The World Championships are the first opportunity for nations to qualify their wrestlers for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Wrestlers who place in the top six will qualify their weight class and country for the Games. That's a big deal, so when evaluating the performance of Team USA remember that a trip to the medal round means that the Stars and Stripes will appear in the Olympics.
Here is a look at how likely Team USA is to place at the 2015 Wrestling World Championships.
59 kilos: Spenser Mango
Gold: 5 percent
Medal: 15 percent
The most athletic weight class in the tournament, 59 kilos in Greco-Roman is, on most occasions, a highlight-worthy weight class. While Mango has been a one-man reel in the United States he's struggled to find similar success at the international stage, failing to place for eight straight years at the World Championships and Olympic Games.
Still, Mango has had a productive 2015 competing in several international tournaments including a runner-up finish at the Grand Prix tournament in Szombathely. He's ranked No. 13 in the world, but to place he'd need to either find revenge against past opponents, or outmaneuver some of the world's best.
Top wrestlers: Hamid Soryan (Iran), Stepan Maryanyan (Russia), Shinobu Ota (Japan), Ivo Angelov (Bulgaria), Won Choi Yun (North Korea), Elman Mukhtarov (Azerbaijan) and Elmurat Tasmuradov (Uzbekistan)
66 kilos: Bryce Saddoris
Gold: 5 percent
Medal: 5 percent
Stepping into his second World team, Bryce Saddoris is hoping to keep up his recent improvements on the mat and find a World medal. While that is unlikely, there is reason to be optimistic about Saddoris' chance to qualify his weight class for the Olympic Games. The Naval Academy graduate will need to make the medal finals, which his hard-nosed, position-first style could help him achieve.
While Saddoris is a few seasons away from making a run at the gold medal, his runner-up performance at the World Military Championships and again at the Pan American Games signal that he's continuing to improve.
Top wrestlers: Davor Stefanek (Serbia), Adam Kurak (Russia), Hasan Aliyev (Azerbaijan), Ryu Han-Soo (Korea), Tamas Lorincz (Hungary)
71 kilos: Justin Lester
Gold: 10 percent
Medal: 40 percent
One of America's most-decorated Greco-Roman competitors, the 2015 World Championships will be Lester's seventh appearance at the World's in addition to an appearance at the 2012 Olympic Games.
There is plenty for Lester to be proud of in his career. He placed back-to-back years at the World Championships, earning bronze in 2006 and 2007, but he's yet to make it to the finals. In his last Olympic cycle, he's sure to leave it all on the mat.
Lester had a good showing in 2014 against eventual World bronze medalist Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan), dropping a 9-7 match, Chunayev has since catapulted to No.1 in the world and should Lester be able to duck the Azeri's headlocks in 2015 his chances of victory are vastly improved.
Lester has experience at the World Championships and buoyed by the home crowd anything is possible, though it's still a long way from 2007 bronze to 2015 gold.
Top wrestlers: Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan), Afshin Byabangard (Iran), Balint Korpasi (Hungary), Yunus Ozel (Turkey)
75 kilos: Andy Bisek
Gold: 5 percent
Medal: 30 percent
Andy Bisek with the American flag after winning a bronze at the 2014 Worlds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Part of that flight is Peter Bacsi (Hungary), who won gold late year at 80 kilos, but has looked to move down to 75 kilos to help his country earn an Olympic qualifying spot for Rio.
Bisek has has some success this season, earning a Pan-American gold, but faltered in Szombathely, losing first round and failing to place. He's tough on his feet and is constantly pushing the pace, and he's very strong in par terre. But without some major help in the bracket Bisek could have trouble finding the medal stand in 2015.
Top wrestlers: Hyeon-Woo Kim (Korea, Arsen Julfalakyan (Armenia), Roman Vlasov (Russia), Elvin Mursaliyev (Azerbaijan), Viktor Nemes (Serbia), Chingiz Labazanov (Russia)
80 kilos Patrick Martinez
Gold: 5 percent
Medal: 5 percent
Martinez has been on the move this season competing in several international events. His best finish is the a runner-up at the Bill Farrell Invitational and a fifth-place finish at the Grand Prix of Spain.
Young and hungry, Martinez may develop into a top competitor in years to come, but facing a field that includes World champions and placewinners, Martinez will have a tough time making it to the medal matches in Las Vegas.
Top wrestlers: Evgeni Saleev (Russia), Rafik Huseynov (Azerbaijan), Daniel Aleksandrov (Bulgaria), Viktor Sasunovski (Belarus), Selcuk Cebi (Turkey)
85 kilos: Jordan Holm
Gold: 10 percent
Medal: 60 percent
Ranked No. 13 in the world at a weight class without a dominant figure, Jordan Holm is America's best chance at a medal in 2015. He's agile, strong and confident at a weight that last year went to a wrestler with fewer than ten total offensive points.
Holm has had a stellar season at the international level, winning the Dave Schultz and the Hungarian Grand Prix in Szombathely -- a very big feather in his cap.
To get to the medal round Holm will need to limit the mistakes that cost him a run in 2014. But with a successful season in the books, he does seem ready to show the world he's prepared to be a contender in Rio.
Top wrestlers: Zhan Belenyuk (Ukraine), David Chakvetadze (Russia), Zhan Belenyuk (Ukraine), Habibollah Akhlaghi (Iran), Melonin Noumonvi (France), Viktor Lorincz (Hungary)
98 kilos: Caylor Williams
Gold: 5 percent
Medal: 5 percent
Much like Patrick Martinez, Caylor Williams is a young and talented wrestler who is still a few years from being developed enough to compete for a medal at the international level.
Williams earned a silver medal at the Dave Schultz, but has otherwise not placed at the international level. Williams is competing against a strong unit of wrestlers at 98 kilos, many of whom have only wrestled Greco-Roman. Williams will need to play catch-up and thought it's not outside the realm of possibility that he scares up a win in Las Vegas, it remains unlikely that he can sting enough together to get himself into the medal rounds.
Top wrestlers: Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia), Islam Magomedov (Russia), Ghasem Rezaei (Iran), Cenk Ildem (Turkey)
130 kilos: Robby Smith
Gold: 10 percent
Medal: 50 percent
With a wonderful front head lock and a frame built to sustain a beating, Robby Smith is positioning himself for a successful run at the 2015 World Championships.
Smith has competed three times in 2015 with a gold-medal performance at the Pan American Championships and a bronze at the Pan American Games highlighting his year on the mat. While the weight class is loaded with legends like Mijian Lopez and Riza Kayaalp, Smith might have room to maneuver himself into the medal rounds and scare up a bronze.
Top wrestlers: Riza Kayaalp (Turkey), Mijain Lopez Nunez (Cuba), Johan Magnus Euren (Sweden), Attila Guzel (Turkey), Mindaugas Mizgaitis (Lithuania)
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