Preview: Soryan, Bedinadze set to win wrestling golds

BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Olympic wrestling competition will start on Tuesday with men's Greco-Roman 55kg and 60kg gold medals at stake.

Iran's Hamid Soryan is favored to win the 55kg title while David Bedinadze of Georgia is likely to crown himself in 60kg category.

Soryan has been dominant in the 55kg class, winning the gold medal at the last three world championships. The Beijing Olympics will be his chance to truly put a stamp on his amazing career.

One of the top wrestlers pushing Soryan over the past few years has been Park Eun-chol of South Korea, who won two worlds silver and a bronze.

Other top contenders competing in Beijing are worlds silver medalist Rovshan Bayramov of Azerbaijan, bronze medalists Nazyr Mankiev of Russia and Serbian Kristijan Fris.

Jiao Huafeng, the Asian Games gold medalist, will represent host China in the 55kg category.

Bedinadze, who has been a world championships finalist in the past two years, winning gold in 2007 and silver in 2008, is the hottest favourite in the 60kg division.

The 34-year-old veteran, who has two Olympic gold medals under his belt, is seeking a gold treble in Beijing.

But South Korea's Jung Ji-hyung, the winner in Athens 2004, won't give him a plain sailing, and Cuba's Roberto Monzon also hopes to improve his Athens runner-up finish.