Paris Preview: Generations clash at heavyweight with Parris in the mix as title contender

Amir Zare of Iran gets the No. 1 seed at this weight class. Zare has been the top heavyweight in recent years, with 2021 and 2023 World titles, plus bronze medals at the 2020 Olympics and the 2022 Worlds. He won gold medals in the last five international events he has entered.

His half-bracket will include No. 4 Taha Akgul of Turkey, No. 5 Daniel Ligeti of Romania and No. 8 Zhiwei Deng of China. Akgul was the top dog at this weight class for many years, winning 10 World or Olympic medals. Included are a 2016 Olympic gold and World titles in 2014, 2015 and 2022. Akgul has won the last seven European Championships he entered. Ligeti is a veteran who had his best Worlds effort with fifth place in 2023. He got into the Olympic field at the World Olympic Qualifier. Deng won a Senior World silver medal in 2018 and a bronze medal in 2019 and was a 2000 U20 World bronze medalist. Deng competed in the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games.

The No. 2 seed is Geno Petriashvili of Georgia, who also has been at the top, with World titles in 2017, 2018 and 2019. He was beaten in the closing seconds of the 2020 Olympic finals by U.S. star Gable Steveson. Petriashvili also won 2016 Olympic bronze, and like Akgul, boasts 10 World or Olympic medals.His half bracket will include No. 3 Mason Parris of the USA, No. 6 Giorgi Meshvildishvili of Azerbaijan and No. 7 Robert Baran of Poland.

Parris won a 2023 World bronze medal on his first Senior team, and also was a 2019 U20 World champion. Parris won both the 2023 Pan American Games and the 2024 Pan American Championships. His only loss at the 2023 Worlds was to Petriashvili, and there could be an Olympic semifinal rematch. Meshvildishvili was a 2024 European bronze medalist and earned his Paris quota through the European Olympic Qualifier. Baran competed in the 2016 Olympic Games, with his best Senior performance being seventh place at the 2023 Worlds.

The top name being drawn into the bracket is Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur of Mongolia, a two-time Senior World medalist who was also a 2019 U23 World bronze medalist. Munkhtur earned his Paris berth at the Asian Olympic Qualifier. Amar Dhesi of Canada, a 2014 U20 World champion, was a star at Oregon State, and had his best Senior World finish in 2023 with a fifth place. Another U.S. collegian in the field is Jonovan Smith of Puerto Rico, who wrestled for Cerritos College.

Yusup Batirmuzaev of Kazakhstan won a 2019 U23 World bronze medalist. Coming out of the African/Oceania Olympic Qualifier were Diaaeldin Abdelmottaleb of Egypt and Ashton Mutuwa of Nigeria. Abdelmottaleb was in the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, as was Aiaal Lazarev of Kyrgyzstan. Lazarev was a 2015 Asian champion. 2020 Olympian and 2020 Asian champion Yasup Batirmurzaev of Kazakhstan is entered, as is Yurri Idzinskyi of Ukraine, who was fifth in the 2022 U23 Worlds.

125 kg MFS Seeded Wrestlers

No. 1 Amir ZARE (IRI)

No. 2 Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)

No. 3 Mason PARRIS (USA)

No. 4 Taha AKGUL (TUR)

No. 5 Daniel LIGETI (HUN)

No. 6 Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE)

No. 7 Robert BARAN (POL)

No. 8 Zhiwei DENG (CHN)

125 kg MFS Olympians (to be drawn in)

Amarveer DHESI (CAN)

Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY)

Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ)

Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ)

Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL)

Ashton MUTUWA (NGR)

Jonovan SMITH (PUR)

Yurii IDZINSKYI (UKR)

(Local Paris time, six hours ahead of U.S. time zone)

Friday, August 9, 2024

11:00 a.m. - Repechage Men’s Freestyle 57-86 kg and Women’s Freestyle 57 kg

11:30 a.m. - Round of 16 and Quarterfinals - Men’s Freestyle 74-125 kg and Women’s Freestyle 62 kg

6:15 p.m. - Semifinals - Men’s Freestyle 74-125 kg and Women’s Freestyle 62 kg

7:15 p.m. - Medal Rounds in Men’s Freestyle 57-86 kg and Women’s Freestyle 57kg

Saturday, August 10, 2024

11:00 a.m. - Repechage Men’s Freestyle 74-125 kg and Women’s Freestyle 62 kg

11:30 a.m. - Round of 16 and Quarterfinals - Men’s Freestyle 65-97 kg and Women’s Freestyle 76 kg

6:15 p.m. - Men’s Freestyle 65-97 kg and Women’s Freestyle 76 kg

7:15 p.m. - Medal Rounds in Men’s Freestyle 74-125 kg and Women’s Freestyle 62 kg