Russia and United States head men's freestyle qualifiers as UWW issues update

Zaur Uguev, Gadzhimurad Rashidov, Zaurbek Sidakov and Abdulrashid Sadulaev have all booked their places at the Games for Russia after claiming world titles in 2019.

Artur Naifonov also booked his place at Tokyo 2020 following a bronze medal in the men’s 86-kilogram event, leaving the 125kg division as the only weight division without a qualified Russian to date.

The United States also boast five wrestlers in freestyle categories, with Jordan Burroughs and reigning Olympic champion Kyle Snyder having qualified through winning bronze medals the World Championships.

The US also qualified in three weight categories at the Pan-American Olympic qualification event earlier this year.

Kazakhstan have secured four Olympic freestyle berths, with Cuba, India and Iran having achieved three to date.

Russia’s Uguev heads the 57kg weight division, with Turkey’s Suleyman Atli, Kazakhstan’s Nurislam Sanayev, India’s Ravi Kumar Dahiya and Serbia’s Stevan Micic all having qualified through the World Championships.

American Thomas Gilman and Colombia’s Oscar Tigreros have advanced from the Pan-American qualifier.

The 65kg division features Rashidov, Kazakhstan’s Daulet Niyazbekov, Bajrang Punia of India, Hungary’s Iszmail Muszukajev, Mongolia’s Tomor-Ochiryn Tulga and Japan’s Takuto Otoguro, as well as American qualifiers Alejandro Valdes of Cuba and Argentina’s Agustin Destribats.

Sidakov and Burroughs feature among the eight wrestlers to have qualified in the 74kg weight category.

The duo are joined by Italy’s Frank Chamizo, Kazakhstan’s Daniyar Kaisanov, Japan’s Mao Okui, Poland’s Kamil Rybicki, Cuba’s Geandry Garzon and Puerto Rico’s Franklin Gomez.

World champion Hassan Yazdani heads the 86kg qualifiers, with the Iranian star joined by India’s Deepak Punia, Switzerland’s Stefan Reichmuth, Naifonov, Colombia’s Carlos Izquierdo and San Marino’s Myles Amine also assured of places.

Iran's Olympic and world champion Hassan Yazdani heads the men's 86kg field ©Getty Images

 

David Taylor of the United States and Peru’s Pool Ambrocio secured the Americas qualifying berths.

Sadulaev and Olympic champion Snyder head the qualifiers for the 97kg event.

The duo will be joined by Azerbaijan’s Sharif Sharifov, North Macedonia’s Magomedgadzhi Nurov, Georgia’s Elizbar Odikadze and Kazakhstan’s Alisher Yergali, who qualified through the World Championships.

Cuba’s Reineris Salas and Canada’s Jordan Steen are the Americas qualifiers.

Georgia’s three-time world champion Geno Petriashvili tops the 125kg field and is joined by Turkey’s Taha Akgul, Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khotsianivskyi and China’s Deng Zhiwei.

Kosovo’s Egzon Shala and Yadollah Mohebbi of Iran also qualified through the World Championships, with the US’ Nick Gwiazdowski and Canada’s Amar Dhesi booking spots at the Americas qualifier.

Exactly half of the freestyle spots have already been secured to date.

Two berths in each weight division will be determined at the European, Asian, and the African and Oceanian qualification tournaments.

The final two spots in the six divisions will be determined at the World Qualification tournament.