The American, the only reigning Olympic champion at the summit of this month’s rankings, bagged his third international title of the year at the German Grand Prix earlier this month to cement his position at 74 kilograms.

The three-time world champion is targeting his second Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro, where wrestling competition is scheduled to take place from August 14 to 21 at at Hall 3 of the Olympic Training Center in Barra da Tijuca. 

World bronze medallist Aniuar Geduev of Russia continues to shadow Burroughs at number two as he has done throughout the year, while Iran’s Hassan Yazdani Charati, the world silver medallist at 70kg, has climbed to number four in the rankings after producing the top individual showing at last month’s World Cup meet.

Joining Burroughs as favourites heading into the Games are Georgia’s Vladimir Khinchegashvili and Russia’s Abdulrashid Sadulaev, both of whom have remained on top of their respective weight categories, 57kg and 86kg, since last September’s World Championships in Las Vegas.

London 2012 silver medallist Khinchegashvili, who won the European gold at 61kg in March, went undefeated at the Freestyle World Cup in his final warm-up before the Olympic Games.

At the European Championships, Khinchegashvili defeated two-time world champion Haji Aliev of Azerbaijan in the semi-finals.

Aliev has spent the last 10 months in first place at the non-Olympic category of 61kg, but is set to challenge for the gold medal in Rio at 57kg.

Sadulaev has been undefeated at middleweight since November 2013 and won world titles in 2014 and 2015.

This year, he rolled to victories at the European Under-23 Championships and the Ziolkowski Memorial in Poland.

Italy’s Frank Chamizo slipped to number two in the rankings at 65kg after a loss to 2014 world champion Soslan Ramonov of Russia in February, but regained top spot with a win at the European Championships.

The sixth world champion from 2015 to finish this cycle on top is Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov of Russia at 70kg.

Gazimagomedov was injured at the Yarygin Grand Prix in January, attempting to make a mark at 74kg, and has since spent much of the time recovering and preparing for future challenges at welterweight.

Poland’s Magomedmurad Gadzhiev of Poland, the European champion at 70kg, was reinstated as a qualifier for Rio 2016 earlier this month having been disqualified in April after questions arose about traces of meldonium in his sample from his continent’s qualifying tournament.