World Championships Special: Freestyle Rankings

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (September 1) – Three 2014 world champions will not be in Las Vegas to defend their 2014 titles, according preliminary entry forms received by United World Wrestling for the September 6-12 World Wrestling Championships.

YANG Kyong-Il (PRK), Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) and Denis TSARGUSH (RUS), apparently, will not be in Las Vegas to defend the crowns they won last September in Tashkent.

Yang, at 57kg, is also the only top-ranked wrestler in the United World Wrestling rankings for freestyle not to be listed on the preliminary entry forms. European Games champion Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE), No.1 at 97kg, is listed as an alternate to London 2012 Olympic Games gold medalist Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE).

The world championships edition of the rankings provides a brief overview of which wrestlers will likely be competing in Las Vegas. Some changes may occur since entries do not need to be finalized until noon the day of the medical examination and weigh-in for the weight category in question. 

Wrestlers not named on their federation’s entry list are mark “NE” or “Not Entered” while entries competing in a different weight category will be noted “E@65”.

Also, when a wrestler is listed as an “alternate” – No.2 or No.3 on the preliminary entry form – he/she is marked as “Alt” or “Alt2”.  In some cases, an alternate may be ranked while the top entry is not. 

As a reminder, the rankings are meant to reflect a wrestler’s performance at events on the United World Wrestling calendar over the previous 12 months. The rankings are not intended, in any way, to be a predictor of success at the world championships or in any wrestling competition.

Wrestlers in this special edition of the rankings are listed by name, country code, most notable result(s) in recent years or over their careers.

57kg – Asian Games champion JONG Hak-Jin (PRK) gets the nod over defending world champion YANG Kyong-Il (PRK).

Potential spoiler not in the rankings: Amit KUMAR (IND), 2013 world silver medalist.

1. YANG Kyong-Il (PRK) – NE
2. Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) – 2010, 2011 world champion
3. Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) – 2014 world bronze medalist, 61kg
4. Hassan RAHIMI (IRI) – 2013 world champion
5. ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL) – 2015 Asia champion
6. JONG Hak-Jin (PRK) – 2014 Asian Games gold medalist
7. Ismail MUSUKAEV (RUS) – NE
8. Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) – 2014 world silver medalist
9. Sezer AKGUL (TUR) – European Games bronze medalist
10. Samat NADYRBEK UULU (KGZ) – 2015 Asian silver medalist
11. Artas SANAA (KAZ) – 2015 Yasar Dogu winner
12. Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) – 2015 Ziolkowski Memorial winner
13. Fumitaka MORISHITA (JPN) – NE
14. Marcel EWALD (GER) – European Games silver medalist
15. Georgi VANGELOV (BUL) – Ziolkowski bronze medalist
16. Vladislav ANDREEV (BLR) – NE
17. Anthony RAMOS (USA) – 2015 Paris Grand Prix winner
18. Zoheir EL OUARRAQE (FRA) – 2015 Ziolkowski No.3 (19)
19. KIM Sung-Gwon (KOR) – 2015 Spanish Grand Prix No.1 (nr)
20. Alexandru CHIRTOACA (MDA) – NE

61kg – London 2012 Olympic Games gold medalist Dyamal OTARSULTANOV (RUS), 2013 world champion Bekhan GOIGEREEV (RUS) give way to European Games winner Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS).

1. Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) – European Games champion
2. Volodya FRANGULYAN (ARM) – 2015 Medved Prizes winner
3. Bekhan GOIGEREEV (RUS) – NE
4. Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) – European Games silver medalist
5. Behnam EHSANPOOR (IRI) – 2015 Asian silver medalist
6. Dyamal OTARSULTANOV (RUS) – NE
7. Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) – 2015 Asian champion
8. Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) – 2015 Ziolkowski winner
9. Masakazu KAMOI (JPN) – 2015 Asian bronze medalist
10. Muenir Recep AKTAS (TUR) – 2015 Yasar Dogu runner-up
11. Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) – NE
12. Nachyin KUULAR (RUS) – NE
13. Murshid MUTALIMOV (RUS) – NE
14. ENKHSAIKHAN Nyam-Ochir (MGL) – 2014 world bronze medalist
15. Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) – 2014 Asian Games silver medalist
16. Iman SADEGHIKOUKANDEH (IRI) – NE
17. Radoslav VELIKOV (BUL) – NE
18. Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL) – NE
19. Andrei PERPELITA (MDA) – 2013 European bronze medalist
20. BATBOLD Nomin (MGL) – (Alt) 2015 Asian bronze medalist

65kg – World champion Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) returns to defend his title, slipping in the rankings to No.8 after an uneven 2015 campaign.

World champion Haji ALIEV (AZE) returns to 61kg after mixed success at the 65kg during the year. Azamat NURIKOV (BLR), winner of the Medved Prizes in March, is entered at the non-Olympic category of 70kg.
 
1. Sayed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI) – 2014 world silver medalist
2. Brent METCALF (USA) – Pan American Games champion
3. Togrul ASGAROV (AZE) – European Games champion
4. Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) – NE
5. Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) – European Games silver medalist
6. Mustafa KAYA (TUR) – European Games bronze medalist
7. Ilyas BEKBULATOV (RUS) – NE
8. Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) – 2014 world champion
9. Magomed MUSLIMOV (AZE) – (Alternate) 2015 Paris GP winner
10. @61 Haji ALIEV (AZE) – European Games bronze medalist
11. Masoud ESMAILPOUR (IRI) – NE
12. @70 Azamat NURIKOV (BLR) – 2015 Medved Prizes winner
13. George BUCUR (ROU) – 2015 Ziolkowski runner-up
14. Tomotsugu ISHIDA (JPN) – 2015 Asian silver medalist
15. Mihail SAVA (MDA) – 2014 world bronze medalist
16. GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) – 2014 world bronze medalist
17. Borislav NOVACHKOV (BUL) – 2014 European bronze medalist
18. Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) – 2014 Asian Games gold medalist
19. LEE Seung-Chul (KOR) – NE
20. David SAFARYAN (ARM) – 2013 world champion

70kg – Second-ranked Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) will wrestle at 65kg for a chance to secure a berth for Poland at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.
 
1. Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – European Games champion
2. E@65 Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) – European Games silver medalist
3. Yakup GOR (TUR) – 2014 world silver medalist
4. Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB) – 2015 Asian champion
5. Vacated
6. Israil KASUMOV (RUS) – NE
7. Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (IRI) – 2014 junior world champion
8. Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE) – European Games bronze medalist
9. Miroslav KIROV (BUL) – 2014 European bronze medalist
10. Rasul ARSANALIEV (RUS) – NE
11. Magomedkhabib KADIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – NE
12. E@65 Zaur EFENDIEV (SRB) – European Games No.5
13. E@74 Evgheni NEDEALCO (MDA) – 2014 university world champion
14. David TLASHADZE (GEO) – European Games No.5
15. Georgi ZLATOV (BUL) – NE
16. James GREEN (USA) – 2015 Spanish GP winner
17. Zhan SAFYAN (BLR) - NE
18. Andrey KARPACH (BLR) – NE
19. Elaman DOGDURUBEK UULU (KGZ) – 2015 Asian bronze medalist
20. Takafumi KOJIMA (JPN) – 2015 Asian bronze medalist

74kg – 2014 world champions Denis TSARGUSH (RUS) and Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) are notable no-shows on the world championships entry list.

No.11 Alireza GHASEMI (IRI) broke into the rankings after a solid performance at the Ziolkowski Memorial in July and is listed alone at 74kg even though Takhti Cup winner and Asian champion Peyman YARAHMADI (IRI) is available at No.6.
 
1. Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) – 2011, 2013 world champion
2. Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) – European Games champion
3. Denis TSARGUSH (RUS) – NE
4. Sosuke TAKATANI (JPN) – 2014 world silver medalist
5. Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) – NE
6. Peyman YARAHMADI (IRI) – NE
7. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) – European Games silver medalist
8. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) – 2013 world bronze medalist
9. Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) – 2014 world bronze medalist
10. Jumber KVELASHVILI (GEO) – European Games bronze medalist
11. Alireza GHASEMI (IRI) – 2015 Ziolkowski winner
12. Morteza REZAEI GALEH (IRI) – NE
13. Ali SHABANOV (BLR) – 2013, 2014 world bronze medalist
14. Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – NE
15. Jakob MAKARASHVILI (GEO) – NE
16. Yabrail HASANOV (AZE) – European Games bronze medalist
17. David TAYLOR (USA) – NE
18. Daisuke SHIMADA (JPN) – NE
19. Narasingh YADAV (IND) – 2015 Asian bronze medalist
20. Georg HARTH (GER) – NE

86kg – European under-23 runner-up Magomedhadshi KHATIEV (AZE) is the top entry for Azerbaijan, but is not in the top 20. Junior world champion at 96kg Nurmagomed GADZHIEV (AZE) and Yasar Dogu winner Aleksander GOSTIEV (AZE) are listed as alternates to Khatiev.

1. Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) – 2014 world champion
2. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) – 2013, 2014 world silver medalist
3. Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – NE
4. Meisam MOSTAFA JOUKAR (IRI) – NE
5. Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI) – 2015 Asian champion
6. Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) – NE
7. Piotr IANULOV (MDA) – European Games silver medalist
8. Radoslaw MARCINKIEWICZ (POL) – European Games bronze medalist
9. Aleksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) – European U23 champion
10. Selim YASAR (TUR) – 2014 world bronze medalist
11. Sandro AMINASHVILI (GEO) – European Games bronze medalist
12. Istvan VEREB (HUN) – 2013 world bronze medalist
13. Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN) – 2015 Asian silver medalist
14. Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL) – NE
15. Aleksander GOSTIEV (AZE) – (Alt2) Yasar Dogu winner
16. Ahmed BILICI (TUR) – NE
17. Amarhadshi MAGOMEDOV (BLR) – NE
18. Nurmagomed GADZHIEV (AZE) – (Alt) 2015 junior world champion
19. Jacob HERBERT (USA) – Pan American Games silver medalist
20. Taymuraz FRIEV NASKIDEAVA (ESP) – Spanish GP winner

97kg – Top-ranked Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE) is listed the alternate to London 2012 gold medalist Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE), despite a Gazumov win in their head-to-head at the Medved Prizes final in March.

Iran’s three entries at 97kg are all in the top 20 with former world champion Reza YAZDANI (No.8) getting the tentative nod for Las Vegas.  First alternate Abbas TAHAN (No.12) won the Ziolkowski Memorial in July and Mohamedhossein MOHAMMADIAN (No.9) is the Asian champion.

1. Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE) – (Alt) European Games champion
2. Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) – 2014 world champion
3. Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) – London 2012 gold medalist @84
4. Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) – European Games silver medalist
5. Valeri ANDRIITSEV (UKR) – NE
6. Javier CORTINA LACERRA (CUB) – 2014 world bronze medalist
7. Reza YAZDANI (IRI) – 2011, 2013 world champion
8. Radoslaw BARAN (POL) – 2015 Ali Aliev winner
9. Mohamedhossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) – (Alt2) 2015 Asia champion 
10. Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) – 2015 Asian silver medalist
11. Pavlo OLIYNIK (UKR) – 2013 world bronze medalist
12. Yuri BELONOVSKI (RUS) – NE
13. Abbas TAHAN (IRI) – (Alt1) Ziolkowski winner
14. Omar GUSOSHIVILI (GEO) – NE
15. Kyle SNYDER (USA) – Pan American Games champion
16. Ibragim SAIDOV (BLR) – NE
17. Ibragim BOLUKBASI (TUR) – 2015 Yasar Dogu No.3
18. Nicolae CEBAN (MDA) – 2014 European bronze medalist
19. Stefan KEHRER (GER) – 2014 German GP No.3
20. Wynn MICHALIK (USA) – NE

125kg – Asian Games gold medalist Parviz HADI (IRI), ranked No.9, is the top entry for Iran over fifth-ranked Komeil GHASEMI (IRI), the 2014 world and 2015 Asian silver medalist.

Three-time world champion Beylal MAKHOV (RUS) returns to freestyle after taking a bronze medal in Greco-Roman at last year’s world meet in Tashkent. Makhov reportedly attempt to win medals in both styles in Las Vegas.  Makhov replaces five-time world champion Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS), who has struggled in 2015 and made an early exit from the European Games in June.
 
1. Taha AKGUL (TUR) – 2014 world champion
2. Aleksey SHEMAROV (BLR) – 2011 world champion
3. Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) – 2013 world bronze medalist
4. Jamalladin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) – European Games bronze medalist
5. Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) – NE
6. Beylal MAKHOV (RUS) – 3x world champion (2007-2011)
7. Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS) – NE
8. David MODZMANASHVILI (GEO) – NE
9. Parviz HADI (IRI) – Asian Games gold medalist
10. Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) – 2015 Asian champion
11. Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) – NE
12. Alen ZASEEV (UKR) – 2013 world silver medalist
13. Levan BERIANIDZE (ARM) – 2010 world bronze medalist
14. Soslan GAGLOEV (SVK) – European Games No.5
15. Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) – NE
16. Tervel DLAGNEV (USA) – 2014 world bronze medalist
17. Zachery REY (USA) – (Alt) Pan American Games champion
18. Nick MATUHIN (GER) – 2015 Ziolokowski No.5
19. DENG Zhiwei (CHN) – 2015 Asian bronze medalist 
20. Giorgi SAKANDELIDZE (GEO) – NE