Last year, an unexpected athlete won the World gold medal at 96 kg in Greco-Roman, Heiki Nabi of Estonia, who had not won a medal at a major Senior-level competition prior to his World title. Nabi had won two World University medals coming into that event. Since then, Nabi was fifth at the European Championships this year. Defending his title will be a big challenge for Nabi, who has yet to prove he can be a consistent winner.

The World silver medalist last year is among the top veterans at this weight class, Marek Svec of the Czech Republic. Svec won a 1998 World silver medal as well and entering his first Senior World Championships way back in 1994.

One of the sport's true superstars, two-time Olympic champion Hamza Yerlikaya, may have had his last World appearance with a bronze medal at 96 kg in 2006. Yerlikaya jumped up to 96 kg after years at 84 kg in 2005, and he was able to win the World gold medal that year. This year, Yerlikaya was elected to the Turkish Parliament, and Turkey has listed Serkan Ozden as its entry.

2004 Olympic gold medalist Karam Gaber of Egypt took some time away from wrestling after his triumph in Athens, and did some professional mixed martial arts events. He did not enter the 2005 World Championships, and was unable to place at the 2006 World Championships. Gaber has won the African Championships each of the last three years, as well as the African Games. However, it is yet to be seen if Gaber can show the kind of skills that allowed him to dominate the Olympics and win World silver medals in 2002 and 2003. 

The other 2006 World bronze medalist last year was Kaloyan Dinchev of Bulgaria, who was unable to place at the 2007 European Championships. A 2004 Olympian, Dinchev is one of many athletes capable of winning a medal at this division.

The 2007 European champion was Ramaz Nozadze of Georgia, who placed second behind Gaber at the 2004 Olympic Games. Nozadze was fifth at the World Championships last year and won a World bronze medal in 2003. 

2005 World bronze medalist Vasiliy Tepoulkhanov of Russia is listed as his team's entry. Tepoulkhanov won a bronze medal at the 2007 European Championships. The other European bronze medalist this year, Balasz Kiss of Hungary, is also on the preliminary roster for the tournament.

The United States enters veteran Justin Ruiz, a 2005 World bronze medalist. Ruiz will be competing in his fourth World Championships, and comes off a strong season on the international levels, including a Pan American Games gold medal. 

Veteran Jimmy Lidberg of Sweden, a 2007 European silver medalist, is also in the field. Lidberg has yet to win a World medal, but has shown the ability to beat many of the top athletes in this division. He was seventh at the World meet last year.

Two athletes who placed in the top 10 at the World meet last year, Andrei Batura of Belarus and Young Han-Tae of Korea, are listed in the field. Among the veterans from the European circuit, Dimitri Timchenko of Ukraine and Georgios Koutsioubas of Greece are also in the draw.

The Asian champion Reza Ghasemi of Iran and the Asian silver medalist Asset Mambetov of Kazakhstan are also expected to challenge for medals.

With a relative newcomer as the World champion, Heiki Nabi of Estonia, many of the veteran competitors in the 96 kg division will feel confident in their chances this year. Olympic finalists Karim Gaber of Egypt and Ramaz Nozadze of Georgia are looking to return to the medal rounds. Of the Greco-Roman weight classes, this one may be the most wide open and should be very interesting.
	
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS

2006 World Championships results
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Gold - Heiki Nabi (Estonia); Silver - Marek Svec (Czech Republic); Bronze - Kaloyan Dinchev (Bulgaria); Bronze - Hamza Yerlikaya (Turkey); 5th - Andrei Batura (Belarus); 5th - Ramaz Nozadze (Georgia); 7th - Jimmy Lidberg (Sweden); 8th - Lajos Virag (Hungary); 9th - Theodoros Tounoysidis (Greece); 10th - Young Han-Tae (Korea)

2005 World Championships results
96 kg/211.5 lbs. -Gold - Hamza Yerlikaya (Turkey); Silver - Lajos Virag (Hungary); Bronze - Vasilliy Tepoulkhov (Russia); Bronze - Justin Ruiz (USA); 5th -  Mirko Englich (Germany); 5th - Margulan Assembekov (Kazakhstan); 7th - Mikhaylo Nikolaev (Ukraine); 8th - Vladislav Metodiev (Bulgaria); 9th - Shata Narmaniya (Belarus); 10th - Marek Svec (Czech Republic)

2004 Olympic Games results
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Gold - Karam Ibrahim Gaber (Egypt); Silver -Ramaz Nozadze (Georgia); Bronze -Mehmet Ozal (Turkey); 4th -  Ernesto Pena (Cuba); 5th - Genadi Chhaidze (Kyrgyzstan); 6th - Gogi Koguachvili (Russia); 7th - Georgios Koutsioumpas (Greece); 8th - Kaloyan Dinchev (Bulgaria); 9h - Lajos Virag (Hungary); 10th - Marek Sitnik (Poland)

2003 World Championships results
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Gold - Martin Lidberg (Sweden) dec. Karam Ibrahim Gaber (Egypt), 3-0; Bronze - Ramaz  Nozadze (Georgia) dec. Davyd Saldadze (Ukraine), 6-0; 5th - Aleksey Cheglakov (Uzbekistan); 6th - Alexander Bezrutchkin (Russia); 7th - Gennadiy Chhaidze (Kyrgyzstan); 8th - Kostas Thanos (Greece); 9th - Lajos Virag (Hungary); 10th - Mirko English (Germany)

2002 World Championships results
96 kg/211.75 lbs. - Gold - Mekhmet Oezal (Turkey) dec. Karam Ibrahim Gaber (Egypt), 15-11; Bronze - Ali Mollov (Bulgaria) dec. Ernesto Pena (Cuba), 4-0; 5th -Roman Meduna (Slovakia); 6th -Aleksei Cheglakov (Uzbekistan); 7th - Marek Svec (Czech Republic); 8th - Mirko Englich (Germany); 9th - Sasa Dukai (Yugoslavia); 10th - Hao Liu (China)

2001 World Championships results
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Gold - Alexandre Bezroutchkine (Russia) dec. Ernesto Pena (Cuba), 7-0; Bronze - Mehmet Ozal (Turkey) dec. Petru Sudureak (Romania), 7-5; 5th - Marek Svec (Czech Republic); 6th - Aleksey Cheglakov (Uzbekistan); 7th - Marek Sitnik (Poland); 8th - Ehssan Karimfar (Iran); 9th - Roman Meduna (Slovakia); 10th - Sergey Matviyenko (Kazakhstan)