Date of Competition: September 13

In a weight class that’s been devoid of consistency since 2005, 60kg has always been one of the most enjoyable weight classes to watch in Greco-Roman.

With five different champions at the World and Olympic Championships the last six years, prognostication is typically thrown out the door.

Last year’s World Champion, Hasan Aliyev of Azerbaijan finished with a  bronze at the recent European Championships, behind both of the 2010 fifth-place finishers at the World Championships – Revaz Lashkhi of Georgia and Ivo Angelov of Bulgaria.

Aliyev rebounded to win the Golden Grand Prix in Baku three months later. 

Notably absent from the 2010 World Championships was 2008 Olympic and 2009 World Champion Islambek Albiev of Russia. He’s been seen on the mats this year, but up at 66kg. Aslan Abdullin is a likely entry for Russia, although last year’s World Championship entry, Zaur Kuramagomedov, recently won Poddubny and Russian Nationals.

Last year’s silver medalist was the surprising Ryutaro Matsumoto of Japan. Previously, Matsumoto’s best World-level finish was fifth at the Asian Championships in 2007. Kazuma Kuramoto was Japan’s entry at the Asian Championships and he finished fifth. 

Winning the Asian Championships this year was 2010 World bronze medalist Almat Kebispayev of Kazakhstan. Kebispayev won the President Cup of Kazakhstan in June, beating the other bronze medalist from 2010, Ji-Huyn Jung of Korea in the finals. That tournament also featured Dilshod Aripov of Uzbekistan, the 2009 World silver medalist. 

Jung is a two-time bronze medalist, previously medaling in 2010 and 2007.

Angelov was fifth in last year’s World Championships, but had a solid European Championship, finishing with a silver. He lost to Aliyev in the final. 

American Joe Betterman makes his first World Championships appearance since 2007 when he was a replacement for 2006 World Champion Joe Warren. Betterman has battled injuries, but has reemerged as the top U.S. wrestler at the weight after Jeremiah Davis represented the U.S. in the last two World Championships.

Betterman has been one of the top U.S. wrestlers in international competition, although he did finish eighth at Pytlasinski and 11th at Poddubny, but won international competitions on U.S. soil at the Sunkist Kids International, Dave Schultz and NYAC. 

Betterman’s goal is a World-level medal, but with the 2011 World Championship being the first qualifier for the 2012 Olympic Games, Betterman is going to make sure he gets the weight qualified for the Games this time around and the U.S. isn’t shut out like in 2008. 

Others to watch:
Mustafa Saglam (Turkey) – 3rd at European Championships
Eusebiu Diaconu (Romania) – 5th European Champinoships, 3rd Golden Grand Prix (Baku)
Davor Stefanek (Serbia) – 2nd Golden Grand Prix (Baku)
Abdol Mohammed Papi (Iran) – 3rd Asian Championships, 3rd Pytlasinski OR
Omid Noroozi (Iran)

2010 World Championships
60kg/132 lbs. – Gold – Hasan Aliyev (Azerbiajan); Silver – Ryutaro Matsumoto (Japan); Bronze – Almat Kebispayev (Kazakhstan); Bronze – Ji-Huyn Jung (Korea); 5th – Revaz Lashkhi (Georgia); 5th – Ivo Angelov (Bulgaria); 7th – Ruslan Tyumenbaev (Krygyzstan); 8th – Lenur Temirov (Ukraine); 9th – Omid Noroozi (Iran); 10th – Dilshod Aripov (Uzbekistan)

2009 World Championships
60 kg/132 lbs. - Gold - Islam-Beka Albiev (Russia); Silver - Dilshod Aripov (Uzbekistan); Bronze - Nurbakyt Tengysbaev (Kazakhstan); Bronze - Vitaliy Rahimov (Azerbaijan); 5th - Davor Stefanek (Serbia); 5th - Soner Sucu (Turkey); 7th - Revaz Lashkhi (Georgia); 8th - Ryutaro Matsumoto (Japan); 9th - Stig Andre Berge (Norway) ; 10th - Omid Noroozi (Iran)

2008 Olympic Games
60 kg/132 lbs. - Gold – Islam-beka Albiev (Russia); Silver - Vitaly Rahimov (Azerbaijan); Bronze - Ruslan Tiumenbaev (Krygyzstan); Bronze - Nurbakyt Tengizbayev (Kazakhstan); 5th - Roberto Monzon (Cuba); 5th - Jiang Shen (China); 7th - Armen Nazarian (Bulgaria); 8th - Eusebiu Diaconu (Romania); 9th - Ji-Hyun Jung (Korea); 10th - Makoto Sasamoto (Japan) 

2007 World Championships
60 kg/132 lbs. - Gold - David Bedinadze (Georgia); Silver - Makoto Sasamoto (Japan); Bronze - Ji-Hyun Jung (Korea); Bronze - Eusebiu Diaconu (Romania); 5th - Yury Dubinin (Belarus); 5th - Jarkko Ala-Huikku (Finland); 7th - Nurbakyt Tengysbayev (Kazakhstan); 8th - Davor Stefanek (Serbia); 9th - Islam-Beka Albiev (Russia); 10th - Song Il Ho (People’s Republic of Korea)

2006 World Championships
60 kg/132 lbs. – Gold – Joe Warren (USA); Silver - David Bedinadze (Georgia); Bronze – Emin Bunyamin (Turkey); Bronze – Vyacheslav Djaste (Russia); 5th – Oleksiy Vakulenko (Ukraine); 5th – Eusebiu Diaconu (Romania); 7th – Ali Ashkani (Iran); 8th – Nurhakhyt Tengizbaev (Kazakhstan); 9th – Heinz Mamette (Germany); 10th – Roberto Monzon (Cuba)

2005 World Championships
60 kg/ 132 lbs. - Gold - Armen Nazarian (Bulgaria); Silver - Ali Askhani (Iran); Bronze - Eusebiu Diaconu (Romania); Bronze - Peter Svehla (Czech Republic); 5th - Vahan Juharyan (Armenia); 5th - Laszlo Kliment (Hungary); 7th - Oleksei Vakulenko (Ukraine); 8th - Dilshod Aripov (Uzbekistan); 9th - Joe Warren (USA); 10th - Makoto Sasamoto (Japan)