Iran/Russia World Cup teams
Iran and Russia release new athlete lineups for World Cup
of Freestyle Wrestling in Fairfax, Va., Feb. 5-6
For immediate release
January 26, 2000
The wrestling federations for Iran and Russia notified USA Wrestling
with updated athlete lineups that will compete at the World Cup of Freestyle
Wrestling to be held at the Patriot Center at George Mason University in
Fairfax, Va., Feb. 5-6.
The World Champions on the Iranian squad include 1998 World
Champion Ali Reza Dabir at 127.75 pounds and 1998 World Champion Ali Reza
Heidari at 213.75 pounds.
Dabir also claimed a World silver medal in 1998. He has won
a gold medal at the World Cup the last two years.
Heidari won his 1998 World title at 187.25 pounds. Last year,
he moved up to 213.75 pounds, where he won a World silver medal and claimed
gold medals at the World Cup and the Asian Championships.
The Iran lineup will feature a number of talented young stars,
as well as athletes that had strong performances at the recently completed
Takhti Cup international tournament in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 18-21. The United
States sent a team to compete at the Takhti Cup.
Dabir and Heidari won gold medals at the Takhti Cup, along with
Ali Reza Darvishi at 119 pounds. Darvishi was a Junior World Champion in
1998. Ten of the 11 Iranian wrestlers on the updated lineup were placewinners
at the Takhti Cup.
Other young stars on the Iran team are 1998 Goodwill Games champion
Baynam Tayebi at 119 pounds, 1999 World Cup silver medalist Mehdi Barrati
at 152 pounds and 1999 Asian Champion Ali Reza Rezaei at 286 pounds.
Rounding out the Iran roster are Mashallah Hosseini at 138.75
pounds, Akbar Behtari at 138.75 pounds, Ramazanali Oliaeinejad at 167.5
pounds, Mehdi Sarijlu at 187.25 pounds, and Ali Reza Karegar at 286 pounds.
Iran has competed in the United States in wrestling on a regular
basis in recent years. Among the events that Iran has sent teams to compete
in the U.S. were the 1995 World Cup, the 1995 World Championships, the
1996 Olympic Games, the 1998 World Cup, the 1998 Goodwill Games, the 1998
Junior World Freestyle Championships and the 1999 World Cup.
Russia is the 1999 World Team champions, and will send a team
mixed with veteran international stars and talented young hopefuls. The
team includes a number of athletes who starred at the recent Russian National
Championships.
Leading the Russian team will be 1997 World Champion Kouramagomed
Kouramagomedov at 213.75 pounds. Kouramagomedov was a 1996 World Cup champion
and a 1999 European champion.
World place winners on the Russian team include Maxim Molonov
at 119 pounds and Miron Dzadzaev at 127.75 pounds. Molonov placed fifth
in the 1997 World Championships, and Dzadzaev was sixth in the 1999 World
Championships.
The Russian team will includes five athletes who have won Junior
World Championships, led by 1998 and 1999 Junior World Champion Artem Achigev
at 286 pounds. Other Junior World Champions include Kouramagomedov (1996),
Soslan Tomaev at 138.75 pounds (1996), Shamil Aliev at 167.5 pounds (1998)
and Vadim Laliev at 187.25 pounds (1999).
Rounding out the Russian lineup are Zelimhkan Gusseinov at 127.75
pounds, Zelimhkan Akhmedov at 138.75 pounds, Zaur Kasibekov at 152 pounds,
Ramis Ramazanov at 152 pounds, Sashid Sazhidov at 187.25 pounds and Artur
Taimazov at 213.75 pounds.
Along with Iran, the field for the 2000 World Cup includes Russia,
Cuba, Ukraine, Turkey, and the host United States. Each of the teams will
compete against the other nations in dual meet action. In addition, individual
medals will be awarded at each of the eight weight classes.
Four sessions of wrestling will be held. On Saturday, Feb. 5,
session times are 12:00 noon and 7:00 p.m. On Sunday, Feb. 6, session times
are at 11:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
To order tickets, contact Phone Charge at 800-551-SEAT (outside
MD, VA and DC). In Washington, D.C., contact 703-573-SEAT. In Washington
DC or Maryland, contact 202-432-SEAT. In Baltimore, call 410-481-SEAT.
Those interested in group tickets should call 410-729-0500.
For more information, contact Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling at
719-598-8181.
WORLD CUP OF FREESTYLE WRESTLING
Fairfax, Va., Feb. 5-6
Updated Iran World Cup lineup
54 kg/119 lbs. - Baynam Tayebi
54 kg/119 lbs. - Ali Reza Darvishi
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Ali Reza Dabir
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Mashalla Hosseini
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Akbar Behtari
69 kg/152 lbs. - Mehdi Baraati
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Ramazanali Olieainejad
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Mehdi Sarijlu
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Ali Reza Heidari
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Ali Reza Karegar
130 kg/286 lbs. - Ali Reza Rezaei
Updated Russia World Cup lineup
54 kg/119 lbs. - Maxim Molonov
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Miron Dzadzaev
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Zelimkhan Gusseinov
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Soslan Tomaev
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Zelimkhan Akhmedov
69 kg/152 lbs. - Zaur Kasibekov
69 kg/152 lbs. - Ramis Ramizanov
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Shamil Aliev
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Sashid Sazhidov
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Vadim Laliev
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Kouramagomed Kouramagomedov
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Artur Taimazov
130 kg/286 lbs. - Oleg Khorpiakov
130 kg/286 lbs. - Artem Achigev
Links
