Newcomer Zain Retherford will look to claim a medal at 65 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)It's been more than two decades -- 22 years to be precise -- since the United States has captured a men's freestyle team title at the World Championships.
Russia and Iran have dominated the freestyle circuit for many years now.
The United States is expected to put a very strong, hungry and experienced team on the mat for the freestyle portion of the worlds on Aug. 25-26 in Paris, France.
The year after an Olympic Games is usually a big transition year, but most of the American stars are back in 2017. That could bode well for first-year U.S. National coach Bill Zadick and his team at the Worlds.
It's also interesting to point out that all six men's freestyle champions from the Rio Olympics are expected to compete in Paris. This field is very strong which is unusual in the first year of a new four-year Olympic squad.
57 kilograms: Thomas Gilman
Gold: 10 percent
Medal: 30 percent
Thomas Gilman was a surprise winner of the World Team Trials, but it shouldn't have come as a total shock to those who follow the sport closely.
Gilman is an excellent freestyle wrestler who made Cadet and Junior world teams for the U.S., and was a Junior world bronze medalist. Freestyle is his style.
His goals have always revolved more around freestyle than folkstyle. He's a very confident wrestler who foreign athletes may not know much about. He's also a tough matchup who will be taller and have more leverage than most of his opponents. Gilman excels offensively and defensively, but he's most effective when he's in attack mode.
Gilman also is in excellent shape, so the deeper he goes in the tournament the better he may become as fatigue become a bigger factor.
European champion Giorgi Edisherashvili of Azerbaijan and veteran Hassan Rahimi of Iran are top contenders to win this division.
The U.S. hasn't won a medal in the lightest weight class since Henry Cejudo earned gold at the 2008 Olympics. Gilman may be the guy to end the drought.
Top wrestlers: Giorgi Edisherashvili (Azerbaijan), Suleyman Atli (Turkey). Hassan Rahimi (Iran)
61 kilograms: Logan Stieber
Gold: 40 percent
Medal: 65 percent
Logan Stieber finally broke through to make his first world team last year and he took full advantage of his opportunity by winning a world title.
Now Stieber is back again and looking to repeat his magical feat. Stieber is very strong and big for this weight class, and he wrestles a hard-charging style that is difficult to keep pace with.
Stieber's top challenger in Paris likely will be 2016 Olympic champion Vladimir Khinchegashvili of Georgia, who is regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound wrestlers on the planet. Veteran Behnam Ehsanpoor of Iran is another top contender in this class.
Top wrestlers: Vladimir Khinchegashvili (Georgia), Akhmed Chakaev (Russia), Behnam Ehsanpoor (Iran)
65 kilograms: Zain Retherford
Gold: 20 percent
Medal: 40 percent
It has been a while since Zain Retherford has competed on the world stage. But the 2012 Cadet world champion is not a wrestler anyone should take lightly in Paris.
Retherford beat a very tough wrestler in 2016 Olympic fifth-place finisher Frank Molinaro to make his first world team on the Senior level. Retherford is another gifted young prospect with gold-medal goals.
2016 Olympic gold medalist Soslan Ramonov of Russia is ranked No. 1 here, but is not expected to compete. 2012 Olympian Alan Gogaev will likely compete for Russia in this weight class. Bulgaria's Boris Novachkov, who wrestled collegiately in the U.S., is another wrestler ready to make a splash in this event.
The U.S. hasn't medaled internationally in this division since Bill Zadick won a world title in 2006.
Top wrestlers: Boris Novachkov (Bulgaria), Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (Poland), Alan Gogaev (Russia)
70 kilograms: James Green
Gold: 25 percent
Medal: 55 percent
American James Green has made his third straight world team and is eager to bounce back. Green won a bronze medal at his first worlds in 2015 before falling short of the podium in 2016.
Like in 2015, Green will compete on the same day at worlds as Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion Jordan Burroughs.
Burroughs won gold in 2015 when Green took a bronze.
Italy's Frank Chamizo, who previously competed for Cuba, won a world title in 2015 at 65 kilograms and added an Olympic bronze last summer.
Green did beat Chamizo in a battle of explosive athletes two years ago.
Russia's Magomed Kurbanaliev won worlds last year at 70 kg.
Top wrestlers: Frank Chamizo (Italy), Magomed Kurbanaliev (Russia), Ikhtiyor Navruzov (Uzbekistan)
74 kilograms: Jordan Burroughs
Gold: 55 percent
Medal: 75 percent
Jordan Burroughs was heavily favored to win the 2016 Olympics, but lost to Aniuar Geduev of Russia and Bekzod Abdurakhmanov of Uzbekistan to fall short of the medal podium for the first time in his career internationally.
Burroughs, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist, has come back strong this season and he's determined to win his fourth world title. He previously won worlds in the odd-numbered years of 2011, 2013 and 2015, so that could bode well for him in this tournament.
Burroughs has to figure out a way to break through against defensive-minded opponents who have become more adept at shutting down his lethal double-leg attack.
Burroughs has his share of detractors after Rio, but he's still a tremendous competitor who has had a strong season. He's determined to be the best again.
Top wrestlers: Aniuar Geduev (Russia), Soner Demirtas (Turkey), Yabrail Hasanov (Azerbaijan), Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (Uzbekistan)
86 kilograms: J'den Cox
Gold: 25 percent
Medal: 50 percent
J'den Cox was one of the biggest surprises in Rio. He won a bronze medal and nearly made the finals. With Olympic and world champion Abdulrashid Sadualev of Russia bumping up a weight class, this division is now fairly wide open.
Olympic champion Hassan Yazdani of Iran has moved up a weight class to 86 kg. He's a very talented young wrestler, but he also was pinned by American David Taylor this year at the World Cup. Cox outlasted Taylor to make the world team.
The key for Cox may simply be his health. He injured his leg in the final bout with Taylor and missed much of training camp this summer.
If he is healthy, Cox is very powerful for this weight class and presents a matchup nightmare for his opponents. He has the potential to win a gold medal.
Top wrestlers: Hassan Yazdani (Iran), Dauren Kurugliev (Russia), Aleksander Gostiev (Azerbaijan), Selim Yasar (Turkey)
97 kilograms: Kyle Snyder
Gold: 65 percent
Medal: 90 percent
There is absolutely no question this is the match everyone wants to see: American Kyle Snyder vs. Russia's Abdulrashid Sadulaev.
The two young stars have both won Olympic and world titles. And they may be the two best wrestlers, regardless of weight class, in this entire tournament.
Both are powerful, skilled, aggressive and confident athletes who are entertaining to watch.
Snyder may have the edge here with a little more size and with his high level of conditioning. Snyder simply doesn't get tired or break in a match. He's going to keep coming.
Let's hope this match happens.
Top wrestlers: Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia), Magomed Ibragimov (Uzbekistan), Arslanbek Alborov (Azerbaijan), Elizbar Odikadze (Georgia)
125 kilograms: Nick Gwiazdowski
Gold: 5 percent
Medal: 20 percent
Nick Gwiazdowski made his first world team after two-time Olympian and two-time world medalist Tervel Dlagnev finished his brilliant career for the U.S.
Like Dlagnev, Gwiazdowski is a very mobile big man with a strong array of leg attacks. Dlagnev won a medal in his first worlds in 2009 and Gwiazdowski is looking to follow suit.
Olympic champion Taha Akghul of Turkey has been the king of this weight class for a number of years, and that may continue again in Paris. This division is filled with experience and numerous top veterans who continue to compete at a high level.
Top wrestlers: Taha Akgul (Turkey), Geno Petriashvili (Georgia), Alen Zasiev (Ukraine), Daniel Ligeti (Hungary)
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