World Olympic Games Qualifier Istanbul-Wrestling Men's 65kg preview: Zain Retherford to headline the battle for Paris Olympics 2024

The World Olympic Games Qualifier for wrestling is slated to take place in Istanbul, Turkey between the 9th and 12th of May. The event provides athletes with an important opportunity to earn a ticket to Paris to represent their country, and competitive spirits are bound to run high.

One particularly interesting draw will be the men’s 65kg freestyle, where America’s star Zain Retherford will headline the challenge as wrestlers try to book a quota for the Olympic Games. The 28-year-old has already been crowned champion at the U.S. Olympic team trials, and a top-three finish in Turkey will assure him of his Olympic debut.

Standing in his way are the likes of Moldova's Maxim Sacultan, Swiss star Nino Leutert, Tajikistan's Abdulmazhid Kudiev and Frenchmen Khamzat Timourovitch Arsamerzouev.

27-year-old Sacultan finished fifth at the 2023 World Championships and had proven to be a double-edged sword capable of pulling off upsets. 25-year-old Nino Leutert has had a strong 2024, which has seen him finish with a silver at the senior European Olympic Games Qualifiers.

Abdulmazhid Kudiev was an easy favorite to clinch a quota for the Games at the senior Asian Olympic Games Qualifier but an early exit there means the youngster will be hungry for a better outing in Turkey.

France's 22-year-old Khamzat Timourovitch Arsamerzouev might also be a slight obstacle for Zain Retherford at the World Olympic Games Qualifier, with the youngster having proven his mettle multiple times this season.

World Olympic Games Qualifier Istanbul-Wrestling: Full 65kg Schedule

While the World Olympic Games Qualifier is scheduled to begin on the 9th, the 65kg freestyle action will take place starting on Saturday, the 11th of May. The winners of the semifinals on the same day will book a berth in Paris. Additionally, losers will get another chance to qualify for the Games, by winning the 3rd vs 3rd match on Sunday.

Here is the full schedule for the World Olympic Games Qualifier:

Saturday

10:00 AM - 15:00 PM: Preliminary Rounds

18:00 PM - 20:30 PM: Semifinals (Olympic Qualification Round 1)

Sunday

16:00 PM - 16:45 PM: Repechage

17:00 PM - 17:45 PM: Bronze Medal match

18:00 PM - 19:00 PM: 3rd vs 3rd (Olympic Qualification Round 2

World Olympic Games Qualifier Istanbul-Wrestling: Full list of participants

Niurgun Skriabim (Individual Neutral Athlete),

Islam Dudaev (Albania),

Josh Failauga (American Samoa),

Shannon Geran Hanna II (Bahamas),

Ayub Muratovitch Musaev (Belgium),

Alibeg Saigidgusein M Alibegob (Bahrain),

Mikyay Salim Naim (Bulgaria),

Lachlan Maurice Mcneil (Canada),

Shaohua Yuan (China),

Anthony Sterling Wesleh (Cape Verde),

Joshua Alexander Kramer (Ecuador),

Junjun Asebias (Micronesia),

Gibriel Chow (Gambia),

Andre Clarke (Germany),

Tsz Hei Heung (Hong Kong),

Sujeet (India),

Adlan Askarov (Kazakhstan),

Davies Ochieng Oriwa (Kenya),

Junsik Yun (Korea),

Tulga Tumur Ochir (Mongolia),

Besir Alili (North Macedonia),

Lowe Bingham (Nauru),

Muhammad Abdulllah (Pakistan),

Abdullah S F Assaf (Palestine),

Cristian Etpison Nicolescu (Palau),

Krzysztof Bienkowski (Poland),

Kwang Jin Kim (Dpr Korea),

Stefan Ionut Coman (Romania),

Sahid Tejan Kargbo (Sierra Leone),

Jelaletdin Seyidov (Turkmenistan),

Ahmet Duman (Turkiye),

Erik Arushanian (Ukraine),

Zain Allen Retherford (United States),

Umidjon Jalolob (Uzbekistan),

Ibrahim Abdullah Guzan (Yemen),

Maxim Sacultan (Moldova),

Nino Leutert (Switzerland),

Abdulmazhid Kudiev (Tajikistan),

Khamzat Timourovitch Arsamerzouev (France)