#WrestleBelgrade

Freestyle entries released for 2023 World Championships

Friday, August 25, 2023 - 14:04 By Eric Olanowski

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BELGRADE, Serbia (August 25) --- United World Wrestling has released the preliminary freestyle entries for the 2023 World Championships.

The World Championships will be live in Belgrade, Serbia, September 16-24, with freestyle kicking off the competition on the 16th.

Seven returning champions— Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB), Rei HIGUCHI (JPN), Rahman AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI), Kyle DAKE (USA), David TAYLOR III (USA), Kyle SNYDER (USA) and Taha AKGUL (TUR)—are headed to Belgrade striving to add another world title to their list of achievements..

The 2023 World Championships hold significant importance for the 2024 Olympic cycle as it marks the initial phase of the six qualifying events for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 90 Olympic quotas—30 each in freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women's wrestling—are up for contention in Belgrade.

The Olympic quotas will be allocated across six weight classes: 57kg, 65kg, 74kg, 86kg, 97kg, and 125kg. Additionally, four non-Olympic weights will be contested—61kg, 70kg, 79kg, and 92kg—however, placements in these categories will have no impact on qualification for the Paris Olympics.

Wrestlers who achieve gold, silver, or bronze medals in the six Olympic weight categories will secure a place for their nation in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Additionally, the two wrestlers who fall short in the bronze-medal bouts will compete in a wrestle-off to determine the fifth quota for the Paris Olympics.

Other Olympic Qualification Events:
}March 01-03: Pan-American Olympic Qualifier in Acapulco, Mexico
March 22-24: African and Oceania Olympic Qualifier in Cairo, Egypt
April 04-07: European Olympic Qualifier in Baku, Azerbaijan
April 19-21: Asian Olympic Qualifier in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
May 09-12: World Olympic Qualifier in Istanbul, Turkey

At 57kg, reigning world champion Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB) will share headlining responsibilities with Rei HIGUCHI (JPN). Higuchi, who previously held the 61kg world title, has decided to compete at his Rio 2016 Olympic silver medal weight of 57kg.

Other medalists from last year that'll compete at 57kg are bronze medal finishers Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL) and Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM). Zandanbud's bronze came in the 57kg category, while Harutyunyan competed at 61kg.

With Higuchi's move to the 57kg Olympic weight, the 61kg division lacks a clear frontrunner. Nevertheless, there are three entrants with world medals to their name. Reza Ahmadali ATRINAGHARCHI (IRI) was the runner-up last year, and Narankhuu NARMANDAKH (MGL) and Stevan Andria MICIC (SRB) both claimed bronze medals.

Despite being registered at 61kg, there's a strong possibility that Micic might reclassify and move down to the 57kg category, considering the Olympic qualification stakes.

At 65kg, world and Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) is set to return after a hiatus since his gold-medal win at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Wrestling enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating a potential showdown between Otoguro and reigning world champion Rahman AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI).

Other prominent contenders in the 65kg division include superstar Haji ALIYEV (AZE), a three-time world champion and two-time Olympic medalist, as well as two-time world bronze medalist Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN).

In the 70kg class, Zain RETHERFORD (USA), Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ), and Amirmohammad YAZDANICHERATI (IRI) are the top targets for all contenders. While these three wrestlers have reached the world finals recently, they fell short of their lifelong ambition of reaching the pinnacle of the sport.

The ultra-competitive 74kg weight class is led by Kyle DAKE (USA), who has been the dominant figure in the division since transitioning from 79kg in January 2020. Since that shift, Dake has triumphed in 7 out of 8 competitions, securing two world titles, with his only loss coming against Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (AIN) at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Kadimahamedau, the wrestler responsible for defeating Dake at the Olympic Games, is set to return to the international stage in Belgrade. Behind Dake and Kadimahamedau, Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) holds the third position on the favorites list. Despite reaching the world finals twice in consecutive years, Salkazanov fell short against Dake on both occasions.

Other dark horses in this weight category, with past world medals to their names, include Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR), Yones Aliakbar EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI), and Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA).

In a notable development, Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB), after experimenting at 86kg, has decided to shift back to 74kg in pursuit of another Olympic medal.

With the absence of the two-time reigning 79kg world champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA), Mohammad NOKHODILARIMI (IRI) emerges as the frontrunner in this weight division. Nokhodilarimi reached the finals in two consecutive years but faced defeat against Burroughs, settling for second place.

In the 86kg category, David TAYLOR III (USA) stands as the undeniable favorite, following his commanding victory over Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) in Belgrade a year ago. Taylor carries with him a history of wins against Yazdani, having secured victories in the 2017 World Cup, 2018 World Championships, 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, and 2022 World Championships. Yazdani's sole win against Taylor came at the 2021 World Championships.

Myles Nazem AMINE (SMR), Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ), and Boris MAKOEV (SVK) are the three prominent contenders with the best prospects of preventing a Taylor vs. Yazdani rematch in the world finals. Amine, an Olympic bronze medalist, alongside Dauletbekov and Makoev, both returning world bronze medalists, are aiming to make their mark.

At 92kg, with Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) and J’den COX (USA) absent from the registration list, the frontrunners become the 2022 world bronze medalists Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) and Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO).

In the 97kg division, with the absence of Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) on the early entry list, Kyle SNYDER (USA) emerges as the top contender. Snyder, a three-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist, is likely to face strong competition from world bronze medalist Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) and Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) as he aims to secure his fourth world gold.

At 125kg, Gable STEVESON (USA) is set to return after a substantial absence. The 21-year-old sensation made waves at the Tokyo Olympic Games, stunning the wrestling community with his triumph. He managed to defeat now-reigning world champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) and three-time world champion Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) en route to Olympic glory.

Following his Olympic gold, Steveson took a brief retirement from wrestling to pursue a career in WWE. However, he has since added another Olympic gold to his aspirations.

During Steveson's absence, young contender Amir ZARE (IRI) has emerged as a dominant figure in the weight class. Zare claimed world gold in Oslo before relinquishing the crown to Rio Olympic champion Akgul in Belgrade. A highly anticipated clash between Zare and Steveson is eagerly awaited by fans after numerous exchanges on social media.

One often underestimated contender in this division is reigning world runner-up MUNKHTUR Lkhagvagerel (MGL). He showcased his capabilities last year by competing well against elite opponents, even shocking Petriashvili to reach the finals.

The 2023 World Championships begin September 16-24 in Belgrade, Serbia. Fans can follow all the action live on www.uww.org or on 'The Home of Wrestling,' United World Wrestling's new app.

Note: The aforementioned entries are preliminary and subject to change.

Freestyle entries:

57kg
Dzmitry SHAMELA (AIN)
Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB)
Bofenda KALUWEKO (ANG)
Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE)
Georgi VANGELOV (BUL)
Darthe CAPELLAN (CAN)
Wanhao ZOU (CHN)
Gamal MOHAMED (EGY)
Levan METREVELI (ESP)
Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS)
Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO)
Niklas STECHELE (GER)
Milad VALIZADEH (IRI)
Simone PIRODDU (ITA)
Rei HIGUCHI (JPN)
Meirambek KARTBAY (KAZ)
Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ)
Gukhyeon KIM (KOR)
Ben TARIK (MAR)
Igor CHICHIOI (MDA)
Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL)
Vladimir EGOROV (MKD)
Muhammad BILAL (PAK)
Darian CRUZ (PUR)
Razvan KOVACS (ROU)
Gayan KATHURANGANA (SRI)
Thomas EPP (SUI)
Suleyman ATLI (TUR)
Kamil KERYMOV (UKR)
Zane RICHARDS (USA)
AMAN (UWW)
Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB)

61kg
Andrei BEKRENEU (AIN)
Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG)
Norik HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
Georgii OKOROKOV (AUS)
Intigam VALIZADA (AZE)
Stilyan ILIEV (BUL)
Nicholas LATTANZE (CAN)
Congbao XIE (CHN)
Shota PHARTENADZE (GEO)
Reza ATRI (IRI)
Daniel POPOV (ISR)
Kodai OGAWA (JPN)
Ossimzhan DASTANBEK (KAZ)
Kenneth KOECH (KEN)
Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ)
Hyeonsik SONG (KOR)
Leomid COLESNIC (MDA)
Narankhuu NARMANDAKH (MGL)
Besir ALILI (MKD)
Joseph SILVA (PUR)
Nikolai OKHLOPKOV (ROU)
Stevan MICIC (SRB)
Nils LEUTERT (SUI)
Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR)
Valentyn BLIASETSKYI (UKR)
Vitali ARUJAU (USA)
Akash DAHIYA (UWW)
Jahongirmirza TUROBOV (UZB)

65kg
Niurgun SKRIABIN (AIN)
Islam DUDAEV (ALB)
Pedro LUVUEZO (ANG)
Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG)
Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM)
Haji ALIYEV (AZE)
Ayub MUSAEV (BEL)
Alibeg ALIBEGOV (BRN)
Mikyay NAIM (BUL)
Lachlan MCNEIL (CAN)
Shaohua YUAN (CHN)
Uber CUERO (COL)
Yanisse MADI (COM)
Alejandro VALDES (CUB)
Carlos ALVAREZ (ESP)
Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA)
Junjun ASEBIAS (FSM)
Edemi BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Alexander SEMISOROW (GER)
Ethan AGUIGUI (GUM)
Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN)
Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI)
Joshua FINESILVER (ISR)
Colin REALBUTO (ITA)
Takuto OTOGURO (JPN)
Adil OSPANOV (KAZ)
Levi NYONGESA (KEN)
Ikromzhon KHADZHIMURODOV (KGZ)
Seokki YOON (KOR)
Maxim SACULTAN (MDA)
Austin GOMEZ (MEX)
Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL)
Lowe BINGHAM (NRU)
Abdullah ASSAF (PLE)
Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL)
Sebastian RIVERA (PUR)
Stefan COMAN (ROU)
Sylvio DIATTA (SEN)
Divoshan CHARLES FERNANDO (SRI)
Nino LEUTERT (SUI)
Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK)
Cavit ACAR (TUR)
Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR)
Nicholas LEE (USA)
Anuj KUMAR (UWW)
Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)
Ibrahim GUZAN (YEM)

70kg
Nikita DMITRIJEVS MAYEUSKI  (AIN)
Patricio MANGUAU (ANG)
Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM)
Magomed KHANIEV (AZE)
Ramazan RAMAZANOV (BUL)
Michael ASSELSTINE (CAN)
Hazhimuhan YELIXIATI (CHN)
Amr REDA (EGY)
Caetano SA (GBS)
Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO)
Kevin HENKEL (GER)
Daniel ANTAL (HUN)
Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI)
Orts ISAKOV (JOR)
Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN)
Sanzhar DOSZHANOV (KAZ)
Brian Maurice OLOO (KEN)
Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ)
Yongseok JEONG (KOR)
Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA)
Cristian SANTIAGO (MEX)
Temuulen ENKHTUYA (MGL)
Fati VEJSELI (MKD)
Patryk OLENCZYN (POL)
Viktor VOINOVIC (SRB)
Niroshan MUNASINGE (SRI)
Marc DIETSCHE (SUI)
Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK)
Perman HOMMADOV (TKM)
Servet COSKUN (TUR)
Ihor NYKYFORUK (UKR)
Zain RETHERFORD (USA)
ABHIMANYOU (UWW)
Zafarbek OTAKHONOV (UZB)

74kg
Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (AIN)
Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM)
Simon MARCHL (AUT)
Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Cesar BORDEAUX (BRA)
Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN)
Ali UMARPASHAEV (BUL)
Adam THOMSON (CAN)
Feng LU (CHN)
Anthony WESLEY (CPV)
Erik REINBOK (EST)
Bacar NDUM (GBS)
Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO)
Tim MUELLER (GER)
Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)
Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN)
Yones EMAMI (IRI)
Mitchell FINESILVER (ISR)
Frank CHAMIZO (ITA)
Daichi TAKATANI (JPN)
Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ)
Mathayo MAHABILA (KEN)
Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (KGZ)
Seungchul LEE (KOR)
Vasile DIACON (MDA)
Anthony VALENCIA (MEX)
Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL)
Marko ANDONOV (MKD)
Inayat ULLAH (PAK)
Kamil RYBICKI (POL)
Shane JONES (PUR)
Iakub SHIKHDZHAMALOV (ROU)
Mamadou DIOUF (SEN)
Mamudu MARAH (SLE)
Malik AMINE (SMR)
Hetik CABOLOV (SRB)
Udayantha FERNANDO (SRI)
Tobias PORTMANN (SUI)
Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK)
Magomet EVLOEV (TJK)
Kakageldi AGAYEV (TKM)
Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR)
Jamal ABDUL (UGA)
Tymur HUDYMA (UKR)
Kyle DAKE (USA)
NAVEEN (UWW)
Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB)
Anthony MONTERO (VEN)

79kg
Andrei KARPACH (AIN)
Chems  FETAIRIA (ALG)
Francisco KADIMA (ANG)
Arman AVAGYAN (ARM)
Orkhan ABASOV (AZE)
Mihail GEORGIEV (BUL)
Jasmit PHULKA (CAN)
Peilong LI (CHN)
Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO)
Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI)
Yuto MIWA (JPN)
Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ)
Gunwoo LEE (KOR)
Alans AMIROVS (LAT)
Raul PALACIOS (MEX)
Byambadorj BAT ERDENE (MGL)
Stefan DIMITROV (MKD)
Krisztian BIRO (ROU)
Zaur EFENDIEV (SRB)
Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK)
Shuhrat BOZOROV (TJK)
Gurbanmyrat OVEZBERDIYEV (TKM)
Ramazan SARI (TUR)
Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR)
Chandler MARSTELLER (USA)
Sachin MOR (UWW)
Iman MAHDAVI (UWW)

86kg
Rasul TSIKHAYEU (AIN)
Jayden LAWRENCE (AUS)
Benjamin GREIL (AUT)
Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)
Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN)
Ilia HRISTOV (BUL)
Alexander MOORE (CAN)
Zushen LIN (CHN)
Carlos IZQUIERDO (COL)
Matteo MONTEIRO (CPV)
Yurieski TORREBLANCA (CUB)
Taimuraz FRIEV (ESP)
Aimar ANDRUSE (EST)
Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA)
Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO)
Lars SCHAEFLE (GER)
Patrik PUESPOEKI (HUN)
Hassan YAZDANI (IRI)
Matthew FINESILVER (ISR)
William RAFFI (ITA)
Erzo ISAKOV (JOR)
Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN)
Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ)
Mark ONGUYESI (KEN)
Narbek IZABEKOV (KGZ)
Deakyu KANG (KOR)
Ivars SAMUSONOKS (LAT)
Domantas PAULIUSCENKO (LTU)
Roman MANITRA RAHARISON (MAD)
Sofiane PADIOU BELMIR (MAR)
Ivan ICHIZLI (MDA)
Noel TORRES (MEX)
Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL)
Dejan MITROV (MKD)
Muhammad INAM (PAK)
Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL)
Ethan RAMOS (PUR)
Andrei FRANT (ROU)
Myles AMINE (SMR)
Sanjith BAPTIST (SRI)
Stefan REICHMUTH (SUI)
Boris MAKOEV (SVK)
Yanaal BARAZE (SYR)
Dovletmyrat ORAZGYLYJOV (TKM)
Osman GOCEN (TUR)
Ivan MASAKWE (UGA)
Vladyslav PRUS (UKR)
David TAYLOR (USA)
Sandeep Singh MANN (UWW)
Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB)
Pedro CEBALLOS (VEN)

92kg
Hajy RAJABAU (AIN)
Artunes PEDRO (ANG)
Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE)
Akhmed MAGAMAEV(BUL)
Tejvir BOAL (CAN)
Xiao SUN (CHN)
Arturo SILOT (CUB)
Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO)
Balazs JUHASZ (HUN)
Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI)
Uri KALASHNIKOV (ISR)
Abdul ABUIDAIJ (JOR)
Arash YOSHIDA (JPN)
Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ)
Dan CHEPTAI (KEN)
Woomin JANG (KOR)
Ion DEMIAN (MDA)
Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL)
Michal BIELAWSKI (POL)
Ermak KARDANOV (SVK)
Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR)
Denys SAHALIUK (UKR)
Zahid VALENCIA (USA)
Pruthviraj PATIL (UWW)
Rustam SHODIEV (UZB)

97kg
Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (AIN)
Sergey SARGSYAN (ARM)
Thomas BARNS (AUS)
Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE)
Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN)
Ahmed BATAEV (BUL)
Nishan Preet RANDHAWA (CAN)
Awusayiman HABILA (CHN)
Carlos ANGULO (COL)
Maxwell LACEY (CRC)
Mostafa ELDERS (EGY)
Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO)
Erik THIELE (GER)
Vlagyiszlav BAJCAJEV (HUN)
Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI)
Benjamin HONIS (ITA)
Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN)
Alisher YERGALI (KAZ)
Jaegang KIM (KOR)
Lukas KRASAUSKAS (LTU)
Radu LEFTER (MDA)
Badamdorj BALTMUNKH (MGL)
Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD)
Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL)
Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA)
Strahinja DESPIC (SRB)
Samuel SCHERRER (SUI)
Utah MANN (TGA)
Shatlyk HEMELYAYEV (TKM)
Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR)
Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR)
Kyle SNYDER (USA)
SAHIL (UWW)
Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB)

125kg
Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (AIN)
Paris KAREPI (ALB)
Catriel MURIEL (ARG)
Johannes LUDESCHER (AUT)
Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE)
Islam ADIZOV (BUL)
Bali SOU (CAM)
Zhiwei DENG (CHN)
Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY)
Jose CUBA (ESP)
Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)
Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER)
Daniel LIGETI (HUN)
Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI)
Abraham CONYEDO (ITA)
Aaron JOHNSON (JAM)
Taiki YAMAMOTO (JPN)
Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ)
Joel TUKAI (KEN)
Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ)
Donghwan KIM (KOR)
Eduardo GARCIA (MEX)
Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL)
Robert BARAN (POL)
Jonovan SMITH (PUR)
Magomedgadzhi NURASULOV (SRB)
Oma SAREM (SYR)
Zyyamuhammet SAPAROV (TKM)
Taha AKGUL (TUR)
Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR)
Lucas DAVISON (USA)
SUMIT (UWW)
Sardorbek KHOLMATOV (UZB)
Jose DIAZ (VEN)

#WrestleBelgrade

WATCH: Young challengers at 2023 World Championships

Saturday, September 9, 2023 - 19:46 By Vinay Siwach

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BELGRADE, Serbia (September 9) — For the pre-Olympic World Championship, most wrestlers try to move into the six Olympic weight classes in their respective styles. The competition to make the national team for these championships is fierce, as a medal can guarantee them a spot on the Olympic team for their country, a dream for most wrestlers.

With close to 1000 wrestlers competing in the 2023 World Championships, a few young stars who can make a name for themselves are also competing. They may not be the favorites to win the gold medal, but there are certain dark horses to upset any of the well-established names.

Among the three styles, a few teenagers have already won World Championship medals and will look to repeat in Belgrade. Others, the dark horses, will have an outside chance to shine on the biggest stage.

Here are nine wrestlers, three from each style, who can enhance their reputation in Belgrade.

Freestyle

AMAN (UWW) (57kg)

In the last four editions of the Asian Championships, the 57kg gold medal has been won by an Indian. Olympic silver medalist Ravi DAHIYA became the first Indian to win it three times when he struck gold in Ulaanbataar in 2022. As he pulled out injured from the 2023 edition, 19-year-old Aman stepped up and won the gold.

It could not have been more fitting, as Aman is a carbon copy of Dahiya with his long limbs helping him attack with ease and a gas tank that destroys wrestlers in the second period. It’s no surprise that the two train at the same stadium in Delhi.

Aman will have to step up once again as he takes his first trip to the World Championship. Now 20, Aman will be in a field with some of the biggest names in the world of wrestling.

The U23 world champion will have returning world champ Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB), 61kg world champ and 2016 Olympic silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI (JPN), Zane RICHARDS (USA), Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), 61kg European champion Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), 57kg European champion Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE), Suleyman ATLI (TUR) among others.

Aman's first senior-level gold came at the Bolat Turlykhanov Cup in 2022, and since then, he has participated in seven tournaments, winning medals in six of them including two golds. The tournaments have given Aman much-needed experience for the big event, where the youngster looks unfazed by the names in the bracket or the stage.

The two-time U17 world bronze medalist will also have his eyes on winning the Paris Olympics quota. Four years ago, Dahiya won a bronze medal to clinch a Tokyo Olympics quota in his first World Championships. Aman would not mind a similar result in his first Worlds.

Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) (65kg)

The 65 kg weight class in Belgrade will throw many surprises as most wrestlers are evenly matched in skills and temperament. World champion Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) and Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) can certainly be considered the heavy favorites, but it will be ill-advised to completely count out Haji ALIYEV (AZE), Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), Iszmail MUSZUKAJAEV (HUN), Nicholas LEE (USA), Mikyay NAIM (BUL), Alejandro VALDES (CUB), Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL), Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK), Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR) among others.

One name that is not mentioned in Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB). The 2022 U20 world champion has been taking long strides in recent tournaments, consistently winning medals at the Ranking Series events. Since 2022, Jalolov has managed to win medals in five out of eight competitions.

Jalolov’s is still a work in progress for the senior level, but a few of his results make for a great case. He began his senior career at UWW events at the Yasar Dogu Ranking Series and came home with a bronze medal by beating Tumur Ochir who has since raised his game significantly.

He lost to the Mongolian star 5-1 in Almaty in the third Ranking Series event but wrestled back to win another bronze. He added another bronze in 2023 at the Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Series event after losing to Tevanyan. The next two tournaments were the Asian Championships and the Bishkek Ranking Series. Jalolov finished without a medal in both after losing to Tumur Ochir. He, however, closed the gap in each meeting.

Jalolov is an aggressive counterattacker, which Tumur Ochir figured out after their first meeting. Tevanyan matches Jalolov in style. But not many have experienced what Jalolov brings with him, and with nothing to lose in Belgrade, Jalolov can outshine a number of seasoned campaigners.

Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) (92kg)

It’s rare that Japan has a potential medal winner in a heavier weight class. But Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) can change that in Belgrade.

Yoshida, whose only international experience is the Asian Championships in Astana this year, will be seeded sixth at 92kg since he collected 10000 points for winning gold in Astana. He blew hot and cold in Astana, as he won two bouts via technical superiority and two via decision. But never did he look like a 19-year-old out-of-place teenager.

After conquering Asia, Yoshida will have to step up if he wants to lay claim to the 92kg weight class. Both the finalists from last year, Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) and J’den COX (USA), will not be in Belgrade. But both bronze medalists, Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) and Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) are returning. Feyzulla AKTURK (TUR), Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) and Zahid VALENCIA (USA) are some of the hot favorites to reach the final this year.

Yoshida will have to deal with it and get rid of the nerves before the World Championship. He will be wrestling with stars who will have a few in the stands cheering for them. The experience from the Asian Championships and his Iranian style of wrestling can be a big boost for Yoshida, as not many have laid a hand on him.

Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ), who lost to Yoshida in the Asian Championships final, will look to avenge that loss, and that will be Yoshida’s big test—can he continue what he started and give hope to Japan?

Women’s Wrestling

ANTIM (UWW) (53kg)

Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) could well be the young star to watch out for, but who doesn’t know that? Fujinami is actually the favorite to win the gold in Belgrade, as she returns to the World Championship after skipping the last one due to injury. At just 20, Fujinami already has the senior world title, which she won in 2021 in Oslo as a teenager.

Another 20-year-old who can cause a few problems for others in Belgrade is Antim. The two-time U20 world champion has made a name for herself recently as the challenger to VINESH in India while performing on the international stage. Antim’s tactical wrestling led her to win the world titles along with a silver medal at the senior Asian Championships and gold at the Tunis Ranking Series last year.

But her first World Championships can bring a lot of challenges, including wrestling some of the strongest wrestlers out there at 53kg. Apart from Fujinami, Olympic silver medalist Qianyu PANG (CHN), Lucia YEPEZ (ECU), Maria PREVOLARKI (GRE), Iulia LEORDA (MDA), Andreea ANA (ROU), Jonna MALMGREN (SWE), Dominique PARRISH (USA) are some of the stars entered.

Her potential five bouts in Belgrade will test Antim every minute and provide a perfect picture of the challenges senior-level wrestling throws.

Aryna MARTYNAVA (AIN) (55kg)

The non-Olympic weight class has attracted 19 entries, led by former world champions Haruna OKUNO (JPN) and Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA). While there are many others like Karla GODINEZ (CAN), Mariia VYNNYK (UKR), Min ZHANG (CHN), who can stand on the podium, U20 world champion Aryna MARTYNAVA (AIN) will fancy her chances to claim one of the four spots available on the podium.

Martynava made the switch from 59kg to 55kg at the U20 World Championships in Amman, Jordan, this year and won the gold, spending merely three minutes and 35 seconds on the mat in four bouts (24 minutes). All four of her wins were via technical superiority, with the first two finishing in 28 seconds and the final in 21 seconds. It was only the semifinal, which went for 2:18.

Before a silver medal at the 2021 U20 World Championships, Martynava had odd medals at the U17 level. But her return to the mat after two years saw her dominate the competition. She would like to take the form into the World Championships, her first, and cause a few upsets at 55kg.

Milaimys MARIN PORTILLE (CUB) (76kg)

Portille won the Youth Olympic Games in 2018 and announced herself as a young star from Cuba. She went on to win the U20 and U23 World Championships in 2019 to continue her rise. It was only last year that she participated in her first senior World Championships and finished 14th.

As Portille returns to Belgrade for another World Championships, she will hope to put on a better show than the one she did against Anastasiia SHUSTOVA (UKR), losing 11-0. Portille did not look in her element and was struggling to attack or defend.

At 22, Portille has shown glimpses of being a good heavyweight wrestler, but to stand against the best in the world, she will have to raise her level in Belgrade. The likes of Adeline GRAY (USA), Samar HAMZA (EGY), Epp MAE (EST), Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) will not give her a second chance. She, however, can take confidence from the fact that she has wins over Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) and Tatiana RENTERIA (COL).

Greco-Roman

Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) (60kg)

Among all the stars that Azerbaijan has in its Greco-Roman line-up, Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) may be seen as a youngster with little chance to make it in the 60kg field at the World Championships. But don’t count him out.

The 21-year-old earned his spot at 60kg when Azerbaijan could have experimented with Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE), Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) and Murad MAMMADOV (AZE). But Mammadli’s selection is the writing on the wall that he is the one in the long run.

Mammadli has wrestled in three tournaments at the senior level this year and medals at all. He won a silver medal at the Zagreb Open to start the season before a bronze medal at the European Championship, and another bronze at the Budapest Ranking Series in July.

His three losses this year have been to Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI), Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) and Omid ARAMI (IRI). The first two wrestlers will be in Belgrade along with Kerem KAMAL (TUR), Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN), Zholoman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ), Victor CIOBANU (MDA) who can make life difficult for Mammadli but provide him the perfect platform to shine against the best.

Daniel SOHRABI (IRI) (72kg)

If not for Olympic champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI), Daniel SOHRABI (IRI) could well have been Iran’s representative at 67kg for the World Championships. But he has to move to 72kg and will be looking to upset a few established stars.

Sohrabi ability to make a comeback after falling behind makes him super lethal against wrestlers who try to hold on to their leads. He also has attacks to score from standing and does not wait for the par terre position.

In 2023, Sohrabi won gold at the third and fourth Ranking Series in Bishkek and Budapest, respectively. In Zagreb, he left without a medal after losing to Olympic champion Luis ORTA (CUB). That was his third loss since the start of 2022, with the other two being the U20 World Championship semifinal loss to Nika BROLADZE (GEO) and Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) in the Greco-Roman World Cup in December.

The World Championship will be another big yet important stop for Sohrabi as he tries to establish himself in the big league. He will have Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE), Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO), Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ), Ali ARSALAN (SRB), Selcuk CAN (TUR) and other solid wrestlers in the field.

Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) (77kg)

Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) has medals at all the age-group World Championships. But his debut World Championships at the senior level ended in 13th place. After skipping last year’s World Championships, Gutu is back with the aim of earning an Olympic spot for his country in Belgrade.

At 77kg, a weight class that has supremely talented wrestlers, Gutu will have his task cut out for him. The high-flying wrestler has to come up with his best defense from par terre, something that has troubled him in the past. He will have to keep a check on his big moves, as he has a habit of getting countered during such moves.

With Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM), Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE), Iuri LOMADZE (GEO), Zoltan LEVAI (HUN), Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI), Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ), Viktor NEMES (SRB), Yunus BASAR (TUR), Kamal BEY (USA) being some of the names entered, Gutu cannot let his guard down.