The 125kg weight class at the Olympic games will be fairly interesting but there is also a good chance that we see almost an exact repeat of the podium from the world championships in Belgrade last year.
Iran’s Amir Zare just simply looks to be operating on another level right now, and since Tokyo if we are being honest with the only real blemish on his resume being his bronze medal finish at 2022 worlds.
Turkey’s Taha Akgul and Georgia’s Geno Petriashvili have been staples in this weight class for over a decade and this will most likely be the final cycle for Akgul at 33 years old and maybe the last for Petriashvili at 30 years old.
The United States’ Mason Parris is the biggest wildcard here. There is a slight chance he does not medal with guys like Munkhtur, and Khizriev but I would have to assume he does. Parris lost a close one to Petriashvili in the world semis last year 6-8 and was able to come back for bronze. He stunned Zare in the junior world finals all the way back in 2019 but it is very difficult to imagine something like that happening again, however he could very well see himself in the finals should the tournament go well.
The Field:
Amir Zare (Iran)
Taha Akgul (Turkey)
Geno Petriashvili (Georgia)
Mason Parris (United States)
Zelimkhan Khizriev (Russia)
Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur (Mongolia)
Zhiwei Deng (China)
Giorgi Meshvilidishvili (Azerbaijan)
Dzianis Khramiankou (Belarus)
Yusup Batirmurzaev (Kazakhstan)
Amar Dhesi (Canada)
Aiaal Lazarev (Krygyzstan)
Daniel Ligeti (Hungary)
Diaaeldin Abdelmottaleb (Egypt)
Jonovan Smith (Puerto Rico)
Ashton Mutuwa (Nigeria)
Amir Zare:
Zare has been among the best of the best since he won his first world title in 2021 at Oslo and he did it in the most convincing way possible defeating Taha Akgul and Geno Petriashvili on his path to gold.
At the 2022 world championships Taha Akgul would end up getting revenge over Zare and go on to win another gold himself and he would have to settle for bronze.
At the 2023 world championships last year it was right back to the top for Zare as he shut out Taha Akgul 4-0 and teched Geno Petriashvili on his way to a second world title.
Coming into the Paris Olympics at only 23 years old Zare remains the big favorite. At the last Olympics in Tokyo Zare had a nice lead against Geno Petriashvili in the semifinals but Geno was able to come back and win the match leaving Zare with a bronze medal.
Taha Akgul:‘
Possibly the final tournament of a legendary career for Akgul. 10x European champion, 3x world champion, and Olympic gold medalist. Taha Akgul has done it all in his career and there is no better way to end it off with a second Olympic gold.
Given recent results most would put Akgul at the number 2 spot in the world behind Zare but as we have seen a lot can happen very quickly to change things.
Akgul won’t come into this tournament as a favorite this go around but he should very well get on the podium again for the 3rd time.
Geno Petriashvili:
Just like Akgul, Geno Petriashvili has been a titan of the heavyweight weight class for over a decade winning his first world medal all the way back in 2013.
At 30 years old this may just be the final go around for him as well. So far Geno has amassed 3 world titles with 8 total medals, as well as 2 European titles with 10 total medals from the tournament.
There still remains one thing he has yet to accomplish in his career and that is winning Olympic gold. He won bronze back in Rio, and last cycle in Tokyo he came up just short to Gable Steveson and left with a silver medal.
He won’t be a favorite this go around but he should definitely be able to pick up a 3rd Olympic medal.
Mason Parris:
Parris is a big wildcard coming into the Olympics. He won bronze at the world championships in Belgrade last year with his only loss of the tournament coming to Geno Petriashvili 8-6 in the semifinals
There is always a chance should the seeds be favorable and Parris get a rematch with Geno in the semis who seems to be the best matchup for him style wise.
However the most likely scenario is Parris rounding out the podium in Paris as a bronze medalist.
