Light-Heavyweight, Greco-Roman (≤90 kg), Men

This class would be discontinued after 1996, as the International Wrestling Federation (FILA) shuffled weight limits to decrease the number of weight classes, as mandated by the IOC. The favorite in this class was Russian Gogi Koguashvili, of Georgian ethnicity, who had won the bronze medal in Barcelona and won World titles in 1993-94 and European titles in 1995-96. Koguashvili was drawn against Turk Hakkı Başar, 1995 World Champion, in round one, however, and lost 6-1, eliminating him from gold medal contention. That left the event wide open and allowed Ukrainian V’iacheslav Oliynyk to advance to the final, after he defeated Başar in the semi-finals. Oliynyk was the 1994 European Champion and had been runner-up at the 1994 Worlds, but was 30-years-old in 1996 and even his wife considered him too old to contend for medals. In the final he met Jacek Fafiński of Poland, who had finished eighth at the recent Europeans and in his career, would stand on one international podium – this one. Oliynyk had no difficulty winning the gold medal, defeating Fafiński 6-0 in the final.