Greco News

2019 Greco Worlds: Every Previous Senior Medalist

Photo: Tony Rotundo

For active Senior Greco-Roman athletes, past glory is not more important than present endeavors, which in this case comes in the form of the 2019 World Championships. But for fans and observers of the sport, keying in on who the most accomplished wrestlers are helps set the table for the action that now lies in store less than a week away.

Each and every Greco athlete set to appear at the 2019 Worlds who has earned Senior hardware throughout their respective careers is listed below. Senior only; you will not find U23, University, Military, Junior, or Cadet medals accounted for in this compilation. Given that the upcoming big show is a qualifying tournament (in the six Olympic weight classes) for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, keeping all of the credentials at the Senior level provides a clearer sense of just what kind of talent can be found among the ten weight classes and approximately 320 competitors.

Notes:

  • The most bling is available at heavyweight thanks to the powerhouse tandem of Mijain Lopez (CUB) and Riza Kayaalp (TUR). Lopez — who has won the year’s top tournament eight times counting both the Worlds and Olympics — owns 11 overall Senior medals. Kayaalp, who boasts three Senior World crowns, holds nine medals. Right behind them at 130 kilos is two-time World Champion Heiki Nabi (EST), a five-time medalist. This weight class alone (home to Team USA’s 2018 World silver Adam Coon) is responsible for 29 pieces of hardware, which leads all categories.
  • Next up is 77 kilograms with 21 medals, and a lot of the credit is due to the consistency of Roman Vlasov (RUS), Kim Hyeon-Woo (KOR), and Tamas Lorincz (HUN). This dynamite trio can stake claim to a combined 14 medals. Also in this weight are ’17 champ Viktor Nemes (SRB) and Elvin Mursaliev (AZE), who both have two medals apiece.
  • Heavyweight might have the most medals, but it does not offer the most medalists. That distinction belongs to 60 kilograms.
  • Predictably, recency is a factor: of the 139 Senior medals represented on this list, 55 have been earned during the current quad.
  • Of the seven prior medal winners at 97 kilograms, the US’ G’Angelo Hancock (Sunkist) has victories over three of them, including multi-time champ Artur Aleksanyan (ARM).
  • Hardcore fans of the sport will be happy to know that “Dance Boy” — 2015 World Champion/’16 Olympic bronze Rasul Chunayev — is on Azerbaijan’s entry list for 67 kilos, important to note given the qualifying implications involved.

55 kg

Eldaniz Azizli (AZE) 2018 World Champion
Nugzari Tsurtsumia (GEO) 2018 World bronze

60 kg

Ivo Angelov (BUL) 2013 World Champion, ’11 World bronze
Sailike Walihan (CHN) 2018 World bronze
Kenichiro Fumita (JPN) 2017 World Champion
Aidos Sultangali (KAZ) 2018 World bronze
Kim Seung-Hak (KOR) 2017 World bronze
Victor Ciobanu (MDA) 2018 World silver
Stig-Andre Berge (NOR) 2016 Olympic bronze, ’14 World bronze
Sergey Emelin (RUS) 2018 World Champion
Lenur Temirov (UKR) 2018 World bronze
Elmurat Tasmuradov (UZB) 2016 Olympic bronze, ’18 World silver, two-time World bronze

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63 kg

Shinobu Ota (JPN) 2016 Olympic silver
Almat Kebispaev (KAZ) 2011 World silver, two-time World bronze
Stepan Maryanyan (RUS) 2018 World Champion, ’17 World bronze
Rahman Bilici (TUR) 2018 World bronze

67 kg

Rasul Chunayev (AZE) 2015 World Champion, ’16 Olympic bronze, two-time World bronze
Ismael Borrero Molina (CUB) 2016 Olympic Champion, ’15 World Champion
Shmagi Bolkvadze (GEO) 2016 Olympic bronze
Frank Staebler (GER) Three-time World Champion, ’13 World bronze
Meiirzhan Shermakhanbet (KAZ) 2018 World bronze
Ryu Han-Soo (KOR) Two-time World Champion, ’15 World silver
Edgaras Venckaitis (LTU) 2014 World bronze
Artem Surkov (RUS) 2018 World Champion, two-time World bronze
Atakan Yuksel (TUR) 2017 World bronze

72 kg

Aik Mnatsakanian (BUL) 2018 World bronze
Balint Korpasi (HUN) 2016 World Champion, ’18 World silver, ’17 World bronze
Demeu Zhadraev (KAZ) 2017 World silver
Mateusz Bernatek (POL) 2017 World silver

77 kg

Elvin Mursaliev (AZE) Two-time World bronze
Tamas Lorincz (HUN) 2012 Olympic silver, two-time World silver, ’14 World bronze
Mohammadali Abdolhamid Gerei (IRI) 2017 World bronze
Kim Hyeon-Woo (KOR) 2012 Olympic Champion, ’13 World Champion, ’16 Olympic bronze, two-time World bronze
Daniel Cataraga (MDA) 2016 World silver
Roman Vlasov (RUS) Two-time Olympic Champion, two-time World Champion, ’13 World silver
Viktor Nemes (SRB) 2017 World Champion, ’18 World bronze
Fatih Cengiz (TUR) 2017 World bronze

82 kg

Maksim Manukyan (ARM) 2017 World Champion, ’18 World bronze
Viktar Sasunouski (BLR) Two-time World bronze
Lasha Gobadze (GEO) 2015 World bronze
Pascal Eisele (GER) 2017 World bronze
Saeid Abdevali (IRI) 2011 World Champion, ’16 Olympic bronze, ’17 World bronze
Emrah Kus (TUR) 2018 World silver, ’13 World bronze

87 kg

Artur Shahinyan (ARM) 2018 World bronze
Rami Antero Heitaniemi (FIN) 2011 World bronze
Denis Kudla (GER) 2017 World silver, ’16 Olympic bronze
Viktor Lorincz (HUN) Two-time World bronze
Metehan Basar (TUR) Two-time World Champion
Zhan Belenyuk (UKR) 2015 World Champion, ’16 Olympic silver, ’18 World silver, ’14 World bronze
Rustam Assakalov (UZB) 2015 World silver

97 kg

Artur Aleksanyan (ARM) 2016 Olympic Champion, three-time World Champion, ’13 World silver, ’12 Olympic bronze
Kiril Milov (BUL) 2018 World silver
Mélonin Noumonvi (FRA) 2014 World Champion, ’09 World silver
Balazs Kiss (HUN) 2009 World Champion, two-time World bronze
Musa Evloev (RUS) 2018 World Champion
Mihail Kajaia (SRB) 2018 World bronze
Cenk Ildem (TUR) 2016 Olympic bronze, two-time World bronze

130 kg

Yasmany Acosta Fernandez (CHL) 2017 World bronze
Mijain Lopez (CUB) Three-time Olympic Champion, five-time World Champion, three-time World silver
Heiki Nabi (EST) Two-time World Champion, 2012 Olympic silver, ’17 World silver, ’14 World bronze
Kim Min-Seok (KOR) 2018 World bronze
Sergey Semenov (RUS) 2018 World Champion
Riza Kayaalp (TUR) Three-time World Champion, 2016 Olympic silver, two-time World silver, ’12 Olympic bronze, two-time World bronze
Adam Coon (USA) 2018 World silver

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