The 2024 Olympic Games will be held in Paris, France, with wrestling taking place from August 5-11. In the 86 kg weight class, Aaron Brooks will represent the United States against a strong field including World and Olympic champion Hassan Yazdani of Iran. For a full preview of this exciting weight class and complete medal predictions, check out the article below.
2024 Olympics viewing party
2024 Olympic 86kg competitors
Qualifying for the World Championships
Gold Medal – Aaron Brooks, USA (David Taylor qualified)
Silver Award – Hassan Yazdani, IRI
Bronze – Myles Amin, SMR
Copper – Azamat Dauretbekov, KAZ
5th place – Dzhavleil Shapiev, USB
Continental Qualifiers
Pan-Americans – Ethan Ramos, PUR
Pan Americans – Alexander Moore, Canada
Africa and Oceania – Jayden Lawrence, Australia
Africa and Oceania – Fateh Benferjara, ALG
Euro – Artur Nayfonov, Russia
Euros – Osman Nurmagomedov, AZE
Asian – Hayato Ishiguro, JPN
Asian – Bat-Erdene Byambasuren, MGL
Last Chance World Qualifier
Dowren Kurugliev, GRE
Magomed Ramazanov, Bulgaria
Vladimir Gamkrelidze, GEO
86 kg Olympic Athlete Honors
- Hassan Yazdani, IRI – 2016 Olympic Champion, 2020 Olympic Silver Medalist, 2017, 2019 & 2021 World Champion, 2015, 2022 & 2023 World Silver Medalist, 2018 World Bronze Medalist
- Artur Naifonov (Russia) – 2020 Olympic bronze medal, 2021 World Championships bronze medal
- Miles Amin, SMR – 2020 Olympic Bronze Medal, 2023 World Championship Bronze Medal
- Azamat Dauvletbekov, KAZ – 2022 and 2023 World Championships Bronze
- Osman Nurmagomedov (AZE) – 2023 World Championships Silver Medal (92 kg), 2021 & 2022 World Championships Bronze Medal (92 kg)
- Vladimir Gamkrelidze (GEO) – 2022 & 2023 World Championships Bronze (79 kg)
- Aaron Brooks, USA – 2023 U23 World Champion, 2018 U20 World Silver Medal, 2017 U17 World Champion
- Hayato Ishiguro (Japan) – 2018 U20 World Champion, 2019 U23 World Bronze
- Bat-Erdene Byambasuren (MGL) – 2018 U20 World Championships Bronze
- Daurren Kurugliev (GRE) – 2020 Individual World Cup Champion
86kg Olympic Seed
- Azamat Dauretbekov, KAZ
- Hasan Yazdani, IRI
- Miles Amin, SMR
- Dzhavleil Shapiev, UZB
- Magomed Ramazanov, Bulgaria
- Bat-Erdene Byambasuren, MGL
- Dowren Kurugliev, GRE
- Hayato Ishiguro
favorite
Hassan Yazdani is the sport's most accomplished wrestler and should be considered the favorite to win gold in Paris. Yazdani is a two-time Olympic medalist (gold in 2016 and silver in 2020) and a seven-time World Championship place winner (three gold medals).
Yazdani's accomplishments are impressive, but even more impressive is his dominance over the past seven years against every 86 kg competitor except David Taylor. Excluding his bouts with Taylor, Yazdani is 26-0 at World Championships and Olympics since 2017. In those matches, Yazdani has recorded 16 technicals, three pins, one forfeit and outscored his opponents by a combined score of 238-23. Simply put, with the exception of David Taylor, there is no one in the world who can beat Hassan Yazdani. With Taylor out of the running, Yazdani is the favorite to win the gold medal at 86 kg.
Yazdani beats David Taylor at the 2021 World Championships:
Who can beat Yazdani?
- Aaron Brooks, USA
- Artur Nayfonov, AIN (RUS)
While Yazdani is the clear favorite, Aaron Brooks and Artur Naifonov are the next two wrestlers with a good chance of winning gold. What's interesting is that both Amin and Naifonov will be unseeded at the Olympics and randomly placed in the 86kg weight class, meaning Naifonov and Brooks could find themselves in the same weight class as Hassan Yazdani, Miles Amin and Dauren Kurugliev.
Aaron Brooks shocked the wrestling world by defeating David Taylor in two consecutive matches at the Olympic Trials. Given that David Taylor has a 5-1 record, it's not unreasonable to think that Aaron Brooks could beat Hassan Yazdani. However, the “transitive property” doesn't always work in wrestling, and Yazdani will present a unique challenge that Brooks likely hasn't faced in his wrestling career. Penn State's camp will definitely prepare Brooks, and I believe Brooks has the perfect style to deal with Yazdani's underhooks and speed.
Aaron Brooks' victory in the 2023 U23 World Championship Final:
Russia's Artur Naifonov, a World and Olympic bronze medalist, is just 26 years old and has faced Yazdani three times. Naifonov is 0-3 against Yazdani, but “closed the gap” twice in 2021 after a pinfall at the 2019 World Championships before losing by six-point decision. Naifonov has beaten just about everyone in the world in the 86kg weight class, except for Hassan Yazdani and David Taylor. In the past few years, Naifonov has defeated fellow Olympians Dauren Kurugliev, Miles Amin, Azamat Dauretbekov, Dzhabulal Shapiev, Magomed Ramazanov and Hayato Ishiguro.
Naifonov beats Miles Amin at the 2021 European Championships:
Medal contenders
- Dowren Kurugliev, GRE
- Miles Amin, SMR
- Azamat Dauretbekov, KAZ
- Dzhavleil Shapiev, UZB
- Hayato Ishiguro
- Magomed Ramazanov, Bulgaria
- Osman Nurmagomedov, AZE
I wouldn't be surprised if any of the seven wrestlers above bring home a medal from Paris. There isn't much difference in weight and these wrestlers have been competing against each other for the past few years. Of this group, Dauren Kurugliev may be the most dangerous. Kurugliev is a Russian who currently represents Greece and has wins over Artur Naifonov and Miles Amin. Kurugliev also represented Russia in the 86 kg class at the 2018 World Championships, where he placed fifth after losing to both David Taylor (8-6) and Hassan Yazdani (11-5). Kurugliev will be a threat to everyone in this bracket. He will also likely face second-seeded Yazdani in the quarterfinals as the seventh-placed, which could be one of the best quarterfinals in the entire Olympics.
Daurren Kurugliev vs. David Taylor at the 2018 World Championships:
Miles Amin is the most accomplished wrestler in this group as a World Championship and Olympic bronze medalist and will be the third seed at the Olympics. This means that Amin will be in the same bracket as Yazdani and Kurugliev, so his path to the finals and medal contention will be a tough one. Amin has improved against Yazdani from losing 11-0 at the 2019 World Championships to losing 7-2 at the 2023 World Championships. Not only that, Amin beat Kurugliev (3-2) at the 2023 Hungarian Ranking Series tournament, but he has also narrowly lost to Kurugliev twice before. Barring a major upset against Yazdani, Amin will have to beat Kurugliev to win a medal at the Olympics.
Miles Amin defeats Dzhavleil Shapiev in the bronze medal match at the 2023 World Championships:
Azamat Davletbekov is the top seed at the Olympics and could have a great path to the final with Yazdani, Amin and Kurugliev ranked lower. Davletbekov is a two-time World Championship bronze medalist and has recent wins over Olympians Miles Amin and Jabrail Shapiev. However, Davletbekov lost to eighth seed and potential quarterfinal opponent Hayato Ishiguro at the Budapest Ranking Series tournament earlier this month. Like the other contenders in this bracket, Davletbekov is not a sure thing for a medal in Paris.
Dauvletbekov defeats Miles Amin in the 2024 Budapest Ranking Series Tournament:
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Uzbekistan's Zhavleil Shapiev has never won a medal at the World Championships, but recent results suggest he has Olympic podium potential. Shapiev has three impressive tournament results: second at the 2024 Asian Championships, third at the 2023 Asian Games, and fifth at the 2023 World Championships. At the World Championships, Shapiev notably dominated Ishiguro Hayato before losing to Hassan Yazdani and Miles Amin. At the Asian Games, Shapiev beat Davletbekov, only to lose to him a few months later at the Asian Championships. Shapiev will be seeded fourth in Paris and will be in a close contest with other contenders.
Javleil Shapiev defeats Hayato Ishiguro at the 2023 World Championships:
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Japan's Hayato Ishiguro is a dangerous competitor in the 86 kg weight class, with a hit list that may surprise American fans. In his freestyle career, Ishiguro has defeated Aaron Brooks (11-10 at the 2017 U20 World Championships), Max Dean (12-2 at the 2019 U23 World Championships), Miles Amin (pinfall at the 2023 Zagreb Open), and Zahid Valencia (13-2 at the 2023 Zagreb Open). Aside from these wins over American-born wrestlers, Ishiguro is fresh off a bronze medal at the recent Budapest Ranking Series tournament, losing only to Hassan Yazdani and defeating two-time world medalist Azamat Dauvletbekov.
Ishiguro defeats Davletbekov in the bronze medal match at the 2024 Budapest Ranking Series Tournament:
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Magomed Ramazanov, a Russian wrestler currently representing Bulgaria, finally got his chance to compete in the Olympics after years of lagging behind Naifonov and Krugliev. Ramazanov has placed twice in the Russian Championships and almost beat Artur Naifonov at the 2021 Russian Championships. In addition to that, Ramazanov has notable wins over Akhmed Gajimagomedov (beating Dake), Chance Marsteller, Alireza Karimi, Zahid Valencia, Vladislav Valiev, Osman Nurmagomedov, Radik Valiev, Vladimir Gamkrelidze, Azamat Dauretbekov and other top wrestlers in the world. Despite those wins, Ramazanov lost to Osman Nurmagomedov at the European Qualifiers and had to go to his last chance at the World Olympic Qualifiers. Ramazanov will be seeded fifth at the Olympics and will have a strong chance to reach the final if he faces Aaron Brooks or Artur Naifonov.
Ramazanov vs. Dauvletbekov victory at the 2024 Zagreb Open:
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One final medal contender worth mentioning is Osman Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov won silver at the 2023 World Championships in the 92kg weight class, but he doesn't have a whole lot of success against other fighters. However, Nurmagomedov has notable wins over Vasyl Mikhailov, Magomed Ramazanov, and Zahid Valencia. Nurmagomedov will be unseeded at the Olympics, so he'll need to get into a good bracket to make the podium.
Nurmagomedov defeats Zahid Valencia at the 2023 World Championships:
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Who will win the gold medal in the 86kg class?
Hassan Yazdani is the favorite to win, but I expect Aaron Brooks to take the gold in Paris. Brooks is the better defensive wrestler Yazdani has faced so far and is a more complete wrestler than Yazdani. Brooks has more ways to score on offense and is good at scrambling. Brooks will be tested and I am a bit concerned about his lack of experience on the international stage, but his performance against David Taylor at the Olympic Trials is enough to convince me he will take the gold.
Medal Predictions for the 86 kg Class:
Gold Medal – Aaron Brooks, USA
Silver Award – Hassan Yazdani, IRI
Bronze – Artur Naifonov, AIN (Russia)
Bronze – Dowren Kurugliev, GRE
