# Wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 96 kg

The men's freestyle 96 kilograms at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Ano Liosia Olympic Hall, August 28 to August 29.
The competition held with an elimination system of three or four wrestlers in each pool, with the winners qualify for the quarterfinals, semifinals and final by way of direct elimination.
Future two division UFC champion Daniel Cormier competed in the tournament, finishing fourth.

## Schedule

All times are Eastern European Summer Time (UTC+03:00)
| Date | Time | Event |
| 28 August 2004 | 09:30 | Round 1 |
| 28 August 2004 | 09:30 | Round 2 |
| 28 August 2004 | 17:30 | Round 3 |
| 29 August 2004 | 09:30 | Qualification |
| 29 August 2004 | 09:30 | Semifinals |
| 29 August 2004 | 14:00 | Finals |

## Results
### Legend

* F — Won by fall

### Elimination pools
#### Pool 1

| Pos | Athlete | Pld | W | L | CP | TP | Qualification |
| 1 | Wang Yuanyuan (CHN) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Knockout round |
| 2 | Peter Pecha (SVK) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| 3 | Alexandros Laliotis (GRE) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | |
* 1 2 3 Tied on the number of wins by fall and superiority. Technical points were used to determine the last place. Wang and Pecha were ranked by their head-to-head result: CHN 3–1 SVK.
| | Score | | CP |
| Wang Yuanyuan (CHN) | 2–3 | Alexandros Laliotis (GRE) | 1–3 PP |
| Peter Pecha (SVK) | 1–3 | Wang Yuanyuan (CHN) | 1–3 PP |
| Alexandros Laliotis (GRE) | 1–4 | Peter Pecha (SVK) | 1–3 PP |

#### Pool 2

| Pos | Athlete | Pld | W | L | CP | TP | Qualification |
| 1 | Magomed Ibragimov (UZB) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 7 | Knockout round |
| 2 | Aleksey Krupnyakov (KGZ) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | |
| 3 | Krasimir Kochev (BUL) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | |
| | Score | | CP |
| Aleksey Krupnyakov (KGZ) | 0–3 | Magomed Ibragimov (UZB) | 0–3 PO |
| Krasimir Kochev (BUL) | 2–3 | Aleksey Krupnyakov (KGZ) | 1–3 PP |
| Magomed Ibragimov (UZB) | 4–0 | Krasimir Kochev (BUL) | 3–0 PO |

#### Pool 3

| Pos | Athlete | Pld | W | L | CP | TP | Qualification |
| 1 | Rustam Aghayev (AZE) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 18 | Knockout round |
| 2 | Islam Bayramukov (KAZ) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | |
| 3 | Nico Jacobs (NAM) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| | Score | | CP |
| Rustam Aghayev (AZE) | 7–2 | Islam Bayramukov (KAZ) | 3–1 PP |
| Nico Jacobs (NAM) | 0–11 | Rustam Aghayev (AZE) | 0–4 ST |
| Islam Bayramukov (KAZ) | 7–1 | Nico Jacobs (NAM) | 3–1 PP |

#### Pool 4

| Pos | Athlete | Pld | W | L | CP | TP | Qualification |
| 1 | Alireza Heidari (IRI) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 13 | Knockout round |
| 2 | Eldar Kurtanidze (GEO) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | |
| 3 | Antoine Jaoude (BRA) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| | Score | | CP |
| Eldar Kurtanidze (GEO) | 2–3 | Alireza Heidari (IRI) | 1–3 PP |
| Antoine Jaoude (BRA) | 0–6 Fall | Eldar Kurtanidze (GEO) | 0–4 TO |
| Alireza Heidari (IRI) | 10–0 | Antoine Jaoude (BRA) | 4–0 ST |

#### Pool 5

| Pos | Athlete | Pld | W | L | CP | TP | Qualification |
| 1 | Khadzhimurat Gatsalov (RUS) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 6 | Knockout round |
| 2 | Vadim Tasoyev (UKR) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | |
| 3 | Rolf Scherrer (SUI) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| | Score | | CP |
| Rolf Scherrer (SUI) | 1–6 | Vadim Tasoyev (UKR) | 1–3 PP |
| Khadzhimurat Gatsalov (RUS) | 3–1 | Rolf Scherrer (SUI) | 3–1 PP |
| Vadim Tasoyev (UKR) | 0–3 | Khadzhimurat Gatsalov (RUS) | 0–3 PO |

#### Pool 6

| Pos | Athlete | Pld | W | L | CP | TP | Qualification |
| 1 | Aleksandr Shemarov (BLR) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 8 | Knockout round |
| 2 | Fatih Çakıroğlu (TUR) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| 3 | Tüvshintöriin Enkhtuyaa (MGL) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| | Score | | CP |
| Fatih Çakıroğlu (TUR) | 4–0 Fall | Tüvshintöriin Enkhtuyaa (MGL) | 4–0 TO |
| Aleksandr Shemarov (BLR) | 3–1 | Fatih Çakıroğlu (TUR) | 3–1 PP |
| Tüvshintöriin Enkhtuyaa (MGL) | 0–5 | Aleksandr Shemarov (BLR) | 0–3 PO |

#### Pool 7

| Pos | Athlete | Pld | W | L | CP | TP | Qualification |
| 1 | Daniel Cormier (USA) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 19 | Knockout round |
| 2 | Bartłomiej Bartnicki (POL) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| 3 | Radovan Valach (AUT) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| | Score | | CP |
| Radovan Valach (AUT) | 0–9 | Daniel Cormier (USA) | 0–3 PO |
| Bartłomiej Bartnicki (POL) | 4–1 | Radovan Valach (AUT) | 3–1 PP |
| Daniel Cormier (USA) | 10–1 | Bartłomiej Bartnicki (POL) | 3–1 PP |

### Knockout round

| Qualification | Qualification | Semifinals | Semifinals | Gold medal match | Gold medal match |
| Wang Yuanyuan (CHN) | 1 | | | | |
| Magomed Ibragimov (UZB) | 4 | Magomed Ibragimov (UZB) | 6 | | |
| Rustam Aghayev (AZE) | 0 | Alireza Heidari (IRI) | 4 | | |
| Alireza Heidari (IRI) | 5 | | | Magomed Ibragimov (UZB) | 1 |
| Khadzhimurat Gatsalov (RUS) | 3 | | | Khadzhimurat Gatsalov (RUS) | 4 |
| Aleksandr Shemarov (BLR) | 0 | Khadzhimurat Gatsalov (RUS) | 5 |
| | | Daniel Cormier (USA) | 0 |
| | | | | Bronze medal match | Bronze medal match |
| | | | | Alireza Heidari (IRI) | 3 |
| | | | | Daniel Cormier (USA) | 2 |
| Classification 5–6 | Classification 5–6 |
| Wang Yuanyuan (CHN) | 3 |
| Rustam Aghayev (AZE) | 3$^F$ |

## Final standing

| Rank | Athlete |
| | Khadzhimurat Gatsalov (RUS) |
| | Magomed Ibragimov (UZB) |
| | Alireza Heidari (IRI) |
| 4 | Daniel Cormier (USA) |
| 5 | Rustam Aghayev (AZE) |
| 6 | Wang Yuanyuan (CHN) |
| 7 | Aleksandr Shemarov (BLR) |
| 8 | Eldar Kurtanidze (GEO) |
| 9 | Fatih Çakıroğlu (TUR) |
| 10 | Islam Bayramukov (KAZ) |
| 11 | Bartłomiej Bartnicki (POL) |
| 12 | Peter Pecha (SVK) |
| 13 | Alexandros Laliotis (GRE) |
| 14 | Vadim Tasoyev (UKR) |
| 15 | Aleksey Krupnyakov (KGZ) |
| 16 | Rolf Scherrer (SUI) |
| 17 | Krasimir Kochev (BUL) |
| 18 | Nico Jacobs (NAM) |
| 19 | Radovan Valach (AUT) |
| 20 | Antoine Jaoude (BRA) |
| 21 | Tüvshintöriin Enkhtuyaa (MGL) |