From: Tim Foley
[email protected] Subject: Olympic Champs Yazdani Charati, Snyder Headline Freestyle World Cup Date: February 14, 2017 at 8:36 AM To:
[email protected] Olympic Champs Yazdani Charati, Snyder Headline Freestyle World Cup By William May // Photos: Gabor Martin KERMANSHAH, Iran (February 14) – Rio 2016 gold medalists Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (IRI) and Kyle SNYDER (USA) lead wrestlers from eight of the world’s top wrestling countries to western Iran for the 2017 Freestyle Wrestling World Cup. Yazdani Charati, making his third World Cup appearance, seeks to spark tourney host and Cup holder Iran to its sixth straight World Cup triumph and eighth victory overall in the dual-meet competition inaugurated in 1973. Yazdani Charati, the Rio gold medalist at 74kg, is entered at 86kg and will be joined by silver medalist Komeil GHASEMI (125kg) and bronze medal winner Hassan RAHIMI (57kg) to form the nucleus of Iran’s potent squad. The trio, however, will have to rely on Asian champions Meisam NASIRI (65kg) and Peyman YARAMAHDI (74kg) along with the other members of the squad for five individual wins to secure an outright team victory at the Imam Khomeini Sport Venue on Thursday and Friday. If teams are tied 4-4 after a dual meet, the winner will be determined by criteria – a formula that takes into account, wins by falls and defaults, technical superiority, most technical points scored, fewest technical points allowed, and the result of the last bout wrestled. Kyle SNYDER (USA) The United States, meanwhile, which has hosted the last three freestyle World Cups, feature a squad that highlight Snyder (97kg), London 2012 gold medalist Jordan BURROUGHS (74kg) and recently crowned world champion Logan STIEBER (61kg).