This weight class combined star athletes from the former 63 kg and 69 kg classes, making it very deep with talent and unpredictable. The two finalists at the 2002 World Championships are proven superstars, champion Elbrus Tedeev of Ukraine and runner-up Ali Reza Dabir of Iran. Their battle in the World finals last year in Iran was a classic, with Tedeev winning in overtime on a takedown.     Tedeev owns three World titles, and was third in the 2001 World Championships. He has successfully moved up from 63 kg when the weight classes changed. This year, he was second in the European Championships, losing only in the finals to talented Russian star Irbek Farniev, another indication that Tedeev's skills have not diminished with age.    Dabir was an Olympic champion and World Champion at 58 kg. He was second in the World the last two years. Basically, Dabir has been dominant in every major international event he has ever entered. Besides being super talented, he is also very popular in Iran and around the world. He has a good personality, and knows how to get the crowd behind him during a match. In New York, with all the Iranian fans in attendance, you will know every single time that Dabir steps onto the mat.    Taking the bronze medal last year was Zaur Botaev of Russia, also a 2002 European champion. Of course, in Russia, that does not guarantee you a spot on the team the next year. With Farniev winning the European tournament this year, he could be the Russian choice this time. Also listed in the preliminary Russian entry list was Dmitry Kirillov. Needess to say, the Russian entry will be a medal favorite.    The change in weight divisions is felt most in Bulgaria, which had 2001 World Champions Serafim Barzakov at 63 kg and Nikolai Paslar at 69 kg. Last year, Barzakov wrestled here and placed fifth, with Paslar moving up to 74 kg. This year, Barzakov placed fourth at the European Championships at this division. A 2000 Olympic silver medalist, Barzakov is capable of winning every tournament he enters.    Some other medal contenders include Ergun Urun of Germany, Lucian Gralak of Poland and Jang  Jae- Sung of Korea. Gralak was fifth and Sung placed sixth.     Urun was fourth at last year's World Championships. Urun placed fourth at the World Cup this year, with Americans Chris Bono and Bill Zadick placing ahead of him. He is not even for certain the German entry, with Sergej Kowalenko and Beneditt Rehbein also on the roster at this weight. Gralak has placed sixth in the world the last two years, but dropped to 10th at the European Championships this year.    Jang has been one of the world's best wrestlers in recent years. He was a 1996 Olympic silver medalist and 2000 Olympic bronze medalists. American fans remember that he was the athlete Tom Brands beat in the Atlanta Olympic finals. He also boasts a 1999 World silver medal and a 2001 World bronze medal. The problem is that Korea does not list Jang this year on its team, putting forward Kim Sung-Sil, who was fourth in this year's Asian Championships, a big step back in talent.    New U.S. star Jamill Kelly is untested at the World level, but has faced many top athletes on international tours. He had one of the greatest upset wins in U.S. World Team Trials history, working past former World Team members Bill Zadick, Lincoln McIlravy and Chris Bono to make the U.S. team. Suffering from illness, Kelly won a silver medal at the Pan American Games, losing twice to Cuba's Sergei Rondon in overtime. Kelly showed tremendous skill and intensity making the U.S. team, and will need his best performance to survive the tough field at this division.    Rondon should be considered a top medal hopeful, as well. He swept both the Pan American Games and the Pan American Championships this year, proving he is THE MAN among the wrestlers in the Western Continent.    Turkey should be very competitive at this division, with Omer Cubukcu or Ugur Cadir competing. Cubukcu won the bronze medal at this year's European Championships, a great test of his chances against many of the world's best.    Otar Tushishvili of Georgia has placed in the top 10 of the World for the last two years. At the European Championships, he did not place in the top 10 this year, but he can not be overlooked at any event. Elman Asgarov of Azerbaijan was fifth in the World in 2001 at 63 kg, and will be among the other top challengers for medal contention. Norjin Bayramagnai of Mongolia was 10th in the World Championships last year, and third in the 2003 Asian Championships.    There will be numerous quality veterans scattered throughout this division, athletes such as Sergei Demtchenko of Belarus, Zhirayr Hovhannisyan of Armenia, Aristos Alexandridis of Greece, Ruslan Bodisteanu of Moldova and Stefan Fernyak of Slovakia. Demtchenko was fourth in the 2000 Olympic Games, losing to American Lincoln McIlravy in the bronze medal match.    With this kind of depth and talent, the pool competition in this division will have some extra importance. Do not be surprised if some very talented athletes end up in the same pool, and somebody is sent home without a placement. Since it is a random draw, once the athletes emerge from the pools, there could be some tremendous battles in the quarterfinals just to get into medal contention.     With athletes like Tedeev of Ukraine, Dabir of Iran, Barzakov of Bulgaria and Farniev of Russia, this division is packed with stars. However, there are many others capable of getting into the gold-medal match, and it could be a less-known athlete that takes it all this year. American fans are hoping that Kelly can put together the kind of run he had in Indianapolis during the World Team Trials and knock off big name stars like candlepins. Whoever wins will have to survive a tremendous war.    RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS    2002 World Championships  66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Gold - Elbrus Tedeev (Ukraine) dec. Ali Reza Dabir (Iran), 5-4, ot, 6:24; Bronze - Zaur Botaev (Russia) dec. Ergun Urun (Germany), 3-0; 5th - Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria); 6th - Lucian Gralak (Poland); 7th - Sung Jang-Jae (Korea); 8th - Neil Ewers (Canada); 9th - Otar Tushishvili (Georgia); 10th - Norjin Bayramagnai (Mongolia)    2001 World Championships results  63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Gold - Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria) dec. Ali Reza Dabir (Iran), 3-1; Bronze - Elbrus Tedeev (Ukraine) dec. Mehmet Yozgat (Turkey), 4-0; 5th - Elman Asgarov (Azerbaidjan); 6th - Lucjan Gralak (Poland); 7th - Bill Zadick (USA); 8th - Otar Tushishvili (Georgia); 9th - Bae Jin-Kuk (Korea); 10th - Ar. Alexandridis (Greece)    2001 World Championship results  69 kg/152 lbs. - Gold - Nikolai Paslar (Bulgaria) dec. Amir Tavakolian (Iran), 6-1; Bronze - Jang Jae-Sung (Korea) dec. Laszlo Szabolcs (Romania), 6-2; 5th - Ahmet Gulhan (Turkey); 6th - Emzar Bedineishvili (Georgia); 7th - Yosmany Sanchez (Cuba); 8th - Stefan Fernyak (Slovakia); 9th - Daniel Igali (Canada); 10th - Zaza Zozirov (Ukraine)    2000 Olympic Games results  63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Gold - Mourat Oumakhanov (Russia) dec. Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria), 3-2; Bronze -Jang Jae Sung (Korea) won by tech. fall over Mohammad Talaei (Iran), 12-2, 5:20; 5th -Arshak Hayrapetyan (Armenia); 6th - Carlos Ortiz (Cuba); 7th - Shamil Afandiyev (Azerbaijan); 8th - Stefan Fernyak (Slovakia); 9th - Cary Kolat (United States); 10th - Ruslan Bodisteanu (Moldova); 11th - Elbrus Tedeev (Ukraine); 12th - Nikolai Savin (Belarus); 13th - Kazuyuji Miyata (Japan); 14th - Jo Yong Son (People's Republic of Korea); 15th - Otar Tushishvili (Georgia); 16th - Maksat Boburbekov (Kyrgyzstan); 17th - Ramil Islamov (Uzbekistan); 18th - Musa Ilhan (Australia); 19th - Juergen Scheibe (Germany)    2000 Olympic Games results  69 kg/152 lbs. - Gold - Daniel Igali (Canada) dec. Arsen Gitinov (Russia), 7-4; Bronze - Lincoln McIlravy (United States) dec. Sergei Demtchenko (Belarus), 3-1; 5th - Yosmany Sanchez (Cuba); 6th - Ivan Diaconu (Moldova); 7th - Arayik Gevorgyan (Armenia); 8th - Almaz Askarov (Kyrgyzstan); 9th - Yuksel Sanli (Turkey); 10th - Amir Tavakolian (Iran); 11th - Zaza Zozirov (Ukraine); 12th - Takahiro Wada (Japan); 13th - Cameron Johnston (Australia);