2016 Olympic Wrestling Schedule | Brackets on FloArena 

Brackets and draws are out for Dan Dennis and Jordan Burroughs.  Check out our in depth previews of both weights, the bracket breakdowns and the draws. 

We're kicking off August with a Rio weight class preview for all 14 weights featuring an American.

Let's start with 57kg as we go through the contenders, how Dennis can medal and the bracket and bracket reactions. 

The Contenders

No. 1 Vladimir Khinchegashvili (GEO) - The 2015 world champion has a fifth gear unlike anyone else in this weight.
No. 2 Hassan Rahimi (IRI) - A 2013 world champion who doesn't pull the trigger much, but is one of the most consistent finishers when he does.
No. 3 Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (CUB) - The world bronze medalist of 2014 has a three-turn series that is the most dangerous in the world.
Yang Kyong-il (PRK) - The 2009 and 2014 world champion owns perhaps the most technically proficient leg attacks in the field.

The lightest Olympic weight received a makeover in 2014, and since then, Vladimir Khinchegashvili (GEO) and Hassan Rahimi (IRI) have been the class of 57kg. And now that the weight above it is non-Olympic, you have top-notch 61kg guys like Haji Aliyev (AZE), Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (CUB) and Vladimir Dubov (BUL) dropping down this year.

Haji Aliyev and Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez collided in the 2014 world semifinals:


Dan Dennis joins the field as a late-blooming up-and-comer, which puts him solidly in the second tier with guys like Nurislam Sanayev (KAZ) and Erdenebat Bekhbayar (MGL). While the 29-year-old has never made a world team, much less won a world medal, he has proven over the past 10 months he is good enough to finish on the podium.

How Dennis Can Medal

The key here is less dependent on his draw, and more on his ability to finish leg attacks. Dennis has one of the best gut wrenches on Team USA, which he showed off against Khinchegashvili at the World Cup.



At Yarygin, the Hawkeye proved he can go upper body for four against opponents of Rustam Ampar's quality, even though he would go on to lose that match. While important, throws and fours will be less critical than him getting to legs and holding center, as we saw when he was given several questionable passive calls in the finals of the German Grand Prix.



While Dennis has a strong snap-down/drag to go-behind, those will be hard to come by in Rio. The wrestlers will be too strong and won't take as many bad shots with their heads down to give him room to do that.

Young Guns

Being the lightest weight, it's expected that there would be a number of junior-aged guys who qualified and pose threats to the more established medal contenders on the big stage. They include baby faces Rei Higuchi (JPN), Suleyman Atli (TUR), and Abbas Rakhmonov (UZB). 

Higuchi was unable to place at Junior Worlds last year at 60kg, but has been very impressive while winning three tournaments this year: the Asian qualifier, Macedonian Pearl, and beat Dubov in the finals of the Ziolkowski in Poland.

Atli is a past junior world and European champion who has finally started to turn heads this year on the senior level. Like Higuchi, Atli is replacing a more experienced, but also inconsistent, starter ahead of him. His big win this year is over Erdenebat at the World Cup.

As recently as last year, Rakhmonov was losing to Daton Fix in the bronze medal match at Cadet Worlds. Each of these three young stars will prove a tremendous foil to the wily veteran Dennis.

Shuffling Field

This field has gone through a number of makeovers. Russia's mess from its national championship ended up not mattering, as the IOC disallowed two-time world champ Viktor Lebedev from competing due to a failed PED test as a junior. Russia's quota was then pulled and replaced by Belarus, which put in Asadulla Lachinau instead of world bronze medalist Uladzislau Andreyeu.

Other countries who have replaced their regular starters over the past two years include Armenia, India and Korea. But the biggest wrench in this weight was the return of a retired former champ from North Korea.

Last we saw Yang Kyong-il, he controversially defeated Khinchegashvili in the 2014 world finals on a late head pinch. The two-time world champion will not be subject to separation criteria, and pose a potentially awful draw for anyone in this field. He has some of the cleanest shots in the game.

Yang and Khinchegashvili's 2014 World Final

The Outlook

Dennis is going to have his hands full. He's a long shot to make the podium, but that's no different from every other lightweight since Henry Cejudo. Dennis is one of our most patient wrestlers, and has the strength to slow down top-level 57kg guys.

His lack of a strong, low single may hurt him against Khinchegashvili, but will be fruitful against a counter maestro like Bonne Rodriguez. The Hawkeye is exactly the type of wrestler that can knock off Bonne in a one-takedown match in which both guys go on the shot clock.

Aliyev is a theoretical favorite coming down from a heavier weight as a two-time defending world champion, but Khinchegashvili matched him strength-for-strength at Euros. Bonne also (allegedly) demolished Aliyev in a super-secret scrimmage match that is kept private on YouTube. Yang hasn't wrestled in two years, but if healthy and in form, everyone--including Dennis--will have a hard time stopping his shots.

The last time this weight existed in the Olympics was 1996 in Atlanta. That year, former Oklahoma State star Kendall Cross outscored opponents 31-7 en route to the gold medal. Cross beat Dennis' coach (and reigning world champ at the time) Terry Brands in the Olympic Trials earlier that year. Dennis will need to channel both of them if he hopes to bring home a medal from Rio.

Predictions: 
1. Yang Kyong-il (North Korea)
2. Vladimir Khinchegashvili (Georgia)
3. Hassan Rahimi (Iran)
3. Yowls Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba)
5. Rei Higuchi (Japan)
5. Nurislam Sanayev (Kazakhstan)

Bracket Reactions Dennis/Burroughs:


Dan Dennis lands on the top half of 57kg, and has his European doppelganger in round one. Vladimir Dubov (BUL) has one of the best gut wrenches in the world at this weight, so getting on top will be crucial for both of those guys.In the second round, Dennis could have either Ivan Guidea (ROU) or Suleyman Atli (TUR), but my money's on Atli. The 2013 junior world champ had a great World Cup but did not wrestle Dennis.

The top quarter will be very interesting, as Dennis should see the winner of Vladimer Khinchegashvili (GEO) and Haji Aliyev (AZE) in the semis. Those two met at the European Championship in March, with Khinchegashvili coming out on top of their 61kg semifinal.On the other side of 57kg, both quarterfinals line up to be incredible matchups.

We could very well see Hassan Rahimi (IRI) vs Viktor Lebedev (RUS) for the third consecutive year; Rahimi was won both matchups. The other one should come down to Yang Kyong-il (PRK) and Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (CUB), a phenomenal style contrast. Yang has some of the cleanest shots in the sport, while Bonne is a counter maestro. Be sure to tune in tomorrow at 8am central time to see how it all plays out.

74KG Preview

The Contenders

#1 Jordan Burroughs (USA)
#2 Ainuar Geduev (RUS)
#3 Hassan Yazdani Charati (IRI)

Jordan Burroughs is the reigning world champion and Olympic gold medalist, but he is not the same wrestler he was four years ago. Additionally, this is not the same field. With a different group of opponents operating under a different set of rules, it will be a tremendous challenge to Burroughs' greatness

Mike Mal did an excellent job breaking down Geduev as you will see later today.

Last year in Vegas, I was explaining that Hassan Yazdani Charati scared me because he might give Burroughs a tough match. Fast forward to August 19th and we are liable to find out.

Yazdani Charati does a great job of moving his foe around, maybe even better than Burroughs, He will immediately push pressure on them from an underhook and seems to be able to get pushouts at will. He can't attack legs like Burroughs, but when you are able to wrestle your opponents in a phone booth, you often don't have to shoot.

Yazdani avenges loss to Tsabolov

Dark Horses

#9 Narsingh Yadav
#10 Bekzod Abdurakhmonob (UZB)
#11 Zelimkhan Khadjiev (FRA)

No wrestler has had a crazier road to Rio than Narsingh Yadav. The Indian star was sabotaged by multiple time world and Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar. Yadav was originally ruled out after his positive test, but was later cleared by India's National Anti-Doping Agency because of sabotage on the part of Kumar. Someone in Kumar's camp tainted Yadav's food with PEDs.

This weight has more than one American to watch as former Clarion star Bekzod Abdurakhmonov makes his Olympic debut. His folkstyle background and unorthodox style make him one of the most unpredictable athletes in the weight class.

Abdurakhmonov wins world bronze


Khadjiev is a wild card. He was the guy up big on Yadav when the lefty headlock came screaming around. Khadjiev had Burroughs in a 3-0 hole before getting teched. He can't get through Geduev or Burroughs, but Khadjiev can scrap with anyone. Combine Russian training with a purposeful attacking approach and you have a terrifying presence good enough of being the third best wrestler in this weight.

How Burroughs Can Medal

The double leg is not the only shot in Burrough's arsenal. He is now more patient with it and will score a pushout if he has to so as to keep the points coming and the pressure on his opponent. But in the tournaments leading up to Rio, Burroughs was working on a low ankle attack a la John Smith.

The leglace he has developed the past two years is turning in wrestling's worst kept secret. Part of why Burroughs is more accepting to take stepouts is because he knows how much his par terre has improved. Being able to turn any takedown into the end of match is very intimidating.

Burroughs' preternatural confidence carries him to victory. He is the hardest working wrestler on Team USA, and it shows when he needs a takedown late in a match. It shows when he knee blocks to prevent a takedown. It shows when he clears an underhook.



Every year that Burroughs has won a world or Olympic title, he has gone through an Iranian to do it. I see no reason for that to change at the the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Predictions

GOLD: Jordan Burroughs, USA
SILVER: Hassan Yazdani Charati, IRI
BRONZE: Ainuar Geduev, Russia
BRONZE: Soner Demirtas, Turkey
FIFTH: Bekzod Abdurakhmonov, Uzbekistan
FIFTH: Zelimkhan Khadjiev, France

Bracket Reactions Burroughs/Dennis:


Burroughs road to a second Olympic gold starts off with Augusto Midana (GBS), the same opponent who Burroughs tore his ACL against in the 2014 world championships. Midana is competing in his third Olympic Games, and has been Guinea-Bissau's flag bearer each time.

After that comes the bear Ainuar Geduev (RUS) in the quarterfinals. Geduev was Burroughs' toughest match by far last year in Vegas. We need this would be a possibility since their match came in the semis last year instead of the finals.

The Russian won all three European titles from 2013-2015, but has only wrestled once this year, at Russian Nationals. Should Burroughs take out Geduev again, we could see him against one of Makarashvili (GEO), Ivanov (BUL) or Hasanov (AZE).

The bottom half of 74kg is laid out very evenly. With Nursing Yadav being given the boot after he weighs in, that leaves 2014 world silver Sosuke Takatani (JPN) and 2014 junior world champ Zelimkhan Khadjiev as a round of 16 match, with the winner getting Livan Lopez Azcuy (CUB) in the quarters. The other quarterfinal could see last year's silver medalist Purevjav (IND) against Iran's favorite son Hassan Yazdani Charati.

American fans probably most hope Yazdani Charati comes out of the bottom half, the young prospect Iranian fans have been clamoring to see against Burroughs.