Shawn Bunch (Columbus, Ohio/Gator WC) weighed in at 60 kg/132 lbs. in men’s freestyle at the World Olympic Games Qualifying Tourmament in Taiyuan, China on Thursday. He has received his draw for the tournament, which will be contested on Friday, April 27 in his weight class.

At this event, an athlete must place in the top three of their weight class to qualify their nation for the London Games. Only athletes whose weights are not yet qualified for the Olympics may enter.

Bunch opens against John Pineda of Canada. Pineda represented Canada at the last three World Championships. He won a bronze medal at the 2008 Pan American Championships at 55 kg/121 lbs. Pineda was fifth at the 2012 Pan American Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Florida in March.

Should Bunch win the first match, he will face Radouan Ouled Bentle of Morocco in the second round. Bentle was third in the African Olympic Qualifying Tourmament earlier this year.

There are 27 athletes in Bunch’s weight class, and 11 in his half-bracket. He will need to win four matches in his half-bracket to qualify for the finals, which would guarantee that the weight is qualified for the United States.

Among the other respected athletes in Bunch’s half-bracket are:
• Andrei Perpilita (Moldova) – third in 2010 European Championships
• Seung-Chul Lee (Korea) – third in 2010 Asian Championships
• Muenir Recep Aktas (Turkey) – second in 2011 Olympic Test Event in London
• Feng Gao (China) – third in 2010 Asian Games
• Tim Schleicher (Germany) – fifth in 2008 European Championships

Should Bunch lose in his half-bracket, he still has a chance to qualify by placing third in the tournament. That could occur if a wrestler who beats Bunch makes the finals, then pulls Bunch back into the repechage rounds for a chance to wrestle back for bronze.

Bunch is ranked No. 2 at 60 kg/132 lbs. on Freestyle Team USA. He placed second in both the 2011 U.S. Open and the 2011 World Team Trials. He was a member of the 2009 U.S. World Team and has won two U.S. Open titles. He was a two-time All-American for Edinboro and hails from Leavenworth, Kan.

2005 World bronze medalist Justin Ruiz (Orem, Utah/New York AC) will wrestle at 96 kg/211 lbs. in Greco-Roman. Ruiz will weigh in on Saturday, April 28 and will compete on Sunday, April 29.

The U.S. has 16 of the 18 weight classes qualified for the London Games and these are the only two weight classes left to be qualified. The U.S. determined the members of the U.S. Olympic Team in those 16 qualified weights during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling in Iowa City, Iowa, April 21-22.

If the USA does not qualify in either or both weight classes in China, the final opportunity will be in Helsinki, Finland, May 4-6. At that event, an athlete must place in the top two of their weight class to qualify their nation.

Website for the World Olympic Games Qualifying Tourmament in Taiyuan, China.
http://www.fila-official.com/sites/ultimate2/

WORLD OLYMPIC GAMES QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT
at Taiyuan China, April 27- 29

60 kg/132 lbs. men’s freestyle draw

Top half of the bracket
1. Feng Gao (China)
2. Artur Baghdasaryan (Armenia)
3. Andrei Perpilita (Moldova)
4. Adama Diatta (Senegal)
5. Radouan Ouled Bentle (Morocco)
6. Shawn Bunch (USA)
7. John Pineda (Canada)
8. Yunier Castillo Silveira (Spain)
9. Muenir Recep Aktas (Turkey)
10. Tim Schleicher (Germany)
11. Seung-Chul Lee (Korea)

Bottom half of the bracket, by nation
12. Herera Pastor (Peru)
13. Sahit Prizreni (Albania)
14. Abdullrahaman Ibrahim (Qatar)
15. Elgin Elwais (Palau)
16. Byanmunkh Banzragch (Mongolia)
17. Bakhram Ermatov (Uzbekistan)
18. Oleksandr Madyarchyk (Great Britain)
19. Jong Myong Ri (North Korea)
20. Bazar Bazarguruev (Kyrgyzstan)
21. Victor Ngouema (Congo)
22. Rafal Statkiewicz (Poland)
23. Gert Coetzee (South Africa)
24. Kiryl Razhkou (Belarus)
25. The Dan Ngyen (Vietnam)
26. Farkhodi Usmozoda (Tajikistan)
27. Vasyl Fedoryshyn (Ukraine)