CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (January 6) – With the first qualifications for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games less than nine months away, world team hopefuls spent the last three months of 2014 in “post-season” competition trying to close the gap with the world championships medal winners.

The January rankings for men’s freestyle, released by United World Wrestling, kick off 2015 with world championships and Asian Games medalists dominating their respective weight categories while world team wannabes attempt to close the gap in some “postseason” competition.

Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS), winner of the 70kg title in Tashkent, was the only world champion in action in the postseason, winning the 74kg crown at the Copa Brasil in Rio de Janeiro in late November.

The only other world medalists competing in the last three months of 2014 were bronze medal winners GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) and Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS).

Ganzorig moved up a weight to win the 70kg crown at the world military championships while Gatsalov dropped to 97kg for the Kadyrov Cup in Grozny where he had to settle for fifth place.

With four of the autumn events in Russia, Russian wrestlers were the cause of much of the churn in the lower ranks.

World team member Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS), who finished ninth at 61kg in Tashkent, bounced back with wins in the Miners Fame in Kemerovo and the Dmitri Korkin tourney in Yakutsk.

Meanwhile, former world champion Bekhan GOIGEREEV (RUS) and Golden Grand Prix Final winner Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) won at the Ramzan Kadyrov Cup in Grozny.

Another double winner during the postseason was Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL), formerly a standout for Russia, who took the Korkin tourney title at 70kg in early October and added the Intercontinental Cup crown in Khasavyurt two weeks later.

Wrestlers are listed by name, country code, most recent or most significant result of 2014, and their ranking the previous month.

57kg – Ali Aliev titlist Artyom GEBEKOV (RUS) won the Kadyrov Cup and claimed a bronze medal at the Intercontinental Cup to edge up to No.14, while European bronze medalist Garik BARSEGHYAN (ARM) also climbed two rungs to No.18 with a third place at the Deglane Challenge in France.

1. JONG Hak-Jin (PRK) – Asian Games No.1 (1)
2. YANG Kyong-Il (PRK) – World No.1 (2)
3. Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) – World No.2 (3)
4. Rasul KALIEV (KAZ) – Asia Games No.2 (4)
5. Hassan RAHIMI (IRI) – World No.3 (5)
6. Vladislav ANDREEV (BLR) – World No.3 (6)
7. ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL) – World No.5 (7)
8. Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) – World No.5 (8)
9. Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (9)
10. Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) – Ziolkowski No.3 (10)
11. BATBOLD Nomin (MGL) – Asian Games No.3 (11)
12. Fumitaka MORISHITA (JPN) – Asia No.3 (12)
13. Amit KUMAR (IND) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (13)
14. Artyom GEBEKOV (RUS) – Kadyrov Cup No.1 (16)
15. DAMDINBAZAR Tsogtbaatar (MGL) – Asia No.2 (14)
16. Samat NADYRBEK UULU (KGZ) – Asia No.3 (15)
17. Zoheir EL OUARRAQE (FRA) – Europe No.3 (17)
18. Garik BARSEGHYAN (ARM) – Deglane Challenge No.3 (20)
19. Andrei DUKOV (ROU) – Europe No.5 (18)
20. YUN Jun-Sik (KOR) – Asian Games No.3 (19)

61kg – Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) regained some ground in the rankings with a pair of tourney triumphs following his quarterfinals exit from the world championships in Tashkent.  Bogomoev, coming in at No.5, had been ranked No.3 after winning the prestigious Ziolkowski Memorial in August.

Former world champion Bekhan GOIGEREEV (RUS), supplanted by Bogomoev for the 2014 world team berth, also edged up to No.8 after a win at the Kadyrov Cup in October.

1. Haji ALIEV (AZE) – World No.1 (1)
2. Masoud ESMAILPOUR (IRI) – World No.2 (2)
3. ENKHSAIKHAN Nyam-Ochir (MGL) – World No.3 (3)
4. Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) – World No.3 (4)
5. Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) – Korkin Tournament No.1 (7)
6. Andrei PERPELITA (MDA) – World No.5 (5)
7. Artas SANAA (KAZ) – World No.5 (6)
8. Bekhan GOIGEREEV (RUS) – Kadyrov Cup No.1 (9)
9. Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) – GGP Final No.2 (8)
10. Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) – Asian Games No.2 (10)
11. Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL) – German GP No.1 (11)
12. Noriyuki TAKATSUKA (JPN) – Asian Games No.3 (12)
13. Murshid MUTALIMOV (RUS) – Farrell Memorial No.1 (15)
14. TUMENBILEG Tuvshintulga (MGL) – Asian Games No.5 (13)
15. Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) – Asia Games No.5 (14)
16. Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) – GGP Final No.3 (16)
17. David TREMBLAY (CAN) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (17)
18. Muenir Recep AKTAS (TUR) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.3 (18)
19. Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) – Sargsyan Tournament No.2 (19)
20. James KENNEDY (USA) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (20)

65kg – European champion Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) prevailed at the Intercontinental Cup to regain some ground on world champion Soslan RAMONOV (RUS), moving from No.7 to No.5 after spending most of the spring and summer at the top of the rankings.

Meanwhile, 2013 world champion David SAFARYAN (ARM) closed out a frustrating year without a tournament title by slipping to No.12 after a loss to American phenom Aaron PICO (USA) in the Deglane Challenge final. Pico, a runner-up in the junior world championships, joins the rankings at No.18 behind world team member Brent METCALF (USA).

1. Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Sayed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI) – World No.2 (2)
3. GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) – World No.3 (3)
4. Mihail SAVA (MDA) – World No.3 (4)
5. Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) – Intercontinental Cup No.1 (7)
6. Azamat NURIKOV (BLR) – World No.5 (5)
7. Mustafa KAYA (TUR) – World No.5 (6)
8. Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) – Asian Games No.1 (8)
9. Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (9)
10. Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) – CAC Games No.1 (11)
11. Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) – World No.7 (12)
12. David SAFARYAN (ARM) – Deglane Challenge No.2 (10)
13. Borislav NOVACHKOV (BUL) – Europe No.3 (14)
14. Konstantin KHABALASHVILI (GEO) – Europe No.3 (15)
15. Magomed MUSLIMOV (AZE) – Intercontinental Cup No.2 (18)
16. Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) – Spanish GP No.1 (16)
17. Brent METCALF (USA) – GGP Final No.1 (17)
18. Aaron PICO (USA) – Deglane Challenge No.1 (not ranked)
19. Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB) – Asian Games No.3 (19)
20. George BUCUR (ROU) – German GP No.3 (20)

70kg – Russian transplant Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) reached the podium in three events last fall, taking gold medals at the Korkin tourney and the Intercontinental Cup, to join the rankings at No.6.

Golden Grand Prix Final winner Israil KASUMOV (RUS) claimed medals in the same events as Gadzhiev to climb from No.12 to No.7.

1. Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Yakup GOR (TUR) – World No.2 (2)
3. Ali SHABANOV (BLR) – World No.3 (3)
4. Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB) – World No.3 (4)
5. Zelimkhan YUSUPOV (TJK) – World No.5 (5)
6. Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) – Korkin Tourney No.1 (nr)
7. Israil KASUMOV (RUS) – Miners Fame No.1 (12)
8. Cleopas NCUBE (CAN) – World No.5 (6)
9. Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE) – Europe No.1 (7)
10. Nicholas MARABLE (USA) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (8)
11. Moustafa HOSSEINKHANI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (9)
12. Peyman YARAHMADI (IRI) – Stepan Sargsyan No.1 (10)
13. Grigor GRIGORYAN (ARM) – Europe No.2 (11)
14. Evgheni NEDEALCO (MDA) – Korkin Tourney No.3 (14)
15. Zsombor GULYAS (HUN) – Europe No.5 (13)
16. Miroslav KIROV (BUL) – Europe No.3 (15)
17. Adrian Ionut MOISE (ROU) – German GP No.2 (16)
18. Yoan BLANCO REINOSO (ECU) – Pan America No.3 (17)
19. Pedro SOTO CORDERO (PUR) – Pan America No.2 (18)
20. Takafumi KOJIMA (JPN) – Asian Games No.3 (19)

74kg – Kunaev International winner Galimzhan USSERBAEV (KAZ) took the crown at the world military championships to edge up to No.13 while Ali Aliev champion Kamal MALIKOV (RUS) moved up to No.17 with a runner-up performance at the Kadyrov Cup.

1. Denis TSARGUSH (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Sosuke TAKATANI (JPN) – World No.2 (2)
3. Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) – World No.3 (3)
4. Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) – World No.3 (4)
5. Jumber KVELASHVILI (GEO) – World No.5 (5)
6. Rustam DUDAEV (UKR) – World No.5 (6)
7. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) – Asian Games No.1 (7)
8. Essadollah AKBARI (IRI) – Asian Games No.2 (8)
9. Yabrail HASANOV (AZE) – Kadyrov Cup No.3 (9)
10. Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) – Europe No.1 (10)
11. Ashraf ALIEV (AZE) – World No.8 (11)
12. Reza AFZALI PAEMAMI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (12)
13. Galimzhan USSERBAEV (KAZ) – World Military No.1 (15)
14. Krystian BRZOZOWSKI (POL) – Europe No.3 (13)
15. Luca LAMPIS (FRA) – Deglane Challenge No.1 (14)
16. PUREVJAV Unurbat (MGL) – Asia No.2 (16)
17. Kamal MALIKOV (RUS) – Kadyrov Cup No.2 (20)
18. Leonid BAZAN (BUL) – Stepan Sargsyan No.2 (17)
19. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) – Europe No.3 (18)
20. Shushil KUMAR (IND) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (19)

86kg – Golden Grand Prix Final winner Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) took the Kadyrov Cup title and moved to No.6 in the rankings while European bronze medal winner Istvan VEREB (HUN) moved from No.14 to No.11 with a triumph at the Miners Fame event in Kemerovo.

Georgi SREDKOV (BUL) grabbed three medals over three months, capping his fall harvest with a gold medal at the Deglane Challenge to break into the rankings at No.17.  Akhmed MAGOMEDOV (RUS) joined the rankings at No.18 after repeating as Intercontinental Cup champion.

1. Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) – World No.2 (2)
3. Mohammadhossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) – World No.3 (3)
4. Selim YASAR (TUR) – World No.3 (4)
5. Meisam MOSTAFA JOUKAR (IRI) – Asian Games No.1 (5)
6. Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Kadyrov Cup No.1 (8)
7. Gamzat OSMANOV (AZE) – World No.5 (6)
8. Azlan KAKHIDZE (KAZ) – World No.5 (7)
9. Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) – Europe No.5 (9)
10. Albert SARITOV (RUS) - Ali Aliev No.1 (10)
11. Istvan VEREB (HUN) – Europe No.3 (14)
12. Ehsan LASHGARI (IRI) – GGP Final No.2 (11)
13. Michail GANEV (BUL) – World No.8 (12)
14. Georghita STEFAN (ROU) – German GP No.10 (13)
15. Musa MURTAZALIEV (ARM) – Europe No.3 (15)
16. ORGODOL Uitumen (MGL) – Asia No.3 (20)
17. Georgi SREDKOV (BUL) – Deglane Challenge No.1 (nr)
18. Akhmed MAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Intercontinental Cup No.1 (nr)
19. Tamerlan TAGZHIEV (CAN) - Commonwealth Games No.1 (18)
20. Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL) – Intercontinental Cup No.3 (19)

97kg – Shamil ERDOGAN (TUR) went from surprise bronze medalist at the world championships to a two-year suspension after testing positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol in Tashkent. Erdogan, previously ranked No.3, was dropped from the rankings and Pan American champion Javier CORTINA LACERRA (CUB) received the bronze medal and a No.5 in the rankings.

Meanwhile, William HARTH (GER) won the world military championship title and climbed to No.17 in the rankings, ahead of bronze medal winner at 125kg Radoslaw BARAN (POL).

1. Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE) – World No.2 (2)
3. Valeri ANDRIITSEV (UKR) – World No.3 (4)
4. Reza YAZDANI (IRI) – Asian Games No.1 (5)
5. Javier CORTINA LACERRA (CUB) – World No.5 (7)
6. Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) – World No.5 (6)
7. DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL) – Asian Games No.3 (8)
8. Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) – Asian Games No.2 (9)
9. Ivan YANKOUSKI (BLR) – Europe No.3 (10)
10. Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) – Ali Aliev No.2 (11)
11. Pavlo OLEYNIK (UKR) – Europe No.5 (12)
12. Egzon SHALA (ALB) – World No.7 (13)
13. ZHANG Xueyi (CHN) – Dan Kolov No.5 (14)
14. Rustam ISKANDARI (TJK) – Asia No.3 (15)
15. Jacob VARNER (USA) – GGP Final No.3 (16)
16. Nicolae CEBAN (MDA) – Europe No.3 (17)
17. William HARTH (GER) – World Military No.1 (20)
18. Radoslaw BARAN (POL) – World Military No.3 (18)
19. Yuri BELONOVSKI (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (19)
20. Vladislav BAITSAEV (RUS) – Kadyrov Cup No.2 (nr)

125kg – Alen ZASEEV (UKR), 2013 world silver medalist, won the Intercontinental Cup to leapfrog Asian Games finalists Parviz HADI (IRI) and Daulet SHABANBAY (KAZ) for No.7 in the rankings. Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS) breaks into the rankings at No.10 after finishing second to Aleksander KHOTSHIANIVSKI (UKR) in the Kadyrov Cup.

Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) was scratched from the rankings after testing positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine at the junior world championships in Zagreb.

1. Taha AKGUL (TUR) – World No.1 (1)
2. Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) – World No.2 (2)
3. Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) – World No.3 (3)
4. Tervel DLAGNEV (USA) – World No.3 (4)
5. Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) – World No.5 (5)
6. Aleksey SHEMAROV (BLR) – World No.5 (6)
7. Alen ZASEEV (UKR) – Intercontinental Cup No.1 (9)
8. Parviz HADI (IRI) – Asian Games No.1 (7)
9. Daulet SHABANBAY (KAZ) – Asian Games No.2 (8)
10. Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS) – Kadyrov Cup No.2 (nr)
11. Ali ISAEV (AZE) – Ali Aliev No.1 (10)
12. JARGALSAIKHAN Chuluunbat (MGL) – Asian Games No.5 (11)
13. Aslan DZEBISHOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.3 (12)
14. Alan KHUGAEV (RUS) – Ziolkowski No.3 (13)
15. Nick MATUHIN (GER) – German GP No.3 (15)
16. Abdollah GHOMI AVITI (IRI) – Ali Aliev No.2 (16)
17. Korey JARVIS (CAN) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (17)
18. Slim TRABELSI (TUN) – Africa No.1 (18)
19. Soslan GAGLOEV (SVK) – German GP No.2 (19)
20. Kurban KURBANOV (UZB) – Asia No.7 (20)