Yianni Diakomihalis at the 2021 World Team Trials(Photo/Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com)In a weight headlined by young talent, the trio of #3 Zagir Shakhiev (RWF), #6 Vazgen Tevanyan (ARM) and #18 Yianni Diakomihalis (USA) will all look to earn their first senior world medal. Factor in 2018 U-23 world runner-up Ali Rahimzade (AZE) and Belarusian stalwart 2020 European runner-up Nyurgun Skryabin (BLR) and you've got a great bracket.
Title Contenders
#3 Zagir Shakhiev (RWF) has been on an absolute tear through one of the deepest weight classes in Russia off the strength of a bronze medal and silver medal at the 2020 and 2021 Russian Nationals championships. Wins over World/Olympic medalists the likes of Soslan Ramonov (RWF) and #8 Akhmed Chakaev (RWF) along with elites in #3 (70) Kurban Shiraev (RWF), #10 Abdulmazhid Kudiev (RWF) and Julian Gergenov (RWF) have made Shakhiev's debut at the world championships one of the most highly anticipated among the whole tournament.
#6 Vazgen Tevanyan (ARM) had a career best placement of bronze at the 2018 60 KG Junior world championships before the end of 2020 at the Individual World Cup. While there, Tevanyan notched the biggest upset of his career over returning world bronze medalist #11 Ismail Musukaev (HUN) and following it up by qualifying for the Olympics by taking gold at the European Qualifier with wins over past World/Olympic medalists #4 Haji Aliyev (AZE), #6 (70) Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (POL) and Vladimir Khinchegashvili (GEO). While Tevanyan did lose first round in Tokyo to returning world champion #2 Gadzhimurad Rashidov (RWF), the young Armenian should still very much be considered a foremost title threat.
#18 Yianni Diakomihalis (USA) has been one of the biggest prospects at 65 KG since his breakthrough performance in 2019 that saw him unseat then top ranked four time World/Olympic medalist #5 Bajrang Punia (IND) and #11 Ismail Musukaev (HUN) before getting his chance to qualify to compete at the world championships in Nursultan. In an extremely controversial and poorly handled qualification process, Diakomihalis was passed over and 2017 world rep Zain Retherford (USA) was selected over him. Diakomihalis has come back this year with a vengeance taking gold at the Ziolkowski and U.S. World team trials and expanding upon his impressive offense and highly layered, scramble centric defense that put him on the map in 2019.
Medal Contenders
Nyurgun Skryabin (BLR) is a seasoned vet who's finished strong this quad with a runner-up finish at the 2020 European championships and bronze this year at the Medved with wins over #8 Akhmed Chakaev (RWF), #11 Ismail Musukaev (HUN) and Ali Rahimzade (AZE) to bolster his career.
Ali Rahimzade (AZE) has long been a bright spot on Azerbaijan's team at 65 and seen as the successor to Olympic runner-up #4 Haji Aliyev (AZE) and while he's got great wins over 2012 Olympic champion Dzhamal Otarsultanov (RWF) and #7 Ernazar Akhmataliev (KGZ), Rahimzade will be out gunned in this field against Shakhiev and Diakomihalis who both have wins over him and Tevanyan won't give the highly physical, lunging underhook heavy style of Rahimzade much room to breathe.
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