BAKU (November 22) – Three gold medalists from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and three more from London 2012 headline a field of world and Olympic Games medal winners at the Golden Grand Prix Final getting under way Thursday.

Rio 2015 gold medalist Taha AKGUL (TUR) will help kick off the freestyle events on the first day of the three-day tourney while Greco-Roman gold medalists Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) and Mijain LOPEZ NUNEZ (CUB) will bring the curtain down on Saturday.

London 2012 gold medal winners Togrul ASGAROV (AZE), Sharif SHARIPOV (AZE) and Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) are also slated to compete in freestyle on the first day of wrestling at Baku Sports Hall.
 

Meanwhile, Japan sends only one senior world champion to Friday’s women’s wrestling events. Chiho HAMADA (JPN), the 2014 winner at 55kg, is entered at 58kg, but will be joined by four junior world champions including three-time winner Masako FURUICHI (JPN) at 69kg.

Rio 2016 silver medalist Mariya STADNIK (AZE) and bronze medalist at 53kg Natalya SINISHIN (AZE) bring the bling to the women’s events and will be joined by four world champions from Ukraine led by 2014 winner Yulia TKACH (63kg) and 2015 champion Oksana HERHEL (60kg).

Thursday, November 23: Freestyle, all categories

Two-time world champion at 125kg Akgul is the only Rio 2016 freestyle gold medalist on the list of entries for Baku and will be seeking a repeat of his GGP Final triumph in 2011.

Akgul will likely face challenges from Rio bronze medalists Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) and Ibragim SAIDAU (BLR). Petriashvili owns a win over Akgul at the European championships in March.

Akgul is joined in Baku by teammates Rio 2016 silver medalist at 86kg Selim YASAR (TUR) and bronze medalist at 74kg Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR).

Asgarov, who had to settle for a silver medal at 65kg in Rio, is entered at 70kg where he could face Israil KASUMOV (RUS) – runner-up in the Russian nationals to Rio 2016 gold medalist at lightweight Soslan RAMONOV (RUS).

World champion Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) tops the list of entries at 65kg where he is joined by GGP Final defending champion Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS), a bronze medal winner at the 2013 world championships.

Sharipov, with gold and bronze medals from London and Rio at middleweight, is entered at 97kg for the GGP Final. Former world champion Abdulsalam GADISOV (RUS) and two-time world silver medalist Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) head up the list of medal contenders.

At 86kg, Yasar will likely have to face European champion Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) at some point in the middleweight bracket.

At 74kg, London 2012 gold medalist Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) will seek to atone for a pair of losses in Rio de Janeiro, but will likely have to face Rio 2015 bronze medalists Demirtas or Yabrail HASANOV (AZE), the defending champion in Baku.

The two lightest categories – 57kg and 61kg – look to be wide open affairs paced, respectively, by 2014 Asian Games gold medalist JONG Hak-Jin (PRK) and Rustam AMPAR (RUS), runner-up at the Yarygin Grand Prix in January.

Friday, November 24: Women’s Wrestling, all categories

Stadnik has been the gold standard for women’s wrestling in Europe since winning the first of her six European senior titles in 2008.  She also became one of Azerbaijan’s first world champions in women’s wrestling (along with Yulia RATKEVICH) in 2009.

Stadnik will be seeking her fourth GGP Final title at 48kg this year in the women’s most competitive category with Rio 2016 bronze medalist SUN Yanan (CHN), junior world champ Miho IGARASHI (JPN) and Klippan Open winner Victoria ANTHONY (USA).

At 58kg, Hamada could square off with Rio 2016 bronze medalist Natalya SINISHIN (AZE) or 2011 world champion Ganna VASYLENKO (UKR). Two-time junior European champ Grace BULLEN (NOR) could be in the mix.

European under-23 champion Natalya MALYSHEVA (RUS) stands out at 53kg while another U23 champ Tetyana KIT (UKR) will be a co-favorite at 55kg along with 2015 world bronze medalist Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR).

World silver medalist at 58kg Petra OLLI (FIN) is back at 60kg and will be one of the favorites along with the world champ Oksana HERHEL (UKR) and two-time Olympic Games bronze medalist Jackeline RENTERIA CASTILLO (COL).

World champions Yulia OSTAPCHUK (UKR) and Marianna SASTIN (HUN) appear to be the class of 63kg but fans cannot discount 36-year-old Monika MICHALIK (POL), a bronze medal winner at Rio 2016.

On paper, Rio 2016 bronze medalist Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) appears to be the favorite but challenges could come from any quarter led by 2013 world champ Alina MAKHINYA (UKR) and three-time junior world champ Masako FURUICHI (JPN).

Former world champion ZHANG Fengliu (CHN) won a bronze medal in Rio at 75kg and leads the contenders at heavyweight, but expect 2014 world runner-up Aline FERREIRA (BRA) and European champion Yasmine ADAR (TUR) to vie for a place on the medals podium.

Saturday, November 25: Greco-Roman, all categories

Borrero Molina and Lopez Nunez are the only Rio 2016 gold medalists in the classic style in Baku. The biggest challenger to Borrero Molina at 59kg could well be European champion Minigyan SEMENOV (RUS), while Lopez Nunez welcomes the other three medalists from Rio at 130kg.

World champion and Rio silver medalist Riza KAYAALP (TUR) will try to avenge his loss in Rio to Lopez Nunez while bronze medalists Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) and Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) also hope for their chance to topple the legendary Cuban.

Rio bronze medalists Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) and Elmurat TAZMURADOV (UZB) lead the competition at 66kg, while 2010 world champion Hasan ALIYEV (AZE) hopes to win one for the home team at 71kg.

None of the six world champions in Rio at 75kg will not show up in Baku, so the co-favorite hats go to 2015 European Games gold medalist Elvin MURSALIYEV (AZE) and silver medalist Viktor NEMES (SRB).

Meanwhile, military world championship finalists Pascal EISELE (GER) and Rafik HUSEYNOV (AZE) top to list of entries at 80kg.

World champion Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) is the class of the field at 85kg, but will have to overcome Rio bronze medalist Javid HAMZATAU (BLR) and 2014 world silver medalist Evgeny SALEEV (RUS) to claim the crown.

At 98kg, Rio 2016 bronze medalist Cenk ILDEM (TUR) is the top entry, but Russian nationals runner-up Musa EVLOEV (RUS) appears to be the top challenger.

Schedule

Wednesday, November 23

16:00-17:00 – Medical Examination, FS all weight categories
17:15-17:45 – Weigh-in, FS all weight categories

Thursday, November 24

10:00-14:00 – Qualification Rounds & Repechage, FS all weight categories
13:30-14:00 – Medical Examination, FW all weight categories
14:00-14:30 – Weigh-in, FW all weight categories
16:00-17:00 – Opening Ceremony
17:00-19:00 – Finals & Award Ceremonies, FS all weight categories

Friday, November 25

10:00-14:00 – Qualification Rounds & Repechage, FW all weight categories
13:00-14:00 – Medical Examination, GR all weight categories
14:15-14:45 – Weigh-in, GR all weight categories
17:00-19:00 – Finals & Award Ceremonies, FW all weight categories

Saturday, November 26

10:00-15:00 – Qualification Rounds & Repechage, GR all weight categories
17:00-19:00 – Finals & Award Ceremonies, GR all weight categories