Date of Competition: September 12

Ambako Vachadze broke through in his home country last year to win the World Championship at 66kg a year after winning his first world-level medal with a bronze in Herning, Denmark.

Vachadze is pushed in his own country by Russian National Champion Yuri Denisov, but if Vachadze is healthy and ready to go, he’ll be a favorite to repeat, despite the fact repeating at this weight class – or any – isn’t common.

He was 10th in the World Cup, but was splitting time with Denisov. Vachadze won the Ptylasinski Tournament in early August and won the European Championship back in April, beating Hungarian Tamas Lorincz in the final.

Last year’s silver medalist, Armen Vardanyan has wrestled sporadically, with only one notable international appearance – an 11th place finish at Szombathely in March.

Ukraine’s entry for the European Championships was Olexandr Khvoshch and he finished 11th. 

Azerbaijan’s Vitaly Rahimov finished with a bronze at last year’s World Championships and in two major competitions this year, has finished in the same position. Rahmiov was third at the European Championships behind Vachadze and Lorincz and was third at the Golden Grand Prix in Baku behind Lorincz and Iran’s Afshin Byangard.

Vasif Arizmanov of Turkey has wrestled in two major international competitions since last year’s bronze medal finish, placing 11th at Tblisi and fifth at Szombathely. The Turks could enter Abdusamelt Guenal, who placed seventh at the European Championships and in the top seven in two other international events. 

Olympic Champion Steeve Guenot hasn’t wrestled up to his billing after last year’s fifth-place finish at the World Championships. Guenot finished 24th at Pytlasinski and 13th in the European Championships. 

Oh, then there’s another World bronze medalist making a return to the mat, American Justin Lester. Known by his nickname “Harry,” prior to joining the U.S. Army’s World Class Athlete Program, Lester is making a run at another medal and is back at 66kg after last representing the U.S. in Denmark in 2009 at 74kg.

Leaner and looking like the Lester of old, he’ll be one of the biggest threats in the tournament. In 2011, Lester’s won the Dave Schultz and Granma Cup (up at 74kg). He was seventh in Szombathely back in March and finished 23rd at 74kg at Pytlasinski. He did pick up a victory over Vardanyan back in March at the Hungarian Grand Prix, which bodes well for the Ohio native.

Regardless of those most recent international performances, Lester is a “lights on” type of competitor. 

Others to watch:
Kanatbek Begaliev (Kyrgyzstan) – 3rd at Pytlansinski; 5th at Europeans (74kg)
Aleksandar Maksimovic (Serbia) – 3rd at European Championships
Danijel Janecic (Croatia) – 5th at European Championships
Ali Esmaeil Mohammadi (Iran) – Asian Champion, 2008 Olympian
Min-Chul Kim (Korea) – 2nd at Asian Championships
Beibit Nugumanov (Kazakhstan) – 3rd at Asian Championships


2010 World Championships
66kg/145.5 lbs. – Gold – Ambako Vachadze (Russia); Silver – Armen Vardanyan (Ukraine); Bronze – Vitaly Rahimov (Azerbaijan); Bronze – Vasif Arzimanov (Turkey); 5th – Steeve Guenot (France); 5th – Tamas Lorincz (Hungary); 7th- Pascal Strebel (Switzerland); 8th – Hyeon-Woo Kim (Korea); 9th – Danijel Janecic (Croatia); 10th – Emilian Todorov (Bulgaria).

2009 World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Gold - Farid Mansurov (Azerbaijan); Silver - Manuchar Tskhadaia (Georgia); Bronze - Ambako Vachadze (Russia); Bronze - Pedro Isaac Mulen (Cuba); 5th - Tamas Lorincz (Hungary); 5th - Sasun Ghambaryan (Armenia); 7th - Afshin Byabangard (Iran); 8th - Tsutomu Fujimura (Japan); 9th - Emil Milev (Bulgaria); 10th - Darkhan Bayakhmetov (Kazakhstan)

2008 Olympic Games
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Gold - Steeve Guenot (France); Silver - Kanatbek Begaliev (Kyrgyzstan); Bronze - Armen Vardanyan (Ukraine); Bronze - Mikhali Siamionau (Belarus); 5th - Nikolay Gergov (Bulgaria); 5th - Darkhan Bayakhmetov (Kazakhstan); 7th - Sergey Kovalenko (Russia); 8th - Tamas Loerincz (Hungary); 9th - Alain Milian (Cuba); 10th - Li Yanyan (China)

2007 World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs.- Gold - Farid Mansurov (Azerbaijan); Silver - Steeve Guenot (France); Bronze - Nikolay Gergov (Bulgaria); Bronze - Harry Lester (United States); 5th - Arman Adikyan (Armenia); 5th - Tamás Lorincz (Hungary); 7th - Darkhan Bayakhmetov (Kazakhstan); 8th - Olexander Khvoshch (Ukraine); 9th - Ionel Puscasu (Romania); 10th - Jimmy Samuelsson (Sweden)

2006 World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Gold – Li Yanyan (China); Silver – Kamatbek Begaliev (Kirghizistan); Bronze – Sergey Kovalenko (Russia); Bronze – Harry Lester (USA); 5th – Oleksey Khvosch (Ukraine); 5th – Seref Eroglu (Turkey); 7th – Nikolay Gergov (Bulgaria); 8th – A. Kazakeviv (Lithuania); 9th – Ion Painit (Romania); 10th – Tamas Lorincz (Hungary)

2005 World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs.- Gold - Nikolay Gergov (Bulgaria); Silver - Kim Min-Chul (Korea); Bronze - Alain Milan (Cuba); Bronze - Kim Kum-Chol (North Korea ); 5th - Armen Vardanyan (Ukraine); 7th - Li Yanyan (China); 8th - Jimmy Samuelsson (Sweden); 9th - Mukhran Matchutadze (Georgia); 10th - Levente Furedy (Hungary)