2012 OLYMPIC GAMES PREVIEW
Strong U.S. Team set to make huge impact
World champions Burroughs, Byers, Chun lead determined American squad into London
By Craig Sesker
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The United States has more Olympic entries in wrestling than any other country. And American wrestlers in freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle are looking to cash in at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.
The Olympics are set for July 27-Aug. 12, with the wrestling competition set for Aug. 5-12. The 17-member U.S. Olympic Team is led by World champi- ons Jordan Burroughs, Dremiel Byers and Clarissa Chun. The powerful U.S. squad also features World silver medalists Jake Herbert and Elena Pirozhkova, along with World bronze medal- ists Justin Lester, Jake Varner, Tervel Dlagnev and Ali Bernard. Women’s wrestling will participate in the Olympics for the third straight time since debuting in 2004, and the U.S. women are looking to win their first gold medal in that event. Here is a breakdown of the 18 weight classes for the 2012 Olympic Games:
GRECO-ROMAN
55 kg/121 lbs. – American Spenser Mango returns for his second Olympic Games and has been wrestling well this sea- son.
The explosive Mango has made five straight World-level teams and is poised to win a medal in London. Mango placed eighth in the 2008 Olympics. Five-time World champion Hamid Soryan of Iran did not com- pete at the 2011 World Championships, but he is back on the mat and may be the favorite. He was fifth at the 2008 Olympics. Azerbaijan’s Rovshan Bayramov beat Elbek Tazhyiev of Belarus in the World finals in 2011. China’s Shujin Li and Russia’s Bekkhan Mankiev won bronze medals. Russia’s Nazyr Mankiev won the 2008 Olympics. 60 kg/132 lbs. – Iran’s Omid Haji Noroozi captured the gold medal in this weight class at the 2011 World Championships, defeating Kazakhstan’s Almat Kebispayev in the finals. Russia’s Zaur Kuramagomedov and Bulgaria’s Ivo Angelov won bronze medals at the 2011 Worlds. American Ellis Coleman is one of the top young stars looking to make an impact on the Olympic stage. The U.S. returns to the Olympics in this division after falling short of qualifying for the Beijing Games in 2008. Coleman has won two Junior World bronze medals at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. before dropping down to 60 kilos this season. He
32 USA Wrestler
Two-time Olympian Dremiel Byers has captured World gold, silver and bronze medals. Larry Slater photo.
gained national attention for his “Flying Squirrel” move at the Junior Worlds last year, and will be a definite medal threat in London.
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – American Justin Lester finally broke through to make his first U.S. Olympic Team after making five World Teams.
Lester returned to this weight class in 2011 for the first time in three years and wrestled well in placing fifth at the World Championships. The two-time World bronze medalist knocked off returning World silver medalist Manuchar Tskhadaia of Georgia at May’s Curby Cup.
Lester has been slowed by injuries, but he is healthy again and is considered a legitimate gold-medal contender in London. Iran’s Saeid Morad Abdvali also is one of the favorites after winning a World title last year in this weight class. Korea’s Hyeon-Woo Kim and Cuba’s Pedro Isaac Mulens won World bronze medals last year. Mulens beat Lester to finish
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