SNINA, Slovakia – The world’s top teenage wrestlers venture to the mountains of eastern Slovakia this coming week to test themselves against fellow elites, aged 16 and 17, at the Cadet Wrestling World Championships.

Preliminary entries from 46 countries have been received by organizers with more than 550 wrestlers expected to vie for medals and bragging rights in wrestling’s three styles and 30 weight categories for cadets.

Many of the 2013 medalists have graduated to the junior and senior ranks offering last year’s challengers and newcomers alike a chance to win some of the championship hardware at Humenne Hockey Stadium.

But, a handful of the 2013 medalists return for a chance at a second or third title, or even a medal upgrade – with one notable exception.

Female Wrestling 

Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN), who has won the last two world titles at 52kg and the Asia crown in May, has opted to pass on this year’s world meet and focus on the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing at the end of August.

Mukaida’s absence leaves the door open to a number of challengers at 52kg – most notably European champion Leyla GURBANOVA (AZE) and runner-up Olena KREMZER (UKR), who was the world silver medalist last year at 46kg.

And while the door is open at 52kg, Mukaida’s Japanese teammate Kika KAGATA (JPN) hopes to keep the door firmly closed at 49kg as she goes for the cadet crown for a third year in a row.

World and European champion Oksana LIVACH (UKR) makes the short trip across the Ukraine-Slovakia border to Humenne, seeking a second world title – this time at 40kg.

Zainab MAGOMEDOVA (RUS) was world and European champion at 46kg in 2013, but is listed as an alternate behind European bronze medalist Anastasia SIZENKO (RUS).

Aleksandra WOLCZYNSKA (POL) and Nicole AMANN (GER) were world silver medalists in 2013 but come to Slovakia as European champions at 56kg and 70kg, respectively.

Mei SHINDO (JPN) was also a runner-up in Zrejanin, Serbia, last year and is on the Japanese roster for a second try.

Greco-Roman 

World and European champion at 100kg Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO) will help kick off the championships on the first day of competition with an eye on retaining his heavyweight crown.

Defending world champion at 85kg Soslan FANZIEV (AZE) slipped to No.3 at the European championships, but European titlist Kiril MILOV (BUL) is listed as an alternate for Bulgaria.

Kanan JAFAROV (AZE), a bronze medal winner at 46kg in 2013, is listed at 50kg on Azerbaijan’s entry form in front of European champion Jabbar NAJOFOV (AZE).

Cade OLIVAS (USA) took a bronze medal at 42kg in Zrejanin and won both styles at the Pan American championships in May.  The California high school student, however, is entered in freestyle for Snina as American wrestling fans sing the praises of U.S. Greco-Roman entry, Dack PUNKE (USA).

Freestyle

Last year saw the departure of two-time cadet world champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS), who has quickly established himself as one of the world’s top wrestlers at any level with dominating performances at 86kg at the Yarygin Grand Prix and European championships.

Andrey YATSENKO (UKR), winner at 54kg in Zrenjanin last year, is the only 2013 freestyle champion with a chance to repeat but finished third at the European championships in Samokov, Bulgaria, in May. European champion Amirkhan GUVAZHOKOV (RUS), however, is listed as an alternate for Russia at 54kg.

Selim KOZAN (TUR) was the 2013 world champion at 58kg and has been struggling against the older opponents since moving on, but newcomer Ali CAM (TUR) won the European title in May and seems poised to keep this chunk of gold in Turkey.

Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) was bronze medalist at 46kg and won the Asian championship at 50kg. The highly touted Tokyo high school student will seek to improve on Japan’s new found success at this level after Japanese wrestlers won four medals in freestyle in Zrejanin.

Teymur MAMMADOV (AZE) is a two-time European cadet champion at 63kg but finished with a bronze at last year’s world meet.

Alberts JURCENKO (LAT) was world bronze medalist at 69kg, runner-up in Europe behind Magomad DIBIRGADZHIEV (RUS) and will look to complete his collection of cadet medals with a gold in Humenne.

Wrestling gets under way at Humenne Hockey Stadium on Tuesday, July 15, with five weight categories in Greco-Roman and concludes Sunday, July 20, after the final five sets of medals in freestyle are awarded.

While the town of Snina nestled in the mountains of eastern Slovakia is the nominal headquarters of the weeklong championships, the actual competition will be held in neighboring Humenne, about 20 kilometers west of Snina and 80 kilometers northeast of Kosice.

Schedule

Monday, July 14
17:30-19:00 Medical & Weigh-in: GR 50, 54, 58, 63, 100kg

Tuesday, July 15
10:00-14:00 Qualification & Repechage Rounds: GR 50, 54, 58, 63, 100kg
17:30-19:00 Medical & Weigh-in: GR 42, 46, 69, 76, 85kg
19:00-19:30 Opening Ceremony
19:30-21:30 Finals & Awards Ceremonies: GR 50, 54, 58, 63, 100kg

Wednesday, July 16
10:00-14:00 Qualification & Repechage Rounds: GR 42, 46, 69, 76, 85kg
16:00-17:45 Medical & Weigh-in: FW 38, 43, 49, 56, 65kg
18:00-20:00 Finals & Awards Ceremonies: GR 42, 46, 69, 76, 85kg

Thursday, July 17
10:00-14:00 Qualification & Repechage Rounds: FW 38, 43, 49, 56, 65kg
16:00-17:45 Medical & Weigh-in: FW 40, 46, 52, 60, 70kg
18:00-20:00 Finals & Awards Ceremonies: FW 38, 43, 49, 56, 65kg

Friday, July 18
10:00-14:00 Qualification & Repechage Rounds: FW 40, 46, 52, 60, 70kg
16:00-17:45 Medical & Weigh-in: FS 42, 50, 58, 69, 85kg
18:00-20:00 Finals & Awards Ceremonies: FW 40, 46, 52, 60, 70kg

Saturday, July 19
10:00-14:00 Qualification & Repechage Rounds: FS 42, 50, 58, 69, 85kg
16:00-17:45 Medical & Weigh-in: FS 46, 54, 63, 76, 100kg
18:00-20:00 Finals & Awards Ceremonies: FS 42, 50, 58, 69, 85kg

Sunday, July 20
10:00-14:00 Qualification & Repechage Rounds: FS 46, 54, 63, 76, 100kg
18:00-20:00 Finals & Awards Ceremonies: FS 46, 54, 63, 76, 100kg