ULAANBAATAR (April 20) – The Rio 2016 Olympic Games selection process moves into Phase Three this weekend with the staging of the 1st World Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament at the Sport Buyant Ukhaa Complex in Ulaanbaatar.
A total of 48 berths will be up for grabs in the Mongolian capital with a number of world and Olympic Games medalists among the entries still trying to qualify their weight categories for their countries in Rio 2016.
A total of 252 berths in the Rio 2016 wrestling competition have already been allocated to 52 national Olympic committees through the first two phases of qualifying.
The top six wrestlers in each of wrestling’s 18 Olympic Games categories secured 108 berths for their respective NOCs at last September’s world championships while regional heroes grabbed another 144 slots in four continental qualifying meets held over the last two months.
With the first two phases of qualification completed, Russia leads all countries with 15 tickets for 18 of the events, including all six in both freestyle and Greco-Roman.
Azerbaijan and Kazakstan follow with 12 berths overall after Kazakstan rallied at the Asian qualifier, securing nine slots at home to pull even with Azerbaijan.
Egyptian wrestlers grabbed 11 berths at the Africa-Oceania qualifier, including a full slate of six in Greco-Roman, to bound from zero to fourth in the NOC totals. Three countries – Cuba, Iran and Japan – follow with 10 tickets to Rio.
Along with Russia in both men’s styles and Egypt in Greco-Roman, Iran has qualified in all six freestyle categories while Japan and Canada have booked places at all six weights in women’s wrestling.
By style, 35 of the 52 countries qualified, thus far, have at least one wrestler in freestyle while 35 countries have qualified for Greco-Roman, and 33 of the NOCs will be entered in the women’s events. Fifteen of the NOCs will be competing in all three styles.
In Ulaanbaatar, the top three wrestlers in freestyle and Greco-Roman as well as the two finalists in the women’s events in Ulaanbaatar will secure Rio 2016 berths for their NOCs.
At the end of the entire process, 344 competitors will have been named for the 18 wrestling events to be contested at Rio 2016, August 14-21.
A brief sketch of the competition over the next three days of competition in Ulaanbaatar:
Friday, April 22 – Greco-Roman, all categories
London 2012 gold medalist Hamid SORYAN (IRI) remains the biggest name still not qualified for Rio 2016 after being tripped up in Astana. He is listed as an alternate at 59kg to Asian silver medalist Saman ABDOULI (IRI) for Ulaanbaatar.
Ivo ANGELOV (BUL), a world champion at 60kg in 2013, is entered at 59kg while Azerbaijan has a pair of world champions listed at 66kg – 2010 winner Hasan ALIYEV (AZE) and 2015 champ at 71kg Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE), who is penciled in as alternative.
London 2012 silver medalist and 2014 world champion at 75kg Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARM) tops the entries at 75kg, while 2014 world champion at 80kg Peter BASCI (HUN) appears ready to challenge. Turkey has listed Selcuk CEBI (TUR) as an alternate at 75kg, but may opt to go with the 2015 world champion at 80kg.
Former world champ Melonin NOUMONVI (FRA) fell to Aleksei MISHIN (RUS) in the quarterfinals of the European qualifier but appears ready to make his run to Rio in Mongolia. A trio of London 2012 bronze medal winners, including Damian JANIKOWSKI (POL), will be in the mix for the tickets.
In the heavier categories, London 2012 bronze medalist Johan Magnus EUREN (SWE) continues his advance on Rio at 130kg along with Iosif CHUGOSHVILI (BLR) and Bashir BABAJANZADEH (IRI), while 98kg appears wide open with 2014 world bronze medalist Cenk ILDEM (TUR) slightly ahead of the field.
Saturday, April 23 – Women’s wrestling, all categories
With most of the top wrestlers already qualified, world champion at 55kg Helen MAROULIS (USA) has made the drop to 53kg and stands out in the two lighter categories as an odds-on favorite. KIM Hyon-Gyong (PRK) is the 2014 world bronze medalist in a wide-open category.
Former world champion Marianna SASTIN (63kg) and 2013 world bronze medalist Emese BARKA (58kg) hope to join their four male compatriots on Hungary’s Rio 2016 team. Monika MICHALIK (POL) will try for her third Olympic Games, while 2014 Youth Olympic Games gold medalist Grace BULLEN (NOR), 19, will seek her first.
At the heavier weights, 2013 world champion Alina MAKYNIA (UKR) tops 69kg after narrowly missing the brass ring at the European qualifier along with world bronze medalist Laura SKUJINA (LAT). London 2012 bronze medalist Maider UNDA (ESP) is an ageless warrior at 75kg seeking a return to the Olympic Games.
Sunday, April 24 – Freestyle, all categories
Asia champion Sandeep TOMAR (IND), European runner-up Andrey YATSENKO (UKR) and 2013 junior world champ Suleyman ATLI (TUR) top a field of more than 20 at 57kg.
Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) tries to rebound from narrowly missing a trip to Rio last week at 65kg, and while European runner-up Mustafa KAYA (TUR) is listed as Turkey’s first choice at lightweight, 2015 world bronze medalist at 70kg Yakup GOR (TUR) is ready to go as an alternate.
European champion Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) looks for a chance to atone for quarterfinal loss by fall at 75kg in Zrenjanin and Asian Games gold medalist Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) looks for another chance after slipping up in the semifinals in Astana.
Meanwhile, 86kg is wide open with no clear favorites, even though Armands ZVIRBULIS (LAT) was third in Zrenjanin and Asian Games bronze medal winner KIM Gwan-Uk (KOR) was third in Astana.
At the heavier weights, the third place finishers in the continental meets appear to have the best shots at success in Ulaanbaatar. Local favorite DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL) leads the charge at 97kg while 2015 Asia champion at 125kg Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) tops the supers list along with Lyuben ILIEV (BUL) and Daniel LIGETI (HUN).
Schedule
Thursday, April 21
13:00-14:00 – Medical Examinations: Greco-Roman, all categories
14:15-14:45 – Weigh-in: Greco-Roman, all categories
Friday, April 22
09:00-15:00 – Qualification Rounds & Repechage: Greco-Roman, all categories
15:15-16:15 – Medical Examinations: Women’s Wrestling, all categories
16:30-17:00 – Weigh-in: Women’s Wrestling, all categories
17:30-18:00 – Opening Ceremony
18:00-20:00 – Finals & Awards Ceremonies: Greco-Roman, all categories
Saturday, April 23
09:00-15:00 - Qualification Rounds & Repechage: Women’s Wrestling, all categories
16:00-17:00 – Medical Examinations: Freestyle, all categories
17:15-17:45 – Weigh-in: Freestyle, all categories
18:00-20:00 – Finals & Awards Ceremonies: Women’s Wrestling, all categories
Sunday, April 24
09:00-15:00 – Qualification Rounds & Repechage: Freestyle, all categories
18:00-20:00 – Finals & Awards Ceremonies: Freestyle, all categories
