Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/75912
OLYMPICS FREESTYLE PREVIEW this class, with American Henry Cejudo striking gold at the 2008 Olympic Games. Veteran Sam Hazewinkel stepped up to The U.S. has enjoyed great success in 55 kg/121 lbs. make the U.S. team in this class. He beat Nick Simmons, fifth in the World last year, to make the U.S. Olympic Team this year. Russia's Viktor Lebedev won World titles last year's Worlds – Iran's Sadegh Saeed Goudarzi and Azerbaijan's Ashraf Aliyev – are very strong. Goudarzi has been second at the last two World Championships. Aliyev was third last year. Georgia's Davit Khutshishvili won the Two other wrestlers Burroughs beat at the past two years, but he lost to Jamal Otarsultanov in the finals of the Russian Nationals this year. Lebedev beat past World champion Radoslav Velikov of Bulgaria in the World finals last year. Kazakstan's Daulet Niyabekov and Iran's Hassan Rahimi won World bronze in 2011. 60 kg/132 lbs. last three World titles at this weight class after winning a 2007 World title at 55 kg. He was third in the 2008 Olympics at 55 kilos. Kudukhov beat surprise finalist Franklin Russia's Besik Kudukhov has won the Gomez of Puerto Rico in the 2011 World finals. Gomez was an NCAA champion for Michigan State. Japan's Kenichi Yumoto and other World bronze medal last year. Canada's Matt Gentry, an NCAA champ for Stanford, has had a strong season. 84 kg/185 lbs. ing World champion after downing veteran Ibragim Aldatov of Ukraine in last year's World finals. Georgia's Dato Marsagishvili and Azerbaijan's Sharif Sharifov is the reign- Russia's Albert Saritov claimed bronze medals at the 2011 Worlds. Saritov fell to Anzor Urishev in the Russian Nationals. American Jake Herbert returns to the World stage for the third time. He won a sil- ver medal at the 2009 Worlds. 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Kazakhstan's Dauren Zhumagazyyev claimed World bronze medals in 2011. American Coleman Scott won the Olympic Trials before defeating past World Team members Shawn Bunch and Reece Humphrey to earn a trip to London. 66 kg/145.5 lbs. tough weight class at the 2011 World Championships, topping Japan's Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu in the finals. Azerbaijan's Jabrayil Hasanov and favorite Serhat Balci of Turkey to win the gold medal at the 2011 Worlds in Istanbul. Yazdani placed third in the World in 2006 Iran's Reza Yazdani beat home crowd Iran's Mehdi Taghavi Kermani won a Cuba's Livan Lopez Azcuy earned bronze medals at the 2011 Worlds. Alan Gaughan won the Russian Nationals, downing Adam Batirov in the finals. Batirov was fifth in the World in 2011. American Jared Frayer is a dangerous wrestler with big-move capability. He is a tough matchup who is never out of a match. 74 kg/163 lbs. his first World Championships last year and emerged to win a gold medal. Burroughs beat Russia's Denis Tsargush, American Jordan Burroughs stormed into the 2009 and 2010 World champion, en route to winning the World title. and 2007 at 84 kilos. He then returned to the World stage at 96 kilos last year and came through to win a title. Russia's Abdusalam Gadisov won the European Championships and the Russian Nationals this year at 96 kilos. American Jake Varner enjoyed a break- through season in 2011 after winning a bronze medal at the World Championships. He is considered a serious medal threat. Ruslan Sheikhau of Belarus won the other bronze medal at the 2011 Worlds. 120 kg/264.5 lbs. prise winner at last year's Worlds. Shemarov downed three-time World champion Bilyal Makhov of Russia in the 2011 World finals. Azerbaijan's Jamaladdin Magomedov Alexei Shemarov of Belarus was a sur- and Georgia's Davit Modzmanashvili were the bronze medalists at the 2011 Worlds. American Tervel Dlagnev knocked off Olympic and World champion Artur Taymazov of Uzbekistan en route to placing fifth at the 2011 Worlds. Dlagnev was third at the 2009 Worlds. 22- 2012 USA Wrestling Media Guide

