Olympic Wrestling 2012: Grudge Matches Looming for Top US Wrestlers

The United States wrestling team will take the largest contingent into London for the 2012 Olympics. While Russia is the favorite to lead in total medal count, the American team has several strong competitors.

Team USA will attempt to improve on their three medals in 2008 (one gold, two bronze). The women alone have an outside chance to secure that many.

I project the U.S. will win at least seven medals, although likely just one gold. Sports Illustrated projects the U.S. winning eight medals in London, including one gold and one silver.

With an outside, but feasible shot at nine medals, the U.S. will have to respond in at least a few of the following five grudge matches.

Women's 48 KG: Clarissa Chun vs. Mariya Stadnyk, Azerbaijan

Clarissa Chun had an opportunity to win a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics, but lost to Ukrainian Iryna Merleni. The other bronze match went to Mariya Stadnyk from Azerbaijan.

The two have been a part of the medals picture in the 48 kg class since, each posting a World Championship.

They met at the 2011 World Championships and Stadnyk won the match 3-1, 3-0 and went on to take the silver medal.

Chun and Stadnyk are favored to take home bronze medals in London. The gold medal favorite is Carol Huynh, Canada with Japan's Hitomi Obara expected to win silver.

Their 2011 World Championship quarterfinals match can be seen here, via flowrestling.com.

Greco-Roman 66 Kg: Justin Lester vs. Mulens Herrera, Cuba

Justin Lester looked as though he'd be a favorite in the 2008 Olympics, coming off medal performances in the 2006 and 2007 world championships.

Then the unthinkable happened. He lost in the U.S. Olympic trials...to 18-year-old Jake Deitchler. 

Lester was looking to get back on track in 2011 and cruised to the semifinals, where he lost (4-0, 4-0) to Manuchar Tskhadaia (Georgia). 

The bronze medal match led to a surprising 1-0, 1-0 loss to Cuba's Mulens Herrera, who will be one of the favorites in London.

Aside from Herrera keping Lester from securing a medal, but it was a match Lester could have one. He will be looking for paybacks should they meet in London.

They will both be looking to avoid Saeid Mourad Abdvali of Iran early in the competition. He is the two-time reigning World Champion and won the 2010 Asia Games.

Freestyle 96 Kg: Jake Varner vs. Serhat Balcı, Turkey

Jake Varner is a two-time NCAA champion (2009, 2010) and has been working on his transition to international freestyle wrestling. He has one goal in mind in London, and that is to win the gold medal.

To do so he may just have to avenge his only loss at the 2011 World Championships. Serhat Balcı beat him 1-0, 1-0 in the quarterfinals and went on to grab silver.

Varner responded in his bronze medal match with a 0-3, 3-2, 3-1 win over Kazakhstan's Taimuraz Tigiyev.

In a phone interview with the The Bakersfield Californian, Varner stated "I won't rest till I get that gold medal. Everybody gets excited when they become an Olympian, but that's not the ultimate goal."

Varner will have stiff competition, but is a favorite to at least medal in London.

Elena Pirozhkova vs. Kaori Icho, Japan

Prior to losing her bronze medal match at the 2011 World Championships, Elena Pirozhkova wrestled Kaori Icho in the semifinals. This was a rematch of the 2010 World Championships.

Icho won both matches, and goes to London as the heavy favorite to defend her 2004 and 2008 Olympic gold medals. Icho adds seven World Championships to her two Olympic titles.

However, Pirozhkova has been closing the gap. The 25-year-old from Massachusetts dropped the 2011 match 3-0, 3-0 after losing 1-1, 0-6 in 2010 to the 28-year-old from Japan.

The odds are certainly stacked against Pirozhkova, but a win over Icho would be a huge victory and would likely propel her to a medal.

Freestyle 74 Kg: Jordan Burroughs vs. Sadegh Goudarzi, Iran

It may be a bit of a stretch to call any match containing Jordan Burroughs a grudge match. However, he is the top American wrestler and he could very well face a repeat of the 2011 World Championships title match to win gold in London.

He beat Sadegh Goudarzi 3-2, 4-1 to take gold, and did it on the heels of winning an NCAA championship.

Goudarzi may want another shot at Burroughs, but to win gold in London he may have to do something that hasn't happened since 2009...beat Burroughs.

the Sicklerville, N.J. native is 27-0 in international freestyle competition and was undefeated for the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 2008/09. But he injured his knee in the first round of a match in 2009. He lost by one point in overtime, but his season was over.

He rebounded with another undefeated season and has been untouchable on the international mat.