130 kg GR - AUGUST 15 Lopez, Kayaalp top big men
Two behemoths stand above the rest as we venture into the 130 kg/286 lbs. Greco-Roman bracket for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The ageless Cuban Mijain Lopez will look to win his third Olympic gold medal in his fourth Olympic Games. Lopez picked up the gold in Beijing and London to go along with his five World titles and three World silver medals. Lopez has won 10 World and Olympic medals since 2006. Riza Kayaalp of Turkey owns seven
World and Olympic medals. The Turk won the World title last year to go along with his World gold in 2011 where he beat Lopez in the finals on both occa- sions. In 2012, Kayaalp won bronze at the Olympic Games. Kayaalp also has two World University titles and two Junior World titles. Kayaalp defeated Lopez, 1- 0, in the gold-medal match last year. Two-time World champion and 2012 Olympic silver medalist Heiki Nabi of Estonia is seeking redemption after fin- ishing in eighth place at the 2015 World Championships. Nabi fell to Lopez in the finals of the London Olympics. Russia will undoubtedly play a factor at 130 kg with two-time Junior World cham- pion Sergey Semenov taking the mat in Rio. The less experienced Semenov took
top prize at Russian Nationals over Makhov, who won 2014 and 2015 World bronze medals in Greco-Roman. Makhov, a three-time World champion in freestyle will be the Russian heavyweight repre- sentative in freestyle in Rio. Ukrainian Aleksandr Chernetski won
World bronze opposite Makhov in Las Vegas last year. He posted a silver- medal performance at the 2016 European Championships, losing to Kayaalp in the finals. Rio will mark Chernetski’s second Olympic Games. Kazakhstan boasts a strong medal contender with three-time World bronze medalist and 2013 World University Games silver medalist Nurmakhan Tinaliyev making a return trip to the Olympic Games. He won World bronze in 2010, 2011 and 2013, but has failed to reach the medal stand the past two years.
2012 Olympic bronze medalist Johan Euren of Sweden has also gone two years without a World medal. He finished with World bronze in 2013, but has since been snuffed on the big stage. Fan favorite American Robby Smith is looking to continue the momentum he gained after a fifth-place finish at the World Championships last year. Smith’s two losses in Las Vegas came at the hands of Lopez and Makhov, with the Makhov bout being praised as one of the best matches of the entire competition. Smith has been a member of every
U.S. World Team since 2013. He also represented the U.S. at three Junior World Championships. Smith competed at 96 kg for most of his career until after the 2012 Olympic Trials, where he was third. His move up to heavyweight has been a very successful decision. Finishing in fifth place at the Worlds last year was Sabahi Shariati of Azerbaijan, who picked up an impressive gold medal at the Golden Grand Prix Finals, placing ahead of contenders Tinaliyev, Nabi, Chernetski and Smith. Two wrestlers with potential to shake things up at 130 kg are U23 European gold medalist Iakobi Kajaia of Georgia and 2012 World University champion Bashir Babajanzadeh of Iran. Muminjon Abdullaev of Uzbekistan and Edwin Caraballo Cabrera of Venezuela round out the list of past Olympians. entered in the 130 kg field for Rio.
Robby Smith: by Tony Rotundo 7 USA Wrestling Rio Media Guide
ROBBY SMITH
Residence: Colorado Springs, Colo. Club: New York AC College: Northern Michigan High School: Danville, Calif. (San Ramon) Born: Jan. 30, 1987
Age: 29
Past Olympics: None Past Sr. Worlds: 5th (2013, 2015), 11th (2014) UWW World Rank: unranked
Career Notes • 2016 U.S. Olympic Team member • Fifth in 2013 and 2015 World Championships • Three-time U.S. World Team member • Two-time U.S. Open champion (2014, 2015) • Third in 2015 Pan American Games • 2014 Dave Schultz Memorial International champion • Second in 2011 U.S. Open • 2010 and 2013 New York AC International champion • Three-time Junior World Team member (2005-2007)
USA Age-Group: 2005 Junior Nationals champion in both Greco-Roman and freestyle… Seventh in 2004 Junior Nationals in Greco-Roman… College: Attended Northern Michigan University… Coached by Ivan Ivanov… High School: Attended San Ramon High School…Fourth in 2005 State Championships…Seventh in 2004 State Championships…Eighth in 2003 State Championships Personal: Son of Rob and Kim Smith…Has two sisters, Colleen and Crystal… His youth club coach Mark Halvorson is one of the 2016 Olympic Greco-Roman coaches and still coaches Smith at the Senior level.
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