Russia and Georgia are set to bring their Caucasus war onto the mats as the Beijing Olympics wrestling competition starts on Tuesday.
And just like in the real world, the Russians are the acclaimed superpowers in the sport boasting six freestyle world champions, though both teams are more evenly matched with two top-ranked grapplers each in the classical discipline of Greco-Roman wrestling.
Amid the shadow of conflict at home, both Russian and Georgian athletes here have pledged to set aside politics and centuries of ethnic animosity and compete fairly; allaying fears the two federations could withdraw and recall their players home.
Russian world champion Aleksey Mishin heads for the defense of his 84kg Athens Olympics Greco-Roman title on Thursday knowing that the Georgian world number two Badri Khasaia is potentially his toughest opponent.
The wrestling draw is set for later Monday.
Georgian world champions David Bedinadze (60kg) and Ramaz Nozadze (96kg) also know the Russians will be among their toughest opponents in the Greco-Roman events.
Bedinadze goes into battle Tuesday and Nozadze heads for the mat on Thursday.
‘I think the wrestlers from Russia, China, Cuba and Iran will be very competitive,’ said 63kg freestyle wrestler Vitaly Koryakin of Tajikistan.
The Caucasus region and the Ural mountains are the spiritual home of the sport, and produce many of its best exponents.
Many of the Russian wrestlers here, including the 60kg freestyle world champion Mavlet Batirov, who won the 55kg Athens Olympics gold, are based in Vladikavkaz in the republic of North Ossetia, which borders the current flashpoint of South Ossetia, a rebellious Georgian region.
The men's freestyle matches begin on 19 August, while the women’s freestyle competition starts on 16 August.
‘Where life's a lot tougher, you find that wrestling is a tough person’s sport,’ Australia's wrestling coach Len Zaslavsky said.
‘So generally, the tougher the life the better the wrestlers,’ added Zaslavsky, who has been working with Kyla Bremner, the first female wrestler to represent Australia at the Olympics.
Egypt, one of the other prominent nations in the sport, is also sending their first ever female wrestler, Haiat Youssef. The 21-year-old tipped wrestlers from Russia, Canada, Germany and China as her toughest opponents at 63kg.
In women's wrestling in general, Japan are the traditional powers winning two golds, one silver and one bronze when the women's event debuted at the Olympics in Athens.
However, the Chinese and the Americans are now real threats.
World champions Kaori Icho (63kg) and Saori Yoshida (55kg) of Japan are both here to defend their 63kg and 55kg Olympic titles respectively, with Kaori's little sister and fellow world champ Chicharu Icho also entered in the 48kg.
