Les Gutches (Corvallis, Ore./Sunkist Kids) won his first World Championship title with a 1-1 overtime referees decision over Eldar Assanow of the Ukraine in the 85 kg/187.25 lb. finals at the 1997 World Freestyle Championships in Krasnoyarsk, Russia on Sunday, August 31. 
 Gutches, who placed seventh in the 1996 Olympics, was competing in his first World Championships.  
 Gutches finished the tournament undefeated with a 5-0 record. 
 In the quaterfinals Gutches won an 8-0 decision over Plamen Paskalev of Bulgaria. 
 In the semifinals, Gutches scored an impressive 3-2 win over 1996 Olympic champion Magomed Magomedov of Russia in overtime, at 6:42. Gutches scored a low single leg takedown on Magomedov in overtime and was awarded the match. 
 Tom Erikson (West Lafayette, Ind./Sunkist Kids) dropped a 4-0 decision to David Musolbes of Russia in the bronze medal match at 130 kg/286 lbs. This was a rematch of an earlier bout in the tournament, which Erikson won by a 2-0 overtime referee's decision. 
 Earlier in the tournament Cary Kolat (Rice Landing, Pa./Dave Schultz WC) claimed a silver medal at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. 
 FINAL RESULTS 
 Krasnoyarsk, Russia, August 31, 1997 
 54 Kg/119 lbs. 
 1st - Quntana Garcia (Cuba) Dec Ju Dong Jin (Prk), 3-2; 3rd - Maulen Mamirov (Kazakhstan) Dec. Oleksandr Zaharuk (Ukraine), 7-1; 5th - Maksim Molonov (Russia) Won By Inj. Def. Over Gholam Mohammadi (Iran) 
 58 Kg/127.75 lbs. 
 1st - Mohammad Talaee (Iran) won by ref. dec. over Ramil Islamov (Uzbekistan), 2-1, ot, 8:00; 3rd - Giya Sissaouri (Can) dec. Murat Umachanow (Russia), 3-0; 5th - Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria) dec. Jeong Jin Hyuk (Korea), 7-4 
 63 Kg/138.75 lbs. 
 1st - Abbas Haji Kenari (Iran) Dec. Cary Kolat (USA), 4-2; 3rd - Magomed Azizov (Russia) Dec. Sergei Smal (Belarus), 4-1; 5th - Elbrus Tedeev (Ukraine) won by tech. fall over Enkhbayar (Mongolia), 10-0 
 69 Kg/152 lbs. 
 1st - Araik Gevorkian (Armenia) dec. Hwang Sang Ho (Korea), 3-0; 3rd - Zaza Zaziriw (Ukraine) dec. Igor Kupejew (Uzbekistan), 4-0; 5th - Davoud Ghanbari (Iran) won by inj. def. over Adam Saitiev (Russia) 
 76 Kg/167.5 lbs. 
 1st - Buvaisar Saitaev (Russia) dec. Aleksander Liepold (Germany), 2-1; 3rd - Miroslav Gotchev (Bulgaria) dec. Kamil Kocaagaoglu (Turkey), 3-0; 5th - Eui Jae Moon (Korea) won by inj. def. over Eduard Alekseenko (Belarus) 
 85 Kg/187.25 lbs. 
 1st - Les Gutches (USA) won by ref. dec. over Eldar Assanow (Ukraine), 1-1, ot, 8:00; 3rd - Alireza Heydari (Iran) dec. Chadshimurad Magomedow (Russia), 5-1; 5th - Yoel Romero (Cuba) won by inj. def. over Magomed Ibragimov (Azerbaijan) 
 97 Kg/213.75 lbs. 
 1st - Kuramagomed Kuramagomedov (Russia) dec. Ahmet Dogu (Turkey), 5-0; 3rd - Eldar Kurtanidze (Georgia) dec. Islam Bairamukov (Kazakhstan), 1-0, ot, 8:00; 5th - Sergey Priadun (Ukraine) won by inj. def. over Uriy Ianovich (Latvia) 
 130 Kg/286 lbs. 
 1st - Zekeriya Guclu (Turkey) dec. Alexis Rodrigeues (Cub), 4-0; 3rd - David Musubles (Russia) dec. Tom Erikson (USA), 4-0; 5th -  Juri Chobitko (Ukraine) dec. Alexei Medvedev (Belarus), 4-2 
  U.S. RESULTS - GROUP ONE 
 54 kg/119 lbs. - Zeke Jones, Chandler, Ariz. - lost dec. to Ju Dong Jin, North Korea, 5-2; pin Jose , Colombia, 2:07; dec. Nazim Alidjanov, Moldova, 8-2; lost dec. to Ivan Tzonov, Bulgaria, 6-4, ot, 5:57 
 63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Cary Kolat, Lock Haven, Pa. (2nd)  - dec. Takahiro Wada, Japan, 4-1; won by tech. fall over Edy Azuaje, Venezuela, 1:53; won by ref. dec. over Gurzel Unzunca, Turkey, 1-0, ot, 8:00; dec. Sergei Smal, Belarus, 4-2; lost dec. to Abbas Haji Kenari, Iran,  4-2  
 76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Dan St. John, Norman, Okla. - pin Valeri Verhushin, Macedonia, 3:20; lost dec. to Eui Jae Moon, Korea, 6-2; lost dec. to Kahniasvili, Georgia, 6-1 
 97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Melvin Douglas, Mesa, Ariz. - lost by ref. dec. to Aftandil Kasandopulos, Greece, 2-1, ot, 8:00; dec. Davud Magomedov, Azerbaijan, 3-2, ot, 7:06; dec. Victor Serbin, Belarus, 5-1; lost dec. to Islam Bairamukov, Kazakhstan, 3-2, ot, 6:39 
  U.S. RESULTS - GROUP TWO 
 58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Tony Purler, Norman, Okla. - lost by tech. fall to Saban Trstena, Macedonia, 12-0, 2:07; dec. Purevbaator Oeounbilet, Mongolia, 16-11; won by tech. fall over Corey O'Brien, Australia, 11-1, 4:23; lost dec. to Arif Abdullayev, Azerbaijan, 10-4 
 69 kg/152 lbs. - Lincoln McIlravy, Iowa City, Iowa - dec. Salvatore Rinella, Italy, 7-1; won by tech. fall over Vaso Spasov, Macedonia, 10-0, 1:44; lost by pin to Zaza Zozirov, Ukraine, 2:25; lost dec. to Davoud Ghanbari, Iran, 4-3 
 85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Les Gutches, Corvallis, Ore. (1st) - dec. Tatsuo Kawai, Japan, 8-0; dec. Ali Reza Heydari, Iran, 3-0, ot, 6:56; dec. Plamen Paskalev, Bulgaria, 8-0; dec. Magomed Magomedov, Russia, 3-2, ot, 6:42; won by ref. dec. over Eldar Assanow (Ukraine), 1-1, ot, 8:00 
 130 kg/286 lbs. - Tom Erikson, W. Lafayette, Ind. (4th) - pin Sven Thiele, Germany, 3:04; won by ref. dec. over David Musulbes, Russia, 2-0, ot, 8:00; lost dec. to Alexis Rodriguez, Cuba, 4-1, ot, 2:27; dec. Alexei Medvedev, Belarus, 4-3; lost dec. to David Musubles (Russia), 4-0 
 * Team scores were unavailable at time of this posting.