James Hackney
Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole will be headed to Albania to represent the United States at the U23 World Wrestling Championships at 74kg starting Monday, October 23rd. A 2021 Junior World Champ, O’Toole earned a spot on the team after finishing 3rd at the US Open. The United States has not had a medalist at 74kg at U23’s since the tournament started in 2017.
74kg has been one of the toughest weights at every level worldwide. At the 2021 Junior Worlds O’Toole took out Turan Bayramov of Azerbaijan who placed 5th at this year’s Senior Worlds. Bayramov isn’t here, but Azerbaijan is sending an equally strong wrestler in Dzhabrail Gadzhiev who was the 2022 U20 Champ, 2021 Runner-Up, and 2019 Cadet World Champ. In 2023 he was runner up at a Ranking Series tournament, 3rd at the Zagreb Open, and 8th at the Senior European Championships.
There is also Mohammad Firouzpour of Iran, who is the returning U23 champ, won silver in 2021, and took out Jason Nolf at the World Cup last year. Imam Ganishov is representing Russia, who’s being listed as AIN. Russia was suspended due to the war, but still allowed to send athletes. Ganishov won a bronze medal at the Cadet World Championships in 2022.
Other strong contenders include Vasile Diacon of Moldova, who competed at Senior Worlds after placing 3rd at the Senior European Championships and was 3rd at 2022 U23’s. Giorgi Gogrichiani of Georgia, who was 3rd at U20 Worlds this year and runner up at Cadet Worlds in 2021.
O’Toole consistently shows an ability to “level up” after taking losses, and I think that his loss to Jason Nolf at the US Open will show that again. With the Olympics coming in 2024, I think O’Toole has the opportunity to remind the United States, and the World that he is a threat at 74kg.
