Tokyo Summer Olympics Wrestling Preview

Date: July 22, 2021

By: Angelique McKenzie

Two wrestlers compete for a gold medal in the Olympic Games.

Richard Mackson/USA TODAY Sports

Opening day of the 2020 Summer Olympics is right around the corner, and there’s no better time than now to take a look at one of the oldest and most controversial Olympic events: wrestling.

Wrestling has been contested in every modern Olympics with exception of the 1900 games which were held in Paris.

Despite this, wrestling is frequently placed on the chopping block to make room for new sports and was briefly removed from the roster for the 2016 Rio Olympics in February of 2013. The International Olympic Committee cited a lack of internationally known talent and a concern for the women’s competition as the reason behind this decision.

This move was immediately criticized by the international body, now known as United World Wrestling, and two Olympians returned their gold medals. By Sept. 2013 the IOC reversed their decision and reinstated wrestling to the Olympic roster until the 2024 Games which are scheduled to be held in Paris.

Two wrestlers stand with the official after a hard-fought match.

Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

In modern times, international wrestling has been dominated by the United States and the countries that were formerly a part of the Soviet Union, especially Russia.

This year, 193 men and 96 women, representing a total of 60 countries and the refugee’s Olympic team, will be competing in three events: Men’s Greco-Roman, Men’s Freestyle and Women’s Freestyle. Each discipline will be narrowed down further by splitting the athletes into six weight classes.

The competitions will begin Sunday August 1, at 11 a.m. Japanese Standard Time (UTC+9) beginning with the round of 16 in the 76-kilogram weight class in Women’s Freestyle as well as the round of 16 in both the 60-kg and 130-kg weight classes in Men’s Greco-Roman.

One weight. Three Olympic champions.

Who will come out on top when it's all said and done?
Abdulrashid SADULAEV
Kyle SNYDER
Sharif SHARIFOV

97kg action gets underway on August 6 at the #WrestleTokyo Olympic Games. pic.twitter.com/hxdGhMkt4R
— United World Wrestling (@wrestling) July 20, 2021

Below is a list of wrestlers that you’ll want to keep an eye out for, separated by discipline and weight class.

Women’s Freestyle:

50-kg
- Sarah Hildebrandt (USA)
  - Three-time Pan American Champion (2018, 2019, 2021)
  - Silver Medalist at 53-kg 2018 World Championships

Sarah Hildebrandt stands after winning a wrestling match.

Larry Slater

- Mariya Stadnik (AZE)
  - 2019 World Champion at 50-kg
  - Three-time European Champion
53-kg
- Jacarra Winchester (USA)
  - 2019 World Champion at 55-kg
  - 2021 Pan American Champion at 55-kg
- Mayu Mukaida (JPN)
  - 2018 World Champion at 55-kg
  - 2017 Asian Champion at 53-kg
57-kg
- Helen Maroulis (USA)
  - 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist at 53-kg
  - Two-time World Champion (2015, 2017)

Helen Maroulis gets in position before a wrestling match.

United World Wrestling

- Risako Kawai (JPN)
  - 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist at 63-kg
  - Three-time World Champion (2017, 2018, 2019)
62-kg
- Kayla Miracle (USA)
  - 2021 Pan American Champion
- Aisuluu Tynybekova (KYG)
  - 2019 World Champion
  - Three-time Asian Champion (2017, 2019, 2021)
68-kg
- Tamyra Mensah-Stock (USA)
  - 2019 World Champion
  - Three-time Pan American Champion (2019, 2020, 2021)
- Khanum Velieva (ROC)
  - Two-time Junior World Champion
  - 2020 European Champion at 68-kg
76-kg
- Adeline Gray (USA)
  - Five-time World Champion (2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019)
  - Three-time Pan American Champion (2018, 2019, 2021)

Adeline Gray is announced the winner after a wrestling match.

@Tony_Rotundo/United World Wrestling

- Hiroe Minagawa (JPN)
  - Silver Medalist at 76-kg 2019 World Championship
  - 2020 Asian Champion at 76-kg

Men’s Freestyle:

57-kg
- Zaur Uguev (ROC)
  - Two-time World Champion (2018, 2019)
- Thomas Gilman (USA)
  - Silver medalist at 57-kg 2017 World Championships

65-kg
- Gadzhimurad Rashidov (ROC)
  - 2019 World Champion
  - 2018 European Champion
74-kg
- Kyle Dake (USA)
  - Two-time World Champion (2018, 2019)
  - 2021 Pan American Champion

Kyle Dake stands before wrestling in an Olympic match.

Tony Rotundo

- Frank Chamizo (ITA)
  - Two-time World Champion (2015, 2017)
  - Three-time European Champion (2017, 2019, 2020)
86-kg
- Hassan Yazdani Charati(IRI)
  - 2016 Gold Medalist at 74-kg
  - Two-time World Champion (2017, 2019)
- David Taylor III (USA)
  - 2018 World Champion
  - Three-time Pan American Champion (2018, 2019, 2021)
97-kg
- Kyle Snyder (USA)
  - 2016 Gold Medalist
  - Two-time World Champion (2015, 2017)

.@Snyder_man45 is one of three Olympic champions entered in #WrestleTokyo's 97kg bracket. His quest to win back-to-back Olympic golds begins on August 6 at the Olympic Games.#WrestleTokyo ‍♀️ starts in 10 days. pic.twitter.com/pyGDq1CHlj
— United World Wrestling (@wrestling) July 22, 2021

- Abdulrashid Sadulaev (ROC)
  - 2016 Gold Medalist at 86-kg
  - Four-time World Champion (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019)
125-kg
- Gable Stevenson (USA)
  - 2021 Pan American Champion
  - 2017 Junior World Champion
- Geno Petriashvili (GEO)
  - Three-time World Champion (2017, 2018, 2019)
  - 2020 European Champion

Men’s Greco-Roman:

60-kg
- Ildar Hafizov (USA)
  - Silver Medalist at 60-kg 2021 Pan American Championship
- Kenichiro Fumita (JPN)
  - Two-time World Champion (2017, 2019)
  - Two-time Asian Champion (2017, 2020)

Japan's Fumita celebrates with a flag after a wrestling match.

Kadir Caliskan

67-kg
- Alejandro Sancho (USA)
  - Bronze Medalist at 67-kg 2020 Pan American Championship
- Ismael Borrero (CUB)
  - 2016 Gold Medalist at 59-kg
  - Two-time World Champion (2015, 2019)
77-kg
- Tamas Lorincz (HUN)
  - 2016 Silver Medalist at 66-kg
  - 2019 World Champion at 77-kg
87-kg
- John Stefanowicz Jr. (USA)
  - Two-time Pan American Champion (2020, 2021)

John Stefanowicz stands on a mat during a wrestling match.

Richard Immel

- Zhan Beleniuk (UKR)
  - Two-time World Champion (2015, 2019)
  - 2019 European Champion at 87-kg
97-kg
- Tracy Hancock (USA)
  - 2020 Pan American Champion at 97-kg
- Musa Evloev (ROC)
  - Two-time World Champion (2018, 2019)
  - Two-time European Champion (2019, 2021)
130-kg
- Riza Kayaalp (TUR)
  - Four-time World Champion (2011, 2015, 2017, 2019)
  - Four-time European Champion (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021)

Angelique McKenzie can be reached at angelique.mckenzie@student.shu.edu.

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