Host Russia boasts the returning World Champion at this division, Alexandre Bezrouthkine. He claimed the World title last season after winning the 2001 European Championships. As is the case often with the Russian team, being a World Champion does not always mean that you are the team's choice for the next World Championships.     Five-time World Champion Gogi Koguachvili of Russia is still on the mats, claiming the 2002 European Championships gold medal. Wrestling fans worldwide remember the last time Koguachvili competed on a World-level stage. He was tossed for five points by unknown American Garrett Lowney and was eliminated in the pool competition at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. One of the sport's greats, Koguachvili may be given another chance to go out on top and win a final World title on the home mats of Russia. Clearly, the Russian entry will be the favorite to win this division this year.    Winning a silver medal at the 2001 World Championships is a tough Cuban, Ernesto Pena, who lost to Bezroutchkine in the finals, 7-0. Pena has won the Pan American Championships gold medal for the last two years.    The 2000 Olympic champion Mikael Ljungberg of Sweden has retired, so the top returning athlete from the Sydney Games is silver medalist Davyd Saldadze of Ukraine. Saldadze did not place at last year's World meet, but won a bronze medal at the 2002 European Championships, a good indicator of potential success at the World Championships. Saldadze was also second at the Pytlasinki Tournament in Poland, a late-season tune-up event for the World meet.    American fans are looking to young Garrett Lowney to match or improve on his memorable bronze-medal performance at the Olympics two years ago. Lowney not only beat Koguachvili but stopped every other opponent except for a semifinal loss to Ljungberg. Last year, Lowney qualified for the World Championships but did not compete when the event was moved to Greece in December, which conflicted with his college season at the Univ. of Minnesota. Lowney won the U.S. Trials again this year, and will return to the World stage for the first time since his magical week in Sydney. The question is if the time away has set Lowney back, or if he is ready for another step forward. His fourth place at the Pytlasinski Tournament shows that Lowney is still in the hunt.    Mehmet Ozal of Turkey won the 2001 World bronze medal, his best performance to date. However, at the 2002 European Championships, Ozal dropped to 14th. Placing fourth at last year's World meet was veteran Petru Sudureak of Romania, who was 11th at the 2000 Olympics. Sudureak was a disappointing 12th at this year's European Championships.    Greece should be well-represented at the World level. Grigoris Koutsioubas placed sixth at the 2002 European Championships. He followed it up with a bronze-medal performance at the Pytlasinki Tournament in Poland, beating Lowney in his final match. Greek wrestler Konstantinos Thanos placed fourth in the 2000 Olympics, losing to Lowney in the bronze-medal match.    Veteran Marek Svec of the Czech Republic placed a solid fifth at last year's World Championships, and is a past World silver medalist. Another past World medalist is Bulgaria's Ali Mollov. Both were among the top performers at the 2001 European Championships, with Mollov placing fourth and Svec placing seventh.    Sergiey Matvienko of Kazakhstan has been a placewinner for two straight years, taking 10th at the 2001 World Championships and sixth at the 2000 Olympics. Other athletes that placed among the top 10 at last year's World meet were Aleksey Cheglakov of Uzbekistan, Marek Sitnik of Poland, Ehssan Karimfar of Iran and Roman Meduna of Slovakia.     Cheglakov distinguished himself by winning the gold medal at the 2001 Asian Championships. Meduna made his mark by claiming the gold medal at the 2002 World University Championships.    The gold medal winner at the Pytlasinki Tournament this summer was Ramaz Nozadze of Georgia, who was also the 2002 European Junior champion. He was not the Georgian entry at the 2002 European Championships, as Genadi Chkhaidze competed and placed just 16th. However, Chkhaidze was fifth at the 2000 Olympic Games, and could be the athlete Georgia goes with at this year's World meet.    Among the athletes that reached the top 10 at the 2000 Olympics were Urs Buergler of Switzerland, Mindaugas Ezerskis of Lithuania and Park Woo of Korea. Karam Mohammed Gaber of Egypt was the 2002 African champion. Lajos Virag of Hungary was a World University silver medalist this summer. Other athletes to watch include Mirko Englich of Germany, Rasoul Jazini of Iran and Theval Cedric of France.    Those who select the Russian entry at this weight division would be taking the best odds. Russia has done very well at this division in recent seasons, either with Bezroutchine or Kogouachvili as the man. However, as Lowney proved in Sydney, the Russians can be beaten even at the major events. Lowney looks to prove his Olympic bronze medal was not a one-time thing. Successful athleters such as Pena of Cuba, Saldaze of Ukraine and Ozal of Turkey have gold-medal hopes. This weight class is littered with veterans, many who have the skill to break through into the medal rounds. It should be interesting, indeed.    2001 World Championships results   213.75 - Gold - Alexandre Bezroutchkine (Russia) dec. Ernesto Pena (Cuba), 7-0; Bronze - Mehmet Ozal (Turkey) dec. Petru Sudureak (Romania), 7-5; 5th - Marek Svec (Czech Republic); 6th - Aleksey Cheglakov (Uzbekistan); 7th - Marek Sitnik (Poland); 8th - Ehssan Karimfar (Iran); 9th - Roman Meduna (Slovakia); 10th - Sergey Matviyenko (Kazakhstan)    2000 Olympic Games results   97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Gold - Mikael Ljungberg (Sweden) won by ref. dec. over Davyd Saldadze (Ukraine), 2-1, ot, 9:00; Bronze - Garrett Lowney (USA) dec. Konstantinos Thanos (Greece), 3-1, ot, 6:53; 5th - Genadi Chkhaidze (Georgia); 6th -Sergey Matvienko (Kazakhstan); 7th - Urs Buergler (Switzerland); 8th - Mindaugas Ezerskis (Lithuania); 9th - Sergei Lishtvan (Belarus); 10th - Park Woo (Korea); 11th - Petru Sudureac (Romania); 12th - Gogui Koguouachvili (Russia); 13th - Andrzej Wronski (Poland); 14th - Rafael Samurgashev (Armenia); 15th - Reynaldo Pena (Cuba); 16th - Hakki Basar (Turkey); 17th - Hassane Fkiri (Tunisia); 18th - Marek Svec (Czech Republic); 19th - Alli Mollov (Bulgaria); 20th - Ben Vincent (Australia)    Each day this week, TheMat.com will preview a weight class at the 2002 World Greco-Roman Championships, set for Moscow, Russia, Sept. 19-21. Please visit TheMat.com each day for a new preview of the championships. To discuss the World Championships with other fans, please visit the International Board on TheMat.com Message Boards