Who to Watch at the 2024 World OG Qualifier
With all of the attention given to the Oklahoma State coaching position, it’s almost easy to forget that tomorrow represents the start of a huge four days in the Olympic qualification process. The 2023 World Championships served as the first event where wrestlers could lock up a quota for their country in the 2024 Olympic Games. Earlier this year, qualifying events were held at each continental championship. Now, this week’s World OG Qualifier tournament represents the last opportunity for wrestlers to earn a place in the Olympic Games.
High-quality wrestlers from all over the world have not yet qualified and are looking to do so in Istanbul, Turkey. To qualify, a wrestler will either need to make the finals or win the wrestle-off between the two third-place finishers.
The premise is simple, however the task is not. Each weight class had potential threats to our American Olympic hopefuls.
Today, we’re focusing on those weight classes in which the United States has not yet qualified. Those are 57 and 65 kg in men’s freestyle and 60, 67, and 77 kg in men’s Greco-Roman. All six women’s weights have been qualified.
The Americans that will compete at those weights are:
57 kg MFS: Spencer Lee, 65 kg MFS: Zain Retherford
60 kg MGR: Dalton Roberts, 67 kg MGR: Ellis Coleman, 77 kg MGR: Kamal Bey
While everyone in the bracket represents a potential roadblock, we’ve singled out some of the key opponents that each of the American wrestlers will have to contend with and some of their most notable past credentials.
Thursday will feature Greco-Roman through the semifinals. Repechage and the bronze medal wrestle-off’s will take place Friday.
Women’s freestyle starts Friday and will be conducted in a similar fashion to Greco.
Men’s freestyle starts Saturday and concludes on Sunday.
Men’s Freestyle
57 kg
Key Contenders:
Suleyman Atli (Turkey) - 2x World medalist (2,3), 2x European Champion, 6x European medalist (1,1,2,2,2,3)
Roberti Dingashvili (Georgia) - 2024 European Bronze medalist, 2019 European U23 Bronze medalist
Vladimir Egorov (North Macedonia) - 2022 European Champion, 2x European medalist (1,3), 2021 World 8th Place
Rakhat Kalzhan (Kazakhstan) - 2x Asian Medalist (2,3), 2022 World 14th Place
Sunggwon Kim (South Korea) - 3x Asian 5th Place, 2017 World 9th Place
Horst Lehr (Germany) - 2021 World Bronze medalist, 2x European Bronze medalist
Levan Metreveli (Spain) - 2x European 5th Place
Ilman Mukhtarov (France) - 2024 European 5th Place, 2019 U23 World 5th Place
Simone Piroddu (Italy) - 2022 European U20 Champion, 2018 Cadet World Bronze medalist
Alireza Sarlak (Iran) - 2021 World Silver medalist, 2021 Asian Silver medalist, 2019 U23 World Bronze medalist
Aman Sehrawat (India) - 2023 Asian Champion, 2022 U23 World Champion, 2021 Cadet World Champion
Georgi Vangelov (Bulgaria) - 3x European Bronze medalist, 2020(1) Olympic 5th Place, 2022 World 5th Place
Zanabazar Zandanbud (Mongolia) - 2022 World Bronze medalist, 2017 Asian Silver medalist
Andrii Yatsenko (Ukraine) - 2017 World Bronze Medalist, 2019 European U23 Champion
65 kg
Key Contenders:
Besir Alili (North Macedonia) - 2022 European 5th place
Khamzat Arsamerzouev (France) - 2023 European U23 Champion, 2022 U20 World Bronze medalist
Erik Arushanian (Ukraine) - 2020 European Bronze Medalist, 2022 U23 World Bronze Medalist, 2021 European U23 Champion
Adlan Askarov (Kazakhstan) - 2021 Asian Silver Medalist, 3x Age Group World Medalist (U23/2; JR/3; CD/3)
Krzysztof Bienkowski (Poland) - 2021 European Silver medalist
Kizhan Clarke (Germany) - 2024 European Bronze medalist
Stefan Coman (Romania) - 2023 European 5th place
Islam Dudaev (Albania) - 2x European medalist (1,3), 2x U23 World Bronze medalist
Umidjon Jalolov (Uzbekistan) - 2022 U20 World Champion, 2019 Cadet World Champion
Sujeet Kalkal (India) - 2022 U20 World Bronze medalist, 2022 Asian U23 Champion, 2022 Asian U20 Champion
Kwang Jin Kim (North Korea) - 2023 Asian Games Bronze medalist
Abdulmazhid Kudiev (Tajikistan) - 2023 Asian U23 Champion, 2021 European U20 Silver medalist
Ayub Musaev (Belgium) - 2x European U20 medalist (2,3)
Mikyay Naim (Bulgaria) - 2023 European Silver medalist, 2021 World 9th place, 2017 U23 World Silver medalist
Maxim Sacultan (Moldova) - 2023 World 5th place, 2021 European Bronze Medalist
Niurgun Skriabin (AIN - Belarus) - 2020 European Silver medalist, 2018 World 9th Place
Ahmet Duman/Abdullah Toprak (Turkey) - 2023 U23 World Bronze Medalist, 2023 U20 World Bronze Medalist (Toprak)
Tulga Tumur Ochir (Mongolia) - 2021 World Bronze medalist, 2x Asian Silver medalist
Greco-Roman
60 kg
Key Contenders:
Pridon Abuladze (Georgia) - 2021 U23 World Bronze medalist, 2x European Junior Champion
Razvan Arnaut (Romania) - 2x European Bronze medalist
Aslamjon Azizov (Tajikistan) - 2022 Asian U23 Silver medalist, 2021 Asian 5th place
Munkh Erdene Batkhuyag (Mongolia) - 2023 U23 World Bronze medalist
Sumit Dalal (India) - 2023 U23 World Bronze medalist, 2x U20 World medalist (2,3)
Gevorg Gharibyan (Armenia) - 2x World 5th place, 2020 European Champion, 2x European medalist (1,3)
Aleksandrs Jurkjans (Latvia) - 2021 European Bronze medalist
Sadyk Lalaev (AIN - Russia) - 2024 European Bronze medalist, 2019 European U23 Bronze medalist
Hleb Makaranka (AIN - Belarus) - 2023 U23 World Silver medalist
Murad Mammadov (Azerbaijan) - 2x World Medalist (2,3), 2024 European Champion, 3x European medalist (1,2,3)
Edmond Nazaryan (Bulgaria) - 2022 World Silver medalist, 2x European Champion
Justas Petravisius (Lithuania) - 2024 European 5th place
Georgij Tibilov (Serbia) - 2023 World Bronze medalist, 2023 European Bronze medalist
67 kg
Key Contenders:
Abdullo Aliev (Uzbekistan) - 2024 Asian Bronze medalist, 2023 Asian U20 Champion
Abu Amaev (Bulgaria) - 2x European Bronze medalist, 2019 Junior World Champion
Ashu Bazard (India) - 2020 Asian Bronze medalist
Mateusz Bernatek (Poland) - 2017 World Silver medalist, 2021 European Silver medalist
Mohamed El Sayed (Egypt) - 2020(1) Olympic Bronze Medalist, 2x U23 World Champion
Dominik Etlinger (Croatia) - 2019 European Bronze medalist, 2015 World 8th place
Selcuk Can/Murat Firat (Turkey) - 2024 European Champion, 3x European medalist (1,3,3) (Firat)
Julian Horta Acevedo (Colombia) - 2020(1) Olympian, 2022 U23 World 5th place
Artur Jeremejev (Estonia) - 2023 U23 World 5th Place
Haavard Joergensen (Norway) - 2023 European Bronze medalist
Etienne Kinsinger (Germany) - 2020(1) Olympic 11th place, 2x European 5th place, 2018 World 8th place
Din Koshkar (Kazakhstan) - 2022 U20 World Bronze medalist
Ji Leng (China) - 2024 Asian Bronze medalist
Aliaksandr Liavonchyk (AIN - Belarus) - 2019 U23 World Silver medalist, 2018 European Junior Champion
Mihai Mihut (Romania) - 3x European 5th place, 2018 U23 World Bronze medalist
Niklas Oehlen (Sweden) - 2x European U23 Medalist (2,3)
Valentin Petic (Moldova) - 2019 Junior World Bronze Medalist, 2019 U23 World Bronze medalist, 2016 Cadet World Champion
Hansu Ryu (South Korea) - 2x World Champion, 3x World Medalist (1,1,2), 4x Asian Champion
Krisztian Vancza (Hungary) - 2022 European Silver medalist, 2021 U23 European Champion, 2018 Junior World Bronze medalist
Aslan Visaitov (AIN - Russia) - 2014 Junior World Bronze medalist
Ramaz Zoidze (Georgia) - 2021 World Bronze medalist, 2020(1) Olympic 5th place, 2018 U23 World Silver medalist, 3x European U23 champion, 2x Junior World Champion
77 kg
Key Contenders:
Tsimur Berdyieu (AIN - Belarus) - 2x World 5th place, 2017 European U23 Bronze medalist
Ihor Bychkov (Ukraine) - 2019 Junior World Bronze medalist
Kamil Czarnecki (Poland) - 2023 European Bronze medalist
Vikas Dalal (India) - 2023 Asian U23 Bronze medalist
Ibrahim Ghanem (France) - 2023 World Champion, 2023 European Silver medalist, 2022, World 5th place
Alexandrin Gutu (Moldova) - 2023 U23 World Champion, 2x U23 World Medalist (1,2), 2024 European 5th place
Idris Ibaev (Germany) - 2021 U23 World Champion, 2021 European U23 Bronze medalist
Antonio Kamenjasevic (Croatia) - 2021 European Bronze medalist, 2x European U23 Silver medalist
Zoltan Levai (Hungary) - 2022 World Silver medalist, 2017 European U23 champion
Iuri Lomadze (Georgia) - 2x European medalist (2,3), 2x World 9th place
Aik Mnatsakanian (Bulgaria) - 2x World Bronze medalist, 2x European Bronze medalist
Viktor Nemes (Serbia) - 2017 World Champion, 2x World medalist (1,3), 4x European medalist (2x3, 3)
Adlet Tiuliubaev (AIN - Russia) - 2024 European Bronze Medalist