Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/75912
OLYMPICS GRECO-ROMAN PREVIEW 55 kg/121 lbs. second Olympic Games and has been wrestling well this season. The explosive Mango has made five American Spenser Mango returns for his straight World-level teams and is poised to win a medal in London. Mango placed eighth in the 2008 Olympics. Iran's Hamid Soryan may be the favorite spot on the World podium in this division last year with Roman Vlasov winning it all. Veteran Selcuk Cebi of Turkey, second in in this class. The five-time World champion placed fifth at the 2008 Olympics, and is back wrestling after missing last season. Azerbaijan's Rovshan Bayramov beat Arsen Jufalakyan also are eyeing the top spot on the podium after winning bronze medals at the 2011 World Championships. American Ben Provisor earned a big win Elbek Tazhyiev of Belarus in the World finals in 2011. China's Shujin Li and Russia's Bekkhan Mankiev won bronze medals. Russia's Nazyr Mankiev won the 2008 Olympics. gold medal in this weight class at the 2011 World Championships, defeating Kazakhstan's Almat Kebispayev in the finals. Russia's Zaur Kuramagomedov and Bulgaria's Ivo Angelov won bronze medals at the 2011 Worlds. American Ellis Coleman is one of the top Iran's Omid Haji Noroozi captured the 60 kg/132 lbs. in May's Curby Cup, knocking off 2008 Olympic champion and 2003 World champi- on Manuchar Kvirkelia of Georgia. 84 kg/185 lbs. World champion after downing Poland's Damian Janikowski in the World finals last year. Turkey's Nazmi Avluca and Finland's Alim Selimau of Belarus is the reigning Rami Heitaniemi captured World bronze medals last year. American Chas Betts has fared well inter- nationally, and competed for the U.S. at the 2009 World Championships. Betts is a tough, hard-nosed wrestler who could make an impact in this division. 96 kg/211.5 lbs. young stars looking to make an impact on the Olympic stage. Coleman has won two Junior World bronze medals at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. before dropping down to 60 kilos this season. 66 kg/145.5 lbs. broke through to make his first U.S. Olympic Team after making five World Teams. Lester returned to this weight class in American Justin "Harry" Lester finally 2011 for the first time in three years and wrestled well in placing fifth at the World Championships. The two-time World bronze medalist knocked off returning World silver medalist Manuchar Tskhadaia of Georgia at May's Curby Cup. Iran's Saeid Morad Abdvali won a World title last year in this weight class. Korea's Hyeon-Woo Kim and Cuba's The powerful Russians occupied the top 74 kg/163 lbs. Pedro Isaac Mulens won World bronze medals last year. Mulens beat Lester to fin- ish third. last year, defeating Sweden's Jimmy Lidberg in the finals. Russia's Rustam Totrov and Turkey's Cenk Idem won World bronze medals in 2011. Egypt's Mohammed Abdelfatah, who has Bulgaria's Elis Guri won the World title trained at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, was fifth in the 2011 World Championships. The U.S. fell short of qualifying for the Olympics in this division in 2012. 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Cuba has ruled this division, but was upset in the 2011 World finals by Turkey's Riza Kayaalp. Lopez has won four World titles and two World silver medals. Kazakhstan's Nurmakhan Tinaliyev and 2008 Olympic champion Mijain Lopez of the World last year, is another top contender to win Olympic gold. Croatia's Neven Zugaj and Armenia's Iran's Bashir Asgari Babanjazadeh Darzi won bronze medals at the 2011 Worlds. American Dremiel Byers will compete in his second Olympic Games. He has won World gold, silver and bronze medals. Byers will turn 38 a month after the Olympics, but he continues to wrestle well. He is eager for another Olympic shot after placing seventh in the 2008 Olympics. 2012 USA Wrestling Media Guide - 23

