RIO DE JANEIRO (August 18) – Reigning and former world champs will be colliding early on Friday, the opening day of freestyle competition at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) and Haji ALIEV (AZE), 2015 world champs at 57kg and 61kg, respectively, have drawn to the top of the bracket at 57kg and could square in the quarterfinals at Carioca Arena 2.

Meanwhile, former world champs Hassan RAHIMI (IRI) and Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) have a similar situation in the lower half of the bracket with 2014 world champ YANG Kyong-Il (PRK) starting in the preliminaries and working his way through to lower portion.

London 2012 gold medalist and reigning world champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) begins atop the 74kg bracket, but faces the prospect of meeting world bronze medalist Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) in the quarterfinals.

The lower half of the bracket opens with a meeting between world silver medalist PUREVJAV Unurbat (MGL) and European champion Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR).

The winner likely square off with Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI), the world silver medalist at 70kg, who has been a minor surprise at 74kg with runner-up showings in a pair of the international events in 2016 and eye-opening performance at the World Cup in June.

London 2012 bronze medalist at 66kg Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) and 2014 world silver medalist Sosuke TAKATANI (JPN) are likely to emerge from the preliminaries as challengers for a place in the semifinals.

Freestyle 57kg (20 entries)

Preliminary Round
Pr1 – Chakir ANSARI (MAR) v Asadulla LACHINOV (BLR)
Pr2 – Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) v YANG Kyong-Il (PRK)
Pr3 – Yowlys BONNE RODRIQUEZ (CUB) v Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB)
Pr4 – Adama DIATTA (SEN) v ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL)

Round of 16
Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) v Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ)
Haji ALIEV (AZE) v YUN Jun-Sik (KOR)
Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) v Daniel DENNIS (USA)
Suleyman ATLI (TUR) v Ivan GUIDEA (ROU)

Hassan RAHIMI (IRI) v Garnik MNATSAKANYAN (ARM)
Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) v Sandeep TOMAR (IND)
Winner Pr1 v Winner Pr2
Winner Pr3 v Winner Pr4

Freestyle 74kg (20 entries)

Preliminary Round
Pr1 – Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) v Narsingh YADAV (IND)
Pr2 – Sosuke TAKATANI (JPN) v Talgat ILYASOV (AUS)
Pr3 – Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) v Taimuraz FRIEV-NASKIDAEVA (ESP)
Pr4 – Galymzhan USSERBAYEV (KAZ) v Evgheni NEDEALCO (MDA)

Round of 16
Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) v Augusto MIDANA (GBS)
Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) v Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB)
Jakob MAKARASHVILI (GEO) v Georgi IVANOV (BUL)
Carlos IZQUIERDO MENDEZ (COL) v Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE)

PUREVJAV Unurbat (MGL) v Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR)
Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) v Asnage CASTELLY (HAI)
Winner Pr1 v Winner Pr2
Winner Pr3 v Winner Pr4