RIO DE JANEIRO (August 19) – Two-time world champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) looks at a possible semifinal showdown with London 2012 gold medalist Sharif SHARIPOV (AZE) on Saturday, the second day of freestyle wrestling at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Twenty-year-old Sadulaev launches his quest for his first Olympic Games gold medal at 86kg in a round of 16 bout against 2013 world bronze medalist Istvan VEREB (HUN) at Carioca Arena 2.

Possible semifinal opponents for Sadulaev could be Sharipov, or Sandro AMINASHVILI (GEO), the 2015 world and European Games bronze medalist.

On the side of the bracket, world bronze medalist Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI) begins in the preliminary bouts and could face one of two world silver medalists from this Olympic cycle – Selim YASAR (TUR) or Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB).

Meanwhile, at 125kg, world champion top-seeded Taha AKGUL (TUR) appears at the top of the bracket with the leading challengers being fifth-place finishers at the 2015 world meet -- JARGALSAIKHAN Chuluunbat (MGL) and Levan BERIANIDZE (ARM).

The bottom half of the bracket is weighted by a number of world medalists, including last year’s silver medalist at Las Vegas Jamaladdin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) as well as bronze medal winners Bilyal MAKHOV (RUS) and Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO).

Adding to the level of difficulty in the lower half are world silver medalists Alen ZASIEIEV (UKR, 2013) and Komeil GHASEMI (IRI, 2014) as well as 2014 bronze medalist Tervel DLAGNEV (USA). Makhov and Ghasemi were also bronze medalists at London 2012.

Freestyle 86kg (19 entries)

Preliminary Round
Pr A - Aslan KAKHIDZE (KAZ) v Amarhadzhi MAGOMEDOV (BLR)
Pr B - ORGODOL Uitumen (MGL) v Mihail GANEV (BUL)
Pr C - Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI) v Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN)

Round of 16
Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) v Istvan VEREB (HUN)
Pedro CEBALLOS FUENTES (VEN) v Mohamed Aly Zaghloul MOHAMED (EGY)
BI Shengfeng (CHN) v Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE)
Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL) v Sandro AMINASHVILI (GEO)

Selim YASAR (TUR) v Jamie ESPINAL (PUR)
Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) v KIM Gwan-Uk (KOR)
J’den COX (USA) v Winner PrA
Winner PrB v Winner PrC

Freestyle 125kg (20 entries)

Preliminary Round
PrA – Alen ZASIEIEV (UKR) v Bilyal MAKHOV (RUS)
PrB – Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) v Dimitar KUMCHEV (BUL)
PrC – Korey JARVIS (CAN) v Komeil GHASEMI (IRI)
PrD – Radhouane CHEBBI (TUN) v Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY)

Round of 16
Taha AKGUL (TUR) v JARGALSAIKHAN Chuluunbat (MGL)
Ibrahim SAIDOV (BLR) v Daulet SHABANBAY (KAZ)
DENG Zhiwei (CHN) v Levan BERIANIDZE (ARM)
Florian TEMENGIL (PLW) v Daniel LIGETI (HUN)

Jamaladdin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) v Tervel DLAGNEV (USA)
Robert BARAN (POL) v Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ)
Winner PrA v Winner PrB
Winner PrC v Winner PrD