74 kg FS - AUGUST 19 Burroughs seeks repeat gold Widely considered the best wrestler in
the World, American Jordan Burroughs has placed a stranglehold on the 74 kg/163 lbs. men’s freestyle division since his arrival on the international scene in 2011. Burroughs has won three World titles, four World medals and an Olympic gold during his legendary five-year run. Burroughs has stretched his Senior-
level record to 129-2 as the 2016 Olympic Games approach. Burroughs has the opportunity to become just the fourth American to win two Olympic gold medals joining the elite company of George Mehnert, John Smith and Bruce Baumgartner. The top threat to Burroughs winning
his second Olympic gold medal is dan- gerous Russian star Aniuar Geduev, who won his first World medal last year finish- ing with bronze. His only loss at the Worlds came in the semifinals to Burroughs, 4-3. Geduev is a three-time European champion and has not lost an interna- tional bout at 74 kg to anyone not named Burroughs since 2010. He defeated three-time World champion Denis Tsargush in the finals of the Russian Nationals to solidify his spot in Rio. Mongolia’s Unurbat Purevjav had an undefeated record at the Freestyle World
Cup. Purevjav made the World finals last year, losing to Burroughs, 10-0. He was an Olympian in 2012. Four-time World and Olympic medalist
Livan Lopez of Cuba is the only past Olympic medalists competing at 74 kg in Rio. He won Olympic silver in 2012 at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Hassan Yazdani Charati of Iran is one
of the youngest competitors at 74 kg, but is a serious threat to medal. At the 2015 World Championships, Yazdani Charati won the silver medal at 70 kg. He was a Junior World champion in 2014. Since moving up to 74 kg for the Olympic year, Yazdani Charati has scored two silver medals internationally at the Grand Prix of Paris and Alexander Medved International. Yazdani Charati went undefeated at the Freestyle World Cup, avenging an early season loss to 2014 World champion Khetik Tsabolov of Russia in the finals. Yabrail Hasanov of Azerbaijan owns
two World bronze medals and a 2012 Olympic berth at 66 kg, but has yet to medal since moving up to 74 kg in 2013. He finished in second place at the European Championships this year and was a World University Games silver medalist in 2013. Winning the European Championships
was emerging Turkish competitor Soener Demirtas, who placed third at the Alexander Medved and Yasar Dogu this year. Demirtas secured gold at the 1st World Olympic Games Qualifier in Mongolia to qualify for Rio. Three other athletes bring a World
medal from this quadrennial to the table in Rio.
Narsingh Yadav of India won bronze in
2015, Sohsuke Takatani of Japan picked up a silver in 2014 and Bekzod Abdurakhmanov of Uzbekistan a bronze at 70 kg in 2014. Both Yadav and Takatani were Olympians in 2012. 2014 Junior World champion Zelimkhan Khadjiev of France continues to improve and could play spoiler at the Olympics. Khadjiev was moments away from a bronze medal at the World Championships last year, but was pinned by Yadav in the final moments of the bronze medal match while leading big. Six-time Africa champion Augusto
Jordan Burroughs: by Tony Rotundo
Midana of Guinea Bissau will compete in the Olympic Games for the third time in Rio, the most of any in the 74 kg field.
JORDAN BURROUGHS
Residence: Lincoln, Neb. Club: Sunkist Kids High School: Atco, N.J. (Winslow Township) College: Nebraska Born: July 8, 1988
Age: 28
Career Notes • 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympic Team member • 2012 Olympic Champion • 2011, 2013 and 2015 World Champion • Third in 2014 World Championships • 2011 and 2015 Pan American Games champion • Four-time World Cup champion (2012- 2015) • Three-time U.S. Open champion (2011, 2013, 2014) • Two-time NCAA champion for Nebraska (2009, 2011) • 2011 Dan Hodge Trophy winner Past Olympics: 1st (2012) Past Sr. Worlds: 1st (2011, 2013, 2015), 3rd (2014) UWW World Rank: No. 1
Expected field at 74 kg/163 lbs. Australia - Talgat Ilyasov Azerbaijan - Yabrail Hasanov Bulgaria - Georgi Ivanov Colombia - Carlos Izquierdo Mendez Cuba - Livan Lopez France - Zelimkhan Khadjiev Georgia - Yakob Makarashvili Guinea Bissau - Augusto Midana Haiti – Asnage Castelly India - Narsingh Yadav Iran – Hassan Yazdani Charati Japan - Sohsuke Takatani Kazakhstan - Galimzhan Userbaev Moldova - Evgheni Nedealco Mongolia – Unurbat Purevjav Russia - Aniuar Geduev Spain - Taymuraz Friev Naskideava Turkey - Soener Demirtas United States- Jordan Burroughs Uzbekistan - Bekzod Abdurakhmanov
17 USA Wrestler
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