Olympic Wrestling 2012: Breaking Down Freestyle's Top Contenders

It may not be one of the Olympics' most prominent events, but freestyle wrestling is certainly one of the most physically taxing sports set to take place in London. Freestyle wrestling has been a part of the Summer Olympic program since the third Olympics of the modern era in St. Louis back in 1904.

With that in mind, freestyle wrestling has a very rich history, and diehard fans of the Olympics will certainly keep a close eye on the action. There will be mini-tournaments held across seven weight classes in the men's competition and four weight classes for the women, so freestyle wrestling will account for more medals than most events in London.

Here are three of the top gold-medal contenders you should look out for in London, as there is a great chance that each of them will find his way onto the podium.

Artur Taymazov, Uzbekistan (Super Heavyweight)

Several Olympic veterans will be competing in London for another chance to earn gold, but none of them is as decorated as Artur Taymazov.

The super heavyweight contender from Uzbekistan has been a dominant force since he burst onto the scene by winning silver in Sydney in 2000 and has since won back-to-back gold medals in Athens and Beijing respectively.

Aside from that, Taymazov has won two world championships, three Asian Games golds and two Asian Championships golds. Taymazov is likely the greatest Olympian in the history of Uzbekistan, but now that he is 33 years old, it will be interesting to see if he can compete with and conquer his younger and more athletic opponents.

Taimuraz Tigiyev, Kazakhstan (Heavyweight)

Kazakhstan has a great track record of success when it comes to Olympic wrestling, and heavyweight Taimuraz Tigiyev may be the country's best hope for gold in the freestyle this year.

Tigiyev fell short in the gold-medal match in Beijing as he was defeated by Russian Shirvani Muradov. The reigning gold medalist failed to qualify for London, however, so Tigiyev is now the man to beat.

Tigiyev will have some stiff competition, however, as he will have to deal with both Giorgi Gogshelidze and Khetag Gazyumov, who split the bronze medal in 2008. The heavyweight division may be the most competitive of all the weight classes in London, so while Tigiyev is expected to win the gold, that doesn't necessarily mean he'll even medal.

Ramazan Sahin, Turkey (Lightweight)

The case of lightweight star Ramazan Sahin is an interesting one as he competes for Turkey despite being born in Russia. Sahin was born Ramzan Irbaikhanov, but he emigrated to Turkey in 2005 and changed his name to reflect the Turkish culture.

It didn't take Sahin long to become a national hero either, as he won the gold medal in Beijing by defeating Andriy Stadnik.

He won't have to deal with Stadnik again, but co-bronze-medal winners Sushil Kumar and Otar Tushishvili will have something to say about Sahin waltzing to a second consecutive gold medal. Sahin is likely at the end of his career at the age of 29 and probably won't receive another Olympic opportunity. With that said, I expect him to make the most of this chance to win another gold.

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