Eldar Kurtanidze of Georgia, a two-time Olympic bronze medalist, won his first World title last year, defeating 1998 World Champion Ali Reza Heidari of Iran in the finals. For Kurtanidze, perhaps the shortest, stockiest power wrestler in the game, it was the first time that he had become the absolute best in the world.     For years, Kurtanidze provided a difficult test for his opponents, as he is very difficult to move and to score upon. Now, he will face the challenge of trying to defend a title he has sought for many years. He was just fifth at the 2003 European Championships, but he is known to compete at his best at the World Championships each year.    Heidari is also a veteran star, who is fully capable of winning at any time. We first saw him on the international scene as a bronze medallist at 187.25 pounds at the 1997 World Championships. He was a World champion in 1998  at 85 kg, then moved up to this weight class. He was also a World silver medalist in 1999. His sixth place finish at the Sydney Olympics was a bit disappointing, but he has rebounded with pride. He won the Asian Championships again this year.    Vadim Tasoev of Ukraine won the World bronze medal for the last two years, and is seeking his first trip to the gold-medal finals. Tasoev was third at the 2003 European Championships, and should be a medal contender again in New York.    This weight was owned by Russia for years, with Georgi Gogchelidze winning the 2001 Worlds and Saghid Mourtasaliyev taking golds at the 2000 Olympics and 1999 Worlds. Last year. Gogchelidze dropped to sixth place. Russia is expected to enter Taimouraz Tiguiev, a young star who many believe will be as good or even better than those who preceded him. Russia is so loaded that they won the gold medal at this division at the European meet, moving 85 kg Khajimourad Gatsalov up in weight for the event. You do not want to draw a Russian athlete when competing at this weight class.    Krassimir Kochev of Bulgaria was second at the 2001 World meet and is one of a number of European stars who are always in the hunt for medals. Fatih Cakrioglu of Turkey was the 2003 European silver medalist and a top hopeful for a World medal.    Some of the other top European wrestlers include Alexandre Xanthopoulos of Greece, Alexander Shemarov of Belarus, Zoltan Farkas of Hungary, Rolf Scherer of Switzerland and George Torchinava of the Netherlands. These athletes have been placewinners in major events in the past.    The Pan American nations have some talented athletes as well, led by the new U.S. competitor, exciting Daniel Cormier. A gifted wrestler, Cormier wrestles without fear, and does many more upperbody throws than most athletes at this division. After winning the U.S. Nationals, he could not compete in the World Team Trials after the death of his infant daughter. He won a Special Wrestle-off over Dean Morrison to make the U.S. team. Cormier had his best game going on the way to the gold-medal at the Pan American Games earlier this month.    The top athlete that Cormier had to defeat in the Pan American Games was veteran Wilfredo Morales of Cuba. What surprised many was that Cormier scored an 8-0 win over Morales, whose conservative style using leads to close, low-scoring matches. Morales was seventh in the World last year and 10th the year before, and remains fully capable of moving into the medal rounds on the World level. Morales might be on the downslope of his career, but remains a formidable obstacle for any opponent.    Magomed Ibragimov of Uzbekistan was the 2003 Asian Championships silver medalist, and was ninth in the 2001 World Championships. Do not confuse him with the Magomed Ibragimov from Macedonia who is a top star at 84 kg. This is not a typo. They are different athletes with the same name (not exactly as common as say, John Smith).     Another top star from Asia is Islam Baraimukov of Kazakhstan, the 2000 Olympic silver medalist. He did not compete in the Asian Championships this year, but his replacement Nurzhan Kataev won the bronze medal. Both are listed on the Kazakhstan roster.    An emerging talent to watch is Radovan Valach of Austria, who placed an impressive fourth at the 2003 European Championships. Among the others to place in the top 10 at the European meet were Michal Stanislawski of Poland, Peter Pecha of Slovakia and Cengiz Cakici of Germany.    Often, in the heavier weight classes, athletes are able to compete at a high level for many years. It is often difficult for the younger wrestlers to move these veterans out of the medal rounds at this division. Tiguiev of Russia and Cormier of the United States are looking to do just that this year at the World Championships. Veteran stars like Kurtanidze of Georgia, Heidari of Iran, Tasoev of Ukraine and Shemarov of Belarus will do everything they can to maintain the status quo. Ultimately, the young eventually take over for the old, but those with past glories are hoping to extend their control for just a few more years.     RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS    2002 World Championships  96 kg/211.25 lbs. - Gold - Eldar Kurtanidze (Georgia) won by ref. dec. over Ali Reza Heidari (Iran), 2-1, ot, 9:00; Bronze - Vadim Tasoev (Ukraine) won by tech. fall over Alexandre Xanthopoulos (Greece), 10-0, 4:24; 5th - Alexander Shemarov (Belarus); 6th - Georgi Gogshelizhiev (Russia); 7th - Wilfredo Morales (Cuba); 8th - Rolf Scherrer (Switzerland); 9th - Dean Schmeichel (Canada); 10th - Zoltan Farkas (Hungary)    2001 World Championships results  97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Gold - Georgi Gogchelidze (Russia) dec. Krassimir Kotchev (Bulgaria), 3-0; Bronze - Vadim Tasoev (Ukraine) won by tech fall over Zoltan Farkas (Hungary), 10-0; 5th - Ezdar Kurtanidze (Georgia); 6th - George Torchinava (Netherlands); 7th - Ozkale Taskin (Turkey); 8th - Johannes Rossouw (Great Britain); 9th - Magomed Ibragimov (Uzbekistan); 10th - Wilfredo Morales (Cuba)    2000 Olympic Games results  97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Gold - Saghid Mourtasaliyev (Russia) dec. Islam Bairamukov (Kazakhstan), 6-0; Bronze - Eldar Kurtanidze (Georgia) dec. Marek Garmulewicz (Poland), 4-1; 5th -Aftandil Zanthopoulos (Greece); 6th - Ali Reza Heidari (Iran); 7th - Aleksandr Shemarov (Belarus); 8th - George Torchinava (Netherlands); 9th - Arawat Sabejew (Germany); 10th - Rolf Scherrer (Switzerland); 11th - Vadym Tosoiev (Ukraine); 12th - Gabriel Szerda (Australia); 13th - Davud Mahammadov (Azerbaijan); 14th - Wilfredo Morales (Cuba); 15th - Victor Kodei (Nigeria); 16th - Ahmet Dogu (Turkey); 17th - Ricardas Pauliukonis (Lithuania); 18th - Melvin Douglas (United States); 19th - Dean Schmeichel (Canada)    TENTATIVE ENTRIES, as of 8/25  96 kg/211.25 lbs.   AUSTRALIA - Igor Paporshchikov  AUSTRIA - Radovan Valach  AZERBAIJAN - Vusal Muslumov  BANGLADESH - Mohammed Mizanur Rahman  BELARUS - Alexandr Shemarov  BULGARIA - Krassimir Kotchev or Dimitar Kumchev  CAMAROON - Alaki D'Jovenessi  CANADA - Dean Schmeichel or Randeep Sodhi  CHINA - Wang Yuanyuan  CUBA - Wilfredo Morales or Wilber Silega  GEORGIA - Eldar Kurtanidze  GERMANY - Cenjiz Cakici, Christian Kloucek or Martus Eichin  GREAT BRITAIN - Johannes Rossow  GREECE - Aftandil Xanthopoulos  HUNGARY - Zoltan Farkas or Norbert Rozbora  INDIA - Bhagat Singh  IRAN - Ali Reza Heidari  ISRAEL - Yan Virin  ITALY - Vincenzo Lipari  JAPAN - Yoshihiro Nakao or Takao Isokawa  KAZAKHSTAN - Islam Baraimukov or Nurzhan Katzyev  KOREA - Koo Hak-Ja   KYRGYZSTAN - Aleksei Krupniakov  LATVIA - Jurijs Janovics or Igors Samusonoks  LITHUANIA - Romanas Jefisovas  MACEDONIA - Zarko Kocev  MOLDOVA - Artiom Malear  MONGOLIA - Tuvshintur Enkhtuya  NAMIBIA - Nico Jacobs  POLAND- Bartolemiej Bartnicki, Tomas Janiszewski or Maksimilian Witek  RUSSIA - Taimouraz Tiguiev or Zaynudin Ibragimov  SLOVAKIA - Peter Pecha  SOUTH AFRICA - Duane Van Staden  SPAIN - Nicolas Castro  SWITZERLAND - Rolf Scherrer  SYRIA- Jalal Baker  TAJIKISTAN - Ruslan Sheykhov  TURKEY - Fatih Cakiroglu or Hakan Koc  UGANDA- Rodgers Kiwanuka  UKRAINE - Vadym Tasoev  UNITED STATES  - Daniel Cormier  UZBEKISTAN - Magomed Ibragimov    Starting August 18, TheMat.com will preview one weight class each day for the 2003