9 World and Olympic Medalists in One Weight Class: Hassan Yazdani Surrounded by Giants

The freestyle wrestling World Championships at 97 kg, featuring stars such as Hassan Yazdani, Abdulrashid Sadulaev, Kyle Snyder and Ahmed Tajudinov, is one of the most exciting and challenging competitions of the tournament.

According to Mehr reporter, the world championship wrestling competitions will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan from November 2nd to 10th, and among the different weights of freestyle wrestling, the weight of 97 kg has attracted special attention due to the presence of a series of famous world and Olympic champions. A weight where even reaching the finals can be as difficult as winning a gold medal.

Hassan Yazdani, the famous star of Iranian wrestling, will step on the mat for the first time in a world competition at the weight of 97 kg, where well-known competitors from America, Russia, Bahrain, Japan, Georgia, Slovakia and Kazakhstan are present in this weight. A review of the list announced by the World Wrestling Federation shows that this competition can be one of the most star-studded fields of freestyle wrestling in recent years.

9 famous faces on the way to world gold

Among the 97 kg contenders, the names of 9 wrestlers stand out more than others; Faces who have a history of winning medals in world and Olympic competitions and each of them can be a problem for other contenders. Hasan Yazdani, Olympic champion and holder of three world gold medals, along with Abdul Rashid Saadaleyev, Olympic champion and holder of six world championship titles, are among the most important names in this weight. American Kyle Snyder, the Olympic and multiple world championships champion, and Bahraini Ahmed Tajuddinov, the world and Olympic champion, are also among the main contenders.

World champion Rezabek Aitmokhan from Kazakhstan, Arash Yoshida from Japan, world medalist and Asian champion, Givi Matcharashvili from Georgia, Olympic runner-up, Magomedkhan Magomedov from the Republic of Azerbaijan and Batyrbek Tsakalov from Slovakia are other prominent wrestlers of this weight. Of course, the list of claimants is not limited to these 9 people and other names are also seen in the initial list of the World Union; An issue that shows how difficult the path to the championship platform is, even before the draw is determined.

Yazdani's return; A different test in a new weight

Hassan Yazdani's presence in this weight is one of the most important events of the Astana World Competition. He competed in 86 kg for many years and achieved great honors in the world and the Olympics. Now, after overcoming injuries and two shoulder surgeries, he is looking to return to the top at a higher weight. Yazdani, after being absent from the world competitions in recent years, won the quota for the Iranian national team by winning against Amir Ali Azarpira in two qualifying matches. He achieved two victories in these competitions to find the opportunity to participate in the eighth round of the world championships.

Weight change is not Yazdani's only challenge; He has to face strong competitors in this category, many of whom have been wrestling in the 97 kg weight category for years and have the experience of competing directly with each other. However, Yazdani's experience, technical ability, and brilliant record have made him one of the most sought-after names in this weight class.

Saadaleyev, Snyder and Tajaldinov; Three major threats

Besides Yazdani, three other faces attract the most attention. Saadaleyev and Snyder have shaped one of the most important freestyle wrestling competitions in the world for years; Two stars whose confrontations in the World and Olympic competitions have always been one of the most attractive fights in this field.

Saadaleyev, who has been on the first place in the world several times in the past years, showed that he is still one of the serious contenders in this category by winning the European Championship title in 97 kg in 2026. Snyder is also considered one of the most dangerous competitors of this weight, with a history of world championship and Olympics.

Ahmad Tajaldinov, who became world famous by winning the world championship in 2023 and winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, is still one of the defining figures of this category. Of course, he has faced ups and downs on his way back to his best condition, and the pre-world competitions have shown that the contenders of this weight are not far from each other.

Along with these names, Arash Yoshida can also complicate the equations of this weight with his Asian championship and significant results in international competitions. Aitmokhan, Matcharashvili and Tsakalov are among the wrestlers whose chances should not be ignored.

Lottery; The first step of a difficult path

With such a combination, the draw of 97 kg will be very important. The position of the wrestlers in the rankings and the way they are seeded can determine which contenders will face each other in the early stages and which ones will have a smoother path to the final stages.

However, until the final draw is determined, it is not possible to speak with certainty about Yazdani's possible confrontation with Saadaleyev or Snyder in the first round or later stages. The initial list of participants may also change up to the time of the draw.

What is clear is the difficulty of the path to the championship in the weight of 97 kg. Numerous contenders and the presence of several great world and Olympic champions have caused that every fight can change the fate of the table and even a small mistake can take away the opportunity to reach the gold medal from one of the stars.

For Hasan Yazdani, the Astana competitions are not only an opportunity to return to the world stage; He has to compete in the new weight against a generation of champions and strong competitors and show that he can fight for the highest title in a different category. On the other hand, wrestling fans are waiting to see who will win Yazdani's confrontation with stars like Saadaleyev and Snyder in this weight.

In this way, the weight of 97 kg before the start of the competition has also become one of the most attractive parts of the world competitions; Where big names abound, but only one wrestler can stand on the podium at the end.