Olympic Wrestling 2012: Breaking Down Favorites for Greco-Roman Gold

One of the biggest events of the Olympics every four years is the Greco-Roman Wrestling, which will be contested in seven different weight classes. 

This year's class of Greco-Roman wrestlers rivals any in recent Olympic history. It opens things up for a lot of variety over the course of the events, though it doesn't make it difficult to narrow down any favorites for a gold medal. 

Here is our handicapping of the Greco-Roman Wrestling, specifically looking at the favorites for the gold medals. . 

Rovshan Bayramov (55 KG)

It would make sense that Bayramov takes over as the favorite in this weight class in 2012. He was the runner-up in the 55 kg Greco-Roman Wrestling at the Beijing Games, and is just 25 years old coming into London. 

Li Shujin from China is an emerging star in this event and could present some problems to Bayramov if they are to meet, but I still give Bayramov the advantage because of his experience on this stage. 

Omid Norouzi (60 KG)

Though he is not a household name quite yet, Norouzi could end up being one of the breakout stars in this year's Olympic Games. This is his first real test on this kind of stage, so he has to prove that he can handle the pressure. 

On sheer talent and results leading up to London, Norouzi is well on his way to becoming a star in the Greco-Roman Wrestling world. He has taken gold medals at the 2010 Asian Games and 2011 World Wrestling Championships. 

If you want to see Greco-Roman Wrestling at its finest, keep an eye on Norouzi in London. 

Roman Vlasov (74 KG)

One of the youngest participants in the 74 KG weight class at 21 years old, Vlasov is starting to find himself as an elite Greco-Roman Wrestler. Given his relative youth, he has to contain his emotions early in order to get to the finals. 

For me, I see an athlete coming into his own and really look forward to seeing everything that he is capable of doing in London. Coming off a gold medal-winning performance at the 2011 World Championships, Vlasov is going to make a lot of noise in London. 

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