Date of Competition: September 13

Six years, five World Championships and one Olympic Games means six different winners at this weight class in Greco-Roman.

Last year’s champion, Hristo Marinov of Bulgaria emerged after previously finishing 22nd at the 2009 World Championships. Runner-up Pablo Shorey Hernandez had previously finished with a bronze medal in 2009 before taking silver in 2009.

Marinov finished with a bronze at the European Championships back in April.

Russian Alexej Mishin is looking to regain his form after winning the 2007 World Championship. He slipped to ninth at the 2008 Olympics before getting back on the podium a year ago with a bronze medal finish. Mishin won the Russian Nationals, but wasn’t the entry at the Europeans.

France’s Melonin Noumonvi was a silver medalist in 2009 but was upset in an early round in Russia and did not finish near the medal stand in 2010. He still remains a threat.

Nazmi Avluca of Turkey finished fifth in 2010 after winning the World Championship over Noumonvi in 2009 in Herning, Denmark.

Last year’s bronze medalist, Nenad Zugaj of Croatia, has a solid fifth place finish at Baku in his 2011 resume. 

After finishing 9th in last year’s World Championships, Ukraine’s Vasil Rachyba won the European Championships this year, beating Russia’s Alan Khugaev in the final. Khugaev won Pytlasinski, beating Mishin.

Armenian Arthur Shahinyan was the other bronze medalist. Germany’s Jan Fischer and Poland’s Damian Janikowski are also threats. Janikowski finished fifth at least year’s World Championships, while Shahinyan is fresh off two Grand Prix victories, one in Spain and one in Slovenia. 

Iran has a threat in either Davood Aliashraf Akbari or Habibollah Akhlaghi at this weight. Akbari won the Asian Championships and finished third at the Golden Grand Prix in Baku this year, while Akhlaghi won Baku and was third at last year’s World University Championships. 

American Cheney Haight is the representative this year, which makes it four different wrestlers in the last four World and Olympic teams for the country.

Previous to Haight, it was Jake Clark, Chas Betts and Brad Vering. Like Betts in 2009, this is Haight’s first World Championship appearance and experience, at least internationally, isn’t an advantage. What has been an advantage is Haight’s presence on the U.S. ladder since coming through the USOEC program at Northern Michigan. He was an Olympic Trials runner-up in 2008 and has been steadily winning matches against international opponents at the domestic events. 

Haight’s top international performance in 2011 came in Cuba at the Granma Cup, where he finished fifth. He has beaten several U.S. wrestlers who have wins over Marinov, including Jordan Holm.

Others to watch:
Hassan Saman Tahmasebi (Azerbaijan) – 2nd at Golden Grand Prix (Baku)
Zolton Fodor (Hungary)
Arthur Omarov (Czech Republic)
Hyo-Chul Cho (Korea) – 2nd at Asian Championships
Ning Duan (China) – 3rd at Asian Championships

2010 World Championships
84kg/185 pounds – Gold – Hristo Marinov (Bulgaria); Silver – Pablo Shorey Hernandez (Cuba); Bronze – Alexej Mishin (Russia); Bronze – Nenad Zugaj (Croatia); 5th – Nazmi Avluca (Turkey); 5th – Damian Janikowski (Poland); 7th – Alhazur Ozdiev (Kazakhstan); 8th – Vladimir Gegeshidze (Georgia); 9th – Vasil Rachyba (Ukraine); 10th – Laimutis Adomaitis (Lithuania)

2009 World Championships
84 kg/185 lbs. - Gold - Nazmi Avluca (Turkey); Silver - Melonin Noumonvi (France) ; Bronze - Habibollah Akhlaghi (Iran) ; Bronze - Pablo Shorey Hernandez (Cuba); 5th - Badri Khasaia (Georgia); 5th - Shalva Gadabadze (Azerbaijan) ; 7th – Jose Antonio Arias Paredes (Dominican Republic) ; 8th - Damian Janikowski (Poland); 9th - Nenad Zugaj (Croatia); 10th - Hyo-Chul Cho (Korea)

2008 Olympic Games
84 kg/185 lbs. - Gold - Andrea Minguzzi (Italy); Silver - Zoltan Fodor (Hungary); Bronze - Nazmi Avluca (Turkey); 5th - Ma Sanyi (China); 5th - Melonin Noumonvi (France); 7th - Denis Forov (Armenia); 8th - Shalva Gadabadze (Azerbaijan); 9th - Alexej Michine (Russia); 10th - Yunior Estrada (Cuba) 

2007 World Championship
84 kg/185 lbs. - Gold – Alexej Mishin (Russia); Silver – Brad Vering (United States); Bronze – Hassan Tahmasebi (Iran); Bronze – Badri Khasaia (Georgia); 5th - Jung-Sub Kim (Korea); 5th – Ara Abrahamian (Sweden); 7th - Nazmi Avluca (Turkey); 8th - Zoltán Fodor (Hungary); 9th - Jan Fischer (Germany); 10th - Alim Selimov (Belarus)

2006 World Championship
84 kg/185 lbs. – Gold - Mohamed Abdelfatah (Egypt); Silver - Nazmi Avluca (Turkey); Bronze - Alexey Mishine (Russia); Bronze - Saman Tahmasebi (Iran); 5th - Badri Khasia (Georgia); 5th - Kim-Jussi Nurmela (Finland); 7th - Artur Michalkiewicz (Poland); 8th - Ara Abrahamian (Sweden); 9th - Shingo Matsumoto (Japan); 10th - Adomaitis Laimutis (Lithuania)

2005 World Championships 
84 kg/185 lbs. - Gold - Alim Selimav (Belarus); Silver - Alexei Mishine (Russia); Bronze - Sandor Bardosi (Hungary); Bronze - Namzi Avluca (Turkey); 5th - Kim Jung-Sub (Korea); 5th - Oleg Daragan (Ukraine); 7th - Artur Michalkiewicz (Poland); 8th - Shingo Matsumoto (Japan); 9th - Ntante Charempasvili (Greece); 10th - Luis Mendez (Cuba)