Paris Preview: Tokyo gold medalist Orta Sanchez top contender at 67 kg in Greco-Roman

Leading the pack as the No. 1 seed at 67 kg is returning World runner-up Hasrat Jafarov of Azerbaijan. Jafarov is a two-time World medalist, earning one silver and one bronze in three trips to the World Championships.

Luis Orta Sanchez of Cuba, the defending Olympic and World champion, is seeded No. 2. Orta’s powerful and dynamic style has earned him a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games. On the same side of the bracket as Orta Sanchez is No. 3 seed Slavik Galstyan of Armenia, No. 6 seed Mamadassa Sylla of France and No. 7 seed Saeid Esmaeili of Iran.

Galstyan qualified the weight for Armenia with a fifth-place finish at the 2023 Senior World Championships. The27-year-old has competed at five World Championships, earning a bronze medal in 2019. Sylla qualified after wrestling to the finals of the European Olympic Games Qualifier. Esmaeili brings unpredictability to this weight class, as we have yet to see him on the World stage.

Serbia’s Mate Nemes, a 2023 World bronze medalist, holds the No. 4 seed. Nemes has consistently performed at the highest level, earning three World medals, including a gold in 2022. He competed, but did not podium, at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

There are a total of six competitors at 67 kg with previous Olympic experience. Orta Sanchez, Nemes, Ramaz Zoidze of Georgia, Souleymen Nasr of Tunisia and Parviz Nasibov of Ukraine were in the field at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Andres Roberto Montano Arroyo of Ecuador competed at the 2016 Rio Games.

Amantur Ismailov of Kyrgyzstan, an Asian Olympic Qualifier finalist, is seeded No. 5. Ismailov has one World bronze medal on his resume. Valentin Petic of Moldova is seeded No. 8. Petic earned his spot through the World Olympic Games Qualifier and was a U17 World Champion in 2016.

Also, in the field at 67 kg in Paris is Ishak Ghaiou of Algeria, Nestor Almanza Truyol of Chile, Mohamed Elsayed of Egypt, Kyotaro Sogabe of Japan.

67 kg GR Seeded Wrestlers

No. 1 Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)

No. 2 Luis ORTA (CUB)

No. 3 Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM)

No. 4 Mate NEMES (SRB)

No. 5 Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ)

No. 6 Mamadassa SYLLA (FRA)

No. 7 Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI)

No. 8 Valentin PETIC (MDA)

67 kg GR Olympians (to be drawn in)

Ishak GHAIOU (ALG)

Nestor ALMANZA TRUYOL (CHI)

Andres MONTANO ARROYO (ECU)

Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY)

Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO)

Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN)

Souleymen NASR (TUN)

Parviz NASIBOV (UKR)

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

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

11:00 a.m. – Repechage Men’s Greco Roman 77-97 kg and Women’s Freestyle 50 kg

11:30 a.m. - Round of 16 and Quarterfinals - Men’s Greco-Roman 67-87 kg and Women’s Freestyle 53 kg

6:15 p.m. - Semifinals - Men’s Greco-Roman 67-87 kg and Women’s Freestyle 53 kg

7:15 p.m. - Medal Rounds in Men’s Greco-Roman 77-97 kg and Women’s Freestyle 50 kg

Thursday, August 8, 2024

11:00 a.m. - Repechage Men’s Greco Roman 67-87 kg and Women’s Freestyle 53 kg

11:30 a.m. - Round of 16 and Quarterfinals - Men’s Freestyle 57-86 kg and Women’s Freestyle 57 kg.

6:15 p.m. - Semifinals - Men’s Freestyle 57-86 kg and Women’s Freestyle 57 kg

7:15 p.m. - Medal Rounds in Men’s Greco-Roman 67-87 kg and Women’s Freestyle 53kg