETH (HUN)
Enrica RINALDI (ITA)
Gulmaral YERKEBAYEVA (KAZ)
Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ)
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
Eunju HWANG (KOR)
Iselin Maria Moen SOLHEIM (NOR)
Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS)
Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS)

#WrestleBudapest

Ranking Series: Tazhudinov leads star-studded Freestyle field

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 15) -- Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) marked his return after the Paris Olympic Games with gold at the Grand Prix of Spain. If his opponents thought their will be any rust after the long break, they were mistaken. Tazhudinov won four bouts, all via technical superiority, without giving up a point.

And if you missed watching the Grand Prix, Tazhudinov continues his return in Budapest at the Ranking Series, the last before the World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.

Women's Wrestling Preview | Greco-Roman Preview

Tazhudinov has been on an eight-tournament gold-medal winning streak dating back to 2023 Asian Championships. The only international loss he suffered was in 2023 at the Ibrahim Mustafa Ranking Series. But Tazhudinov now is perhaps the best wrestler walking on the planet right now.

The 97kg weight class in Budapest will see Tazhudinov take on the likes of Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK), Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO), Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL), Jay AIELLO (USA), Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (UWW) among others.

But no name on that list seems a threat to Tazhudinov, who is likely to put on another masterclass.

Tazhudinov is not the only start landing in Budapest. Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE), Islam DUDAEV (ALB), Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) and Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) to name a few others.

European silver medalist Kadzimahamedau will be at 86kg, his weight class since the start of this season as he tries to be at his third Olympics in 2028. But the bracket in Budapest will be a testing one as Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE), Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA), Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI), Boris MAKOEV (SVK) and Osman GOCEN (TUR) are some of the big names.

Savadkouhi is leading a small Iran team that made it to Budapest. While he will be at 86kg, Abbas EBRAHIMZADEH (IRI) and Sina KHALILI (IRI) are entered at 70kg. Fariborz BABAEI (IRI) will be at 79kg for Iran.

Khalili and Ebrahimzadeh are potentially trying to be on the Iran team for Zagreb. A win in Budapest will at least guarantee the winner a domestic playoff of chance if Iran decides that way.

But a gold medal won't be easy. European medalist Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM), Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE), world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) and world silver medalist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) are all going for gold.

Aoyagi, who will be Japan's representative in Zagreb as well, will be the favorite given his crafty style and technique. Muszukajev has not looked the same as he did while winning the 2023 world gold in Belgrade.

For Babaei at 79kg, the challenge will come from Asian medalist Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN), European silver medalist Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA), world silver medalist Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), European Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE), former world U20 silver Ryunosuke KAMIYA (JPN).

Kougiomtsidis is competing for the first time since the Paris Games in which he lost in first round. But at 79kg, Kougiomtsidis can be a real threat for his opponent.

Gamkrelidze, a force at 79kg, is dropping from 86kg after an unsuccessful attempt to qualify for Paris and even at April's European Championships. Kamiya won the Meiji Cup recently and will be Japan's representative at 79kg in Zagreb.

In one of the highly contested weight classes, 74kg can see a few surprises. Azerbaijan is sending Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) and Magomed KHANIEV (AZE), undoubtedly its best talents at this weight class.

Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN), the world U23 champion, and returning after injury will be keen on proving himself at the senior level. Asian silver medalist Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ), European bronze Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) and United States' star David CARR (USA) are also in the field.

Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO), Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN) and JAIDEEP (IND) will hope to finish on the podium at 74kg.

At 92kg also, Azerbaijan has Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) and Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), perhaps in a bid to finalize their selection for Zagreb. 

But it will be European champion Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) who will be the favorite to win the gold medal in Budapest. World silver medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) needs to find his confidence back before World Championships, and medal in Budapest will do exactly that.

The 57kg weight class has world U20 champion Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) who will be at his first Ranking Series and it will be big test for him. He has the likes of Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE), Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO), Luka GVINJILIA (GEO), Aryan TSIUTRYN (UWW), RAHUL (IND) and Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) who have senior level experience.

A gold medal in Budapest can give a big boost to Lilledahl as he tries to make the senior team in the U.S. in the coming years. He lost to Spencer LEE (USA) in the domestic playoffs for World Championships.

Asian champion Takara SUDA (JPN), who won in Tirana, will be at 61kg and so will be his opponent UDIT (IND), who lost to Suda in the final in Amman.

Add to the mix Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) and Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR), who recently won the Yasar Dogu. Incidentally, he also beat Udit in the final in Turkiye. Former world silver medalist Seth GROSS (USA) has also entered at 61kg. 

Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Islam DUDAEV (ALB) missed the European Championships due to an injury but he is returning to international competition. He may face stiff challenge from Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA), SUJEET (IND) and Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK).

European champion at 125kg Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) has a chance to earn more ranking points before the World Championships with a gold medal in Budapest. 

While he starts as the favorite, he is likely to face Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO) who lost to him in the final seconds of the European final to finish with silver. The Georgian will be keen to avenge that loss. Matcharashvili, European champion at 97kg, will also be at 125kg perhaps to not reduce weight before the World Championships.

European U23 champions Georgi IVANOV (BUL) and Alen KHUBULOV (BUL, , Vlagyiszlav BAJCAJEV (HUN) and Robert BARAN (POL) are also contenders to finish on the podium.