CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (July 25) – Reigning world and Olympic Games champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) leads a sextet of world champions atop the pre-Olympic edition of the United World Wrestling freestyle rankings.

Joining Burroughs as favorites heading into August 5-21 Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) have remained on top of their respective weight categories, 57kg and 86kg, since last September’s world championships in Las Vegas.

Burroughs, the only London 2012 freestyle gold medalist at the top of this month’s rankings, bagged his third international title of the year at the German Grand Prix in July to cement his position at 74kg as the three-time world champion targets his second Olympic Games gold medal in Rio.

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Las Vegas bronze medalist Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) has shadowed Burroughs throughout the year at No.2 as the likely top challenger, while world silver medalist at 70kg Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (IRI) has climbed to No.4 in the rankings with the top individual showing at 74kg in last month’s World Cup meet.

Meanwhile, at 57kg, London 2012 silver medalist Khinchegashvili, who won the European crown at 61kg in March, also went undefeated at the freestyle World Cup in his final warm-up before the Olympic Games.

At the European championships, Khinchegashvili defeated two-time world champion at 61kg Haji ALIEV (AZE) in the semifinals. Aliev has also spent the last 10 months in first place at the non-Olympic category of 61kg, but is set to challenge for the gold medal in Rio at 57kg.

At middleweight, Sadulaev has been undefeated since November 2013 and has won world titles in 2014 and 2015.  This year, the Russian Tank rolled to victories at the European under-23 championships and the Ziolkowski Memorial in Poland.

With compatriot Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) occupying the No.2 position at 86kg since April, challenges are likely come from two-time world silver medalist Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) and 2015 runner-up Selim YASAR (TUR) -- ranked third and fourth, respectively.

Salas Perez won four international events over June and July, including the prestigious Ziolkowski International in Poland, while Yasar wrapped up his pre-Olympic competition with four wins at the World Cup in June.

A fifth world champion, Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) slipped to No.2 in the rankings at 65kg after a loss to 2014 world champion Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) in February, but regained the top spot with a win at the European championships in March.

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London 2012 gold medalist at 60kg Togrul ASGAROV (AZE) won the German Grand Prix crown to climb to No.5 in the rankings. Asgarov won last year’s European Games by fall over Chamizo in the 65kg finals, but fell in the quarterfinals, 10-5, to the eventual world champ.

The sixth world champion from 2015 to finish this cycle on top is Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) at 70kg. Gazimagomedov was injured at the Yarygin Grand Prix in January attempting to make a mark at 74kg and has since spent much of the time recovering and preparing for future challenges at welterweight.

European champion at 70kg Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) was reinstated as a qualifier for Rio 2016 in early July after being disqualified in April after questions arose about traces of meldonium in his sample after the European qualifying tourney.

Wrestlers in the rankings are listed by name, country code, along with their most notable or most recent result over the last 12 months and their position in the previous rankings.

57kg – World bronze medalist ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL) won the Grand Prix of Spain with a 4-1 win over Asia champion Tomar SANDEEP (IND) to step up to No.4, while Daniel DENNIS (USA) joins the rankings at No.15 following a 3-2 victory over European under-23 champion Mirjalal HASANZADE (AZE) at the German Grand Prix.

1. Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) – World No.1 (1)
2. Hassan RAHIMI (IRI) – World No.2 (2)
3. Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) – Canada Cup No.1 (3)
4. ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL) – Spanish GP No.1 (5)
5. JONG Hak-Jin (PRK) – Asia No.2 (4)
6. Ismail MUSUKAEV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (6)
7. Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) – World No.3 (7)
8. Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ) – World No.5 (8)
9. Gadshimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) – Europe No.1 (9)
10. Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) – Ziolkowski Int’l No.1 (10)
11. Tomar SANDEEP (IND) – Spanish GP No.2 (13)
12. Mirjalal HASANZADE (AZE) – German GP No.2 (15)
13. Suleyman ATLI (TUR) – Istanbul OG Qualifier No.1 (11)
14. Andrey YATSENKO (UKR) – Ziolkowski Int’l No.3 (16)
15. Daniel DENNIS (USA) – German GP No.1 (Not ranked)
16. Ivan GUIDEA (ROU) – Ulaanbaatar OG Qualifier No.1 (12)
17. Baris KAYA (TUR) – German GP No.3 (nr)
18. Garnik MNATSAKANYAN (ARM) – Sargsyan Int’l No.3 (18)
19. Adama DIATTA (SEN) – Spanish GP No.3 (20)
20. Abbas RAKHMONOV (UZB) – German GP No.3 (nr)

61kg – Two-time world champion Haji ALIEV (AZE) breezed to the title at the German Grand Prix with three technical falls for his tournament triumph of 2016, while runner-up Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL) joins the rankings at No.16. 

1. Haji ALIEV (AZE) – German GP No.1 (1)
2. Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) – Ziolkowski Int’l No.1 (2)
3. Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) – Ziolkowski Int’l No.2 (3)
4. Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) – Buryatia Cup No.1 (4)
5. Imam ADZHIEV (RUS) – European U23 No.1 (5)
6. Bekhan GOIGEREEV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.3 (8)
7. Georgi KALIEV (BLR) – Europe No.2 (6)
8. Behnam EHSANPOOR (IRI) – Asia No.2 (7)
9. Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) – World Cup No.1 (9)
10. TUMENBILEG Tuvshintulga (MGL) – Mongolian Open No.1 (10)
11. Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) – Sargsyan Int’l No.1 (11)
12. Nyurgun SKRYABIN (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (12)
13. Volodya FRANGULYAN (ARM) – Ukraine Int’l No.3 (13)
14. Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) – World No.3 (14)
15. Masakazu KAMOI (JPN) – World No.5 (16)
16. Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI – German GP No.2 (nr)
17. Dyamal OTARSULTANOV (RUS) – Ziolkowski Int’l No.3 (20)
18. Murshid MUTALIMOV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.3 (nr)
19. Coleman SCOTT (USA) – Pan America No.1 (17)
20. Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) – World Cup No.3 (19)

65kg – Two-time world bronze medalist GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) defeated Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) in the semifinals and Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) in the finals for the Spanish Grand Prix crown and a six-step leap to No.9 in the rankings.

1. Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) – Europe No.1 (1)
2. Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) – Medved Prizes No.1 (2)
3. Israil KASUMOV (RUS) – Europe No.3 (3)
4. Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (4)
5. Togrul ASGAROV (AZE) – European Games No.1 (7)
6. Meysam NASIRI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (5)
7. Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB) – World No.2 (6)
8. Borislav NOVACHKOV (BUL) – Istanbul OG Qualifier No.1 (8)
9. GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) – Spanish GP No.1 (15)
10. Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) – Spanish GP No.2 (10)
11. Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (CUB) – Ziolkowski Int’l No.1 (11)
12. Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) – Asian OG Qualifier No.1 (12)
13. Frank MOLINARO (USA) – German GP No.2 (18)
14. Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) – Ulaanbaatar OG Qualifier No.2 (13)
15. YEERLANDIEKE Katal (CHN) – Ziolkowski Int’l No.2 (16)
16. Sayed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI) – World No.3 (12)
17. David SAFARYAN (ARM) – European OG Qualifier No.1 (17)
18. Magomed MUSLIMOV (AZE) – Ali Aliev No.1 (nr)
19. Teymur MAMMADOV (AZE) – Ali Aliev No.2 (nr)
20. Mustafa KAYA (TUR) – Europe No.2 (19)

70kg – James GREEN (USA) repeated as Spanish Grand Prix titlist to climb one rung to No.3 while Asia silver medalist Nurlan BEKZHANOV (KAZ) grabbed a bronze medal in Dortmund for No.11 in the rankings. 

1. Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) – Europe No.1 (nr)
3. James GREEN (USA) – Spanish GP No.1 (4)
4. Adam BATIROV (BRN) – Asia No.1 (2)
5. Yakup GOR (TUR) – World No.3 (3)
6. Azamat NURIKOV (BLR) – Europe No.3 (5)
7. David TLASHADZE (GEO) – Europe No.2 (6)
8. Gadjimurad OMAROV (AZE) – European U23 No.2 (7)
9. Rasul ARSANALIEV (RUS) – European U23 No.1 (8)
10. Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (9)
11. Nurlan BEKZHANOV (KAZ) – German GP No.3 (15)
12. BUYANJAV Batzorig (MGL) – Asia No.3 (10)
13. Miroslav KIROV (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.3 (11)
14. Nikolay KURTEV (BUL) – Europe No.3 (12)
15. Evgeni ZHERBAEV (RUS) – Buryatia Cup No.1 (13)
16. Khabib MAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Medved Prizes No.3 (14)
17. Khalil AMINOV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (nr)
18. Magomedkhabib KADIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Sargsyan Int’l No.1 (16)
19. Andrey KVIATKOVSKI (UKR) – Ukraine Int’l No.1 (nr)
20. Azamat OMURZHANOV (KAZ) – Ziolkowski Int’l No.3 (17)

74kg – World and Olympic Games champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) notched four wins at the German Grand Prix to head into Rio 2016 on top of the welterweight rankings.

1. Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) – World No.1 (1)
2. Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) – World No.3 (2)
3. PUREVJAV Unurbat (MGL) – World No.2 (3)
4. Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (IRI) – World Cup No.1 (4)
5. Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) – Spanish GP No.1 (6)
6. Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) – Medved Prizes No.1 (5)
7. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) – Europe No.1 (7)
8. Yabrail HASANOV (AZE) – Europe No.2 (8)
9. Narasingh YADAV (IND) – World No.3 (9)
10. Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB) – German GP No.3 (10)
11. Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) – Spanish GP No.2 (12)
12. Yakob MAKARASHVILI (GEO) – European OG Qualifier No.2 (11)
13. Zaur MAKIEV (RUS) – Europe No.3 (12)
14. Sosuke TAKATANI (JPN) – Macedonian Pearl No.1 (15)
15. Kakhaber KHUBEZHTY (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (nr)
16. Martina OBST (GER) – German GP No.2 (nr)
17. Evgheni NEDEALCO (MDA) – Ulaanbaatar OG Qualifier No.3 (14)
18. Zhiger ZAKIROV (KAZ) – Ziolkowski Int’l No.2 (18)
19. Taymuraz FRIEV NASKIDEAVA (ESP) – Istanbul OG Qualifier No.2 (19)
20. Georgi IVANOV (BUL) – Ulaanbaatar OG Qualifier No.2 (20)

86kg – Sharif SHARIPOV (AZE) returned to middleweight for the first time since winning the London 2012 gold medal at 84kg and secured a toehold in the rankings at No.18 after finishing second at the German Grand Prix. 

Former world silver medalist Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) bagged his fourth title this past month in Madrid to leapfrog 2015 world runner-up Selim YASAR (TUR) for No.3 in the rankings.

1. Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Europe No.1 (2)
3. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) – Spanish GP No.1 (4)
4. Selim YASAR (TUR) – World No.2 (3)
5. Aleksander GOSTIEV (AZE) – Europe No.2 (5)
6. ORGODOL Uitumen (MGL) – Spanish GP No.3 (8)
7. Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (11)
8. Nurmagomed GADZHIEV (AZE) – German GP No.1 (13)
9. Jayden COX (USA) – German GP No.3 (10)
10. Sandro AMINASHVILI (GEO) – World No.3 (6)
11. Ehsan LASHGARI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (7)
12. Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) – Europe No.3 (9)
13. Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI) – World No.3 (12)
14. Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL) – Ziolkowski Int’l No.2 (14)
15. Sharip SHARIPOV (AZE) – German GP No.2 (nr)
16. Istvan VEREB (HUN) – Spanish GP No.2 (15)
17. Amarhadshi MAGOMEDOV (BLR) – German GP No.2 (18)
18. Azlan KAKHIDZE (KAZ) – Asia OG Qualifier No.2 (17)
19. BI Shengfeng (CHN) – Istanbul OG Qualifier No.1 (19)
20. KIM Gwan-Uk (KOR) – Istanbul OG Qualifier No.2 (20)

97kg – World and Olympic Games bronze medalist Khetag GAZYUMOV (AZE) returned to the mats after a 10-month hiatus to claim the German Grand Prix title for No.3 in the rankings. Gazyumov notched four wins on his way to the crown, including a 2-1 triumph over world champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) in the semifinals.

1. Anzor BOLTUKAEV (RUS) – Europe No.1 (1)
2. Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) – Medved Prizes No.1 (2)
3. Khetag GAZYUMOV (AZE) – German GP No.1 (6)
4. Kyle SNYDER (USA) – German GP No.3 (3)
5. Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) – World No.2 (4)
6. Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) – Europe No.3 (5)
7. Radoslaw BARAN (POL) – Ziolkowski No.3 (7)
8. Valeri ANDRIITSEV (UKR) – Ukraine Int’l No.1 (8)
9. Pavlo OLIYNIK (UKR) – World No.3 (9)
10. Reza YAZDANI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (10)
11. Nicolae CEBAN (MDA) – Ziolkowski Int’l No.2 (11)
12. Georgi KETOEV (ARM) – Sargsyan Int’l No.1 (12)
13. DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL) – Spanish GP No.2 (15)
14. Ibragim BOLUKBASI (TUR) – European OG Qualifier No.2 (13)
15. Albert SARITOV (ROU) – Istanbul OG Qualifier No.1 (14)
16. Mamed IBRAGIMOV (KAZ) – German GP No.3 (17)
17. Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) – Asia OG Qualifier No.1 (16)
18. Jose DIAZ ROBERTTI (VEN) - Spanish GP No.3 (20)
19. Javier CORTINA LACERRA (CUB) – Pan Am OG Qualifier No.1 (18)
20. Ivan YANKOUSKI (BLR) – Europe No.2 (19)

125kg – World silver medalist Jamalladin MAGOMEDOV (AZE), who gradually slipped to No.8 in the rankings since finishing ninth at the European championships in March, rebounded to fifth with the German Grand Prix Crown.

1. Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) – Europe No.1 (1)
2. Bilyal MAKHOV (RUS) – Ziolkowski Int’l No.1 (2)
3. Parviz HADI (IRI) – Sargsyan Int’l No.1 (3)
4. Taha AKGUL (TUR) – World No.1 (4)
5. Jamalladin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) – German GP No.1 (8)
6. Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) – Asia OG Qualifier No.1 (5)
7. DENG Zhiwei (CHN) – Ziolkowski Int’1 No.3 (6)
8. Levan BERIANIDZE (ARM) – Sargsyan No.3 (7)
9. Daulet SHABANBAY (KAZ) – German GP No.2 (10)
10. JARGALSAIKHAN Chuluunbat (MGL) – Paris GP No.3 (9)
11. Robert BARAN (POL) – Europe No.2 (11)
12. Daniel LIGETI (HUN) – Spanish GP No.1 (14)
13. Muhamadgazi MAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Ziolkowski Int’l No.2 (12)
14. Tervel DLAGNEV (USA) – Pan Am OG Qualifier No.1 (13)
15. Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) – Istanbul OG Qualifier No.1 (15)
16. Lyuben ILIEV (BUL) – European OG Qualifier No.2 (16)
17. Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) – Asia No.3 (17)
18. Aleksey NIKOLAEV (BLR) – Europe No.3 (18)
19. Luis VIVENES (VEN) – Paris GP No.2 (19)
20. Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY) – Africa No.1 (20)

در همین حال، در وزن 57 کیلوگرم  خینچگاشویلی دارنده مدال نقره المپیک لندن در ماه مارس قهرمان وزن 61 کیلوگرم اروپا شد و سپس در جام جهانی که آخرین میدان تدارکاتی او قبل از المپیک بود، بدون شکست ماند.

رده‌بندی برترین آزادکاران جهان در پایان ماه جولای 2016 به ترتیب زیر است:

وزن 57 کیلوگرم: 1- ولادیمیر خینچگاشویلی، قهرمان جهان (گرجستان) 2- حسن رحیمی، نایب قهرمان جهان (ایران) 3- بونه رودریگز، قهرمان تورنمنت کانادا(کوبا).

وزن 61 کیلوگرم: 1- حاجی علی‌اف، نفر سوم اروپا (آذربایجان) 2- دولت نیازبکوف، قهرمان جام زیلکوفسکی( قزاقستان) 3- ولادیمیر دوبوف، نفر دوم جام زیلکوفسکی (بلغارستان) ... 8- بهنام احسان‌پور، قهرمان جام تختی (ایران).

وزن 65 کیلوگرم: 1- فرانک چامیزو، قهرمان اروپا (ایتالیا) 2- سوسلان رامونوف، قهرمان جام مدوید (روسیه) 3- اسراییل کاسوموف، نفر سوم اروپا( روسیه).. .6- میثم نصیری، قهرمان آسیا(ایران)... 16- سیداحمد محمدی، نفر سوم جهان (ایران)

وزن 70 کیلوگرم: 1- ماگومد رسول گاژی ماگومدف، قهرمان جهان (روسیه) 2-ماگومد مراد گاژیف،قهرمان اروپا(لهستان) 3-جیمز گرین،قهرمان تورنمنت اسپانیا(آمریکا).

وزن 74 کیلوگرم: 1- جردن باروز، قهرمان جهان (آمریکا) 2- انوار گدویف، نفر سوم جهان (روسیه) 3- پوروجاو اونوربات، نایب قهرمان جهان (مغولستان) 4- حسن یزدانی، نایب قهرمان جهان (ایران).

وزن 86 کیلوگرم: 1- عبدالرشید سعدالله‌یف، قهرمان جهان (روسیه) 2- شامیل کودیا ماگومدف، قهرمان اروپا (روسیه) 3- رینری سالاس پرز، قهرمان تورنمنت اسپانیا(کوبا)...11- احسان لشگری، قهرمان آسیا (ایران)... 13- علیرضا کریمی، نفر سوم جهان(ایران)

وزن 97 کیلوگرم: 1 - آنزور بولتوکایف، قهرمان اروپا (روسیه) 2- حاجی مراد گاتسالوف، قهرمان جام مدوید (روسیه) 3- ختاگ گازیموف،قهرمان تورنمنت آلمان(آذربایجان) ... 10-رضا یزدانی، قهرمان آسیا (ایران)

وزن 125 کیلوگرم: 1- گنو پتریاشویلی، قهرمان اروپا (گرجستان) 2- بلال ماخوف، قهرمان جام زیلکوفسکی(روسیه) 3- پرویز هادی، قهرمان تورنمنت ارمنستان (ایران) ... 6- کمیل قاسمی، قهرمان مسابقات گزینشی المپیک در قاره آسیا (ایران)