Light-Heavyweight, Freestyle (≤86 kg), Men

One of the major upsets in the light-heavyweight class took place at the US trials, when 2023 U-23 World champion Aaron Brooks overcame three-time World champion, and Tokyo gold medalist, David Taylor to represent the United States. Shortly afterwards, Taylor resigned from active competition.

In his first match at Paris, Brooks lived up to expectations, narrowly outscoring #1 seed and 2022 and 2023 World Championship bronze medalist Azamat Dauletbekov from Kazakhstan. In the next round, Brooks defeated the Japanese wrestler Hayato Ishiguro by superiority. Ishiguro was a multiple Japanese champion and former U-20 World champion, but never medaled at senior World championships. In the semi-final, however, Brooks fell to Bulgarian Magomed Ramazanov by 4-3 points. #5 seeded Ramazanov went on to win gold, dominating with a 7-1 points win over pre-tournament favorite Hassan Yazdani from Iran. One of the various wrestlers born in the Russian republic of Dagestan, Ramazanov represented Russia until 2021, winning silver at the 2020 European Championships. His first season wrestling for Bulgaria was in 2024, and Paris was his Olympic début.

Yazdani was one of the most experienced and successful wrestlers coming to Paris, with gold from the Rio Olympics in the 74 kg class, and silver in Tokyo in the 86 kg class. He added seven medals at World championships, including three golds in the 86 kg class. In Paris, he sailed through the first three rounds, with three clear victories on points outclassing, amongst others, the American-born Tokyo 2020 medalist Myles Amine, who was the #3 seed in the colors of San Marino, home of his great-grandparents. In the final, however, Yazdani was visibly handicapped by his aching right arm, which may have prevented him from winning a second Olympic gold. In the repêchage, Brooks managed to claim bronze, along with Dauren Kurugliyev, another medalist from Dagestan, who moved to Greece in 2023.