Wrestling at the 1990 Goodwill Games

Freestyle wrestling was part of the 1990 Goodwill Games program. The freestyle wrestling tournament was a team championship (but the wrestlers won individual gold, silver and bronze medals)[1]

A total of 82 wrestlers from 8 nations[2] competed at the 1990 Goodwill Games:

• Bulgaria (10);
• Canada (10);
• Japan (10);
• Mongolian People's Republic (10);
• South Korea (10);
• Soviet Union (10);
• Turkey (10);
• United States (12).

According to the results of the 1988 Olympic Games, the following countries became the world's best centers for the development of freestyle wrestling: USSR, South Korea, Japan, USA and Bulgaria.

The USSR national freestyle wrestling team included the following players: 1. Gnel Medzhlumyan, 48 kg; 2. Zambalov Sergey, 52 kg; 3. Ruslan Karaev, 57 kg; 4. Stepan Sarkisyan, 62 kg; 5. Arsen Fadzaev,[2] 68 kg; 6. Adlan Varayev, 74 kg; 7. Elmadi Zhabrailov, 82 kg; 8. Makharbek Khadartsev, 90 kg; 9. Andrei Golovko, 100 kg; 10. David Gobejishvili, 100 + kg.[3]

The South Korean national freestyle wrestling team included the following players: 1. Kim Jong-Shin,[2] 48 kg; 2. Kim Sun-Hak, 52 kg; 3. Kim Jong-Oh, 57 kg; 4. Shin Sang-Kyu, 62 kg; 5. Park Jang-soon, 68 kg; 6. Park Young-Jin, 74 kg; 7. Lee Dong-Woo, 82 kg; 8. Oh Hyo-Chul, 90 kg; 9. Kim Tae-woo (wrestler), 100 kg; 10. Jo Byung-eun, 100 + kg.[3]

The Japan national freestyle wrestling team included the following players: 1. Hirano Takayoshi, 48 kg; 2. Hideo Sasayama, 52 kg; 3. Toshio Asakura, 57 kg; 4. Takumi Adachi, 62 kg; 5. Kosei Akaishi, 68 kg; 6. Yoshihiko Hara, 74 kg; 7. Kikuchi Takashi, 82 kg; 8. Akaishi Akeo, 90 kg; 9. Manabu Nakanishi, 100 kg; 10. Tamon Honda, 100 + kg.[3]

The USA national freestyle wrestling team included the following players: 1. Cory Baze, 48 kg; 2. Zeke Jones, 52 kg; 3. Joe Melchiore,[4] 57 kg; 4. John Smith, 62 kg; 5. Nate Carr, 68 kg; 6. Rob Koll, 74 kg; 7. Royce Alger, Kenny Monday,[2] 82 kg; 8. James Scherr, 90 kg; 9. Kirk Trost, William Scherr,[5] 100 kg; 10. Bruce Baumgartner, 100 + kg.[3]

The Bulgarian national freestyle wrestling team included the following players: 1. Chetov Azet, 48 kg; 2. Valentin Yordanov, 52 kg; 3. Topolov Dimitar, 57 kg; 4. Yankov Vladimir, 62 kg; 5. Petovski Aleksander, 68 kg; 6. Rahmat Sofiadi, 74 kg; 7. Markov Dimitar, 82 kg; 8. Rusev Dragia, 90 kg; 9. Makedonov Petio, 100 kg; 10. Kiril Barbutov, 100 + kg.[3]

The national teams were divided into two groups:[6]

• Group A: USSR, South Korea, Mongolian People's Republic and Canada;
• Group B: Japan, USA, Bulgaria and Turkey.

Final round:[3]

• Japan vs Canada – Edgelow Gregory, Adachi Takumi and Kosei Akaishi won the bronze medal. The world champion Toshio Asakura won by points, but was left without a medal (he lost in his group B);
• Turkey vs Mongolian People's Republic – Khaltmaagiin Battuul won the gold medal in the men's freestyle 57 kg;
• USSR vs Bulgaria[5] – the world champion Valentin Yordanov won the gold medal in the men's freestyle 52 kg;
• South Korea vs USA – Nate Carr[7] won the gold medal in the men's freestyle 68 kg;[5]
• South Korea vs Bulgaria – Park Young-Jin won the gold medal in the men's freestyle 74 kg;
• USSR vs USA[5] – John Smith and Makharbek Khadartsev twice won gold medals of the Goodwill Games.
• USSR vs Turkey (individual match) - Elmadi Zhabrailov won the gold medal in the men's freestyle 82 kg.[1]

The winners of Groups A and B wrestled among themselves for gold and silver medals. They retained the medals even after losing further meetings

Top - upset of the 1990 Goodwill Games wrestling tournament: Chris Wilson (Canada) defeated Arsen Fadzaev (USSR) in the men's freestyle 68 kg.[8]