Date of competition: Saturday, Aug. 11

This is a fairly wide-open weight class with a number of top wrestlers capable of winning the gold medal.

Azerbaijan’s Sharif Sharifov is the reigning World freestyle champion in this division after downing veteran Ibragim Aldatov of Ukraine in last year’s World finals.

Georgia’s Dato Marsagishvili and Russia’s Albert Saritov claimed bronze medals at the 2011 Worlds. Saritov fell to Anzor Urishev in the finals of the Russian Nationals.

Three-time Olympic champion Bouvaisa Saitiev of Russia had been rumored to be making a comeback in this weight class, but he did not wrestle at the Russian Nationals in May. Saitiev won the 1996, 2004 and 2008 Olympics.
 
American Jake Herbert returns to the World stage for the third time. He won a silver medal at the 2009 Worlds before making the U.S. World Team the next year.

Herbert lost to past Olympic champion Cael Sanderson in the 2011 World Team Trials before bouncing back to make the Olympic Team this year. Sanderson placed fifth at the 2011 Worlds, but elected not to compete this year.

Herbert is a gifted wrestler who has a penchant for wrestling well when the stakes are highest. He is a wrestler who can contend for some hardware in London.

Uzbekistan’s Zaurbek Sokhiev, who beat Herbert in the 2009 World finals, is a definite medal threat. He was second in the World in 2010.

Puerto Rico’s Jaime Espinal, who trains with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, also has qualified. He was ninth in the 2009 Worlds.

EXPECTED OLYMPIC ENTRIES
84 kg/185 lbs.

1st at 2011 World Championships – Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan)
2nd at 2011 World Championships – Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine)
3rd at 2011 World Championships – Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia)
3rd at 2011 World Championships – Albert Saritov (Russia)
5th at 2011 World Championships – Armands Zvirbulis (Latvia)
5th at 2011 World Championships – Jake Herbert (United States)
2012 European Olympic qualifier champion – Gadshimurad Nurmagomedov (Armenia)
2012 European Olympic qualifier runner-up – Ibrahim Bolukasi (Turkey)
2012 Asian Olympic qualifier champion – Ehsan Lashgari (Iran)
2012 Asian Olympic qualifier runner-up – Zaurbek Sokhiev (Uzbekistan)
2012 Pan American Olympic qualifier champion – Humberto Arencibia Martinez (Cuba)
2012 Pan American Olympic qualifier runner-up – Jaime Espinal (Puerto Rico)
2012 Africa/Oceania Olympic qualifier champion – Mohammed Ahmed Ismaiel (Egypt)
2012 Africa/Oceania Olympic qualifier runner-up – Andrew Adibo Dick (Nigeria)
Olympic Qualifier #1 champion – Jose Daniel Diaz Robertti (Venezuela)
Olympic Qualifier #1 runner-up – Soslan Gattsiev (Belarus)
Olympic Qualifier #1 bronze medalist – Ermek Baiduashev (Kazakhstan)
Olympic Qualifier #2 champion – Yusup Abdusalamov (Tajikistan)
Olympic Qualifier #2 runner-up – Uitumen Orgodol (Mongolia)

RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS

2011 World Championships
84 kg/185 lbs. – Gold – Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan); Silver – Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine); Bronze – Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia); Bronze – Albert Saritov (Russia); 5th – Armands Zvirbulis (Latvia); 5th – Cael Sanderson (USA); 7th – Alireza Goudarzi (Iran); 8th – Shinya Matsumoto (Japan); 9th – Alex Dolly (Ireland); 10th – Yermek Baiduashov (Kazakhstan)

2010 World Championships
84 kg/185 lbs. – Gold – Mihail Ganev (Bulgaria); Silver – Zaurbek Sokhiev (Uzbekistan); Bronze – Soslan Ktsoev (Russia); Bronze – Reineris Salas (Cuba); 5th – Piotr Ianulov (Moldova); 5th – Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine); 7th – Maciej Balawender (Poland); 8th – Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia); 9th – Vadim Laliev (Armenia); 10th – Nauruz Temrezov (Azerbaijan)

2009 World Championships
84 kg/185 lbs. – Gold – Zaurbek Sokhiev (Uzbekistan); Silver – Jake Herbert (USA); Bronze – Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine); Bronze – Sharif Sharipov (Azerbaijan); 5th – Jousop Abdulsalomov (Tajikistan); 5th – Abdusalam Gadisov (Russia); 7th – Gokhan Yavaser (Turkey); 8th – Reineris Salas (Cuba); 9th – Jaime Espinal Fajardo (Puerto Rico); 10th – Istvan Vereb (Hungary)

2008 Olympic Games
84 kg/185 lbs. – Gold – Revaz Mindorashvili (Georgia); Silver – Yusup Abdusalomov (Tajikistan); Bronze – Taras Danko (Ukraine); Bronze – Georgi Ketoev (Russia); 5th – Serhat Balci (Turkey); 5th – Davyd Bichinashvili (Germany); 7th – Nauruz Temrezov (Azerbaijan); 8th – Hartuyun Yenokyan (Armenia); 9th – Zaurbek Sokhiev (Uzbekistan); 10th – Reineris Salas (Cuba)

2007 World Championships
84 kg/185 lbs. – Gold - Georgi Ketoev (Russia); Silver - Yasup Abdusalamov (Tajikistan); Bronze - Zaurbek Sokhiev (Uzbekistan); Bronze - Reza Yazdani (Iran); 5th - Serhat Balci (Turkey); 5th - Joe Williams (USA); 7th - David Bichinashvili (Germany); 8th - Travis Cross (Canada); 9th - Lazaros Loizidis (Greece); 10th - Felix Polianidis (Cyprus)

2006 World Championships
84 kg/185 lbs. – Gold – Sajid Sajidov (Russia); Silver – Revazi Mindorashvili (Georgia); Bronze – Reza Yazdani (Iran); Bronze – Zaurbek Sokhiev (Uzbekistan); 5th – Taras Danko (Ukraine); 5th – Vadim Laliev (Armenia); 7th – Radoslaw Horbik (Poland); 8th – Dejan Bogdanov (Macedonia); 9th – David Bichinashvili (Germany); 10th – Shinya Matsumoto (Japan)

2005 World Championships
84 kg/185 lbs. – Gold - Revaz Mindorishvili (Georgia); Silver - Yoel Romero (Cuba); Bronze - Magomed Kurguliev (Kazakhstan); Bronze - Taras Danko (Ukraine); 5th - Sazhid Sazhidov (Russia); 5th - Radoslaw Horbik (Poland); 7th- Mo Lawal (USA); 8th - Thomas Buchell (Switzerland); 9th - Saslan Hattsyiev (Bulgaria); 10th - Matthew White (Puerto Rico)

2004 Olympic Games
84 kg/185 lbs. – Gold - Cael Sanderson (USA); Silver - Moon Eui Jae (Korea); Bronze - Sazhid Sazhidov (Russia); 4th - Yoel Romero (Cuba); 5th - Majid Khodaei (Iran); 6th - Lazaro Loizidis (Greece); 7th - Taras Danko (Ukraine); 8th - Shamil Aliev (Tajikistan); 9th - Nicolae Ghita (Romania); 10th - Hideakazu Yokoyama (Japan)