ATHENS -- Daniel Igali's quest to defend his gold medal starts today. If he is to repeat the type of emotional victory ceremony with which he punctuated the Sydney Games, he'll have to overcome nagging injuries as well as heavier opponents.

To make room for the women's competition, his 69-kg weight category was eliminated by the IOC, forcing Igali to wrestle in the 74-kg class -- a task he'll face despite back and rib injuries that have plagued him since his neck surgery last year.

"There are a few lingering injuries still out there but, from my perspective, things are coming together at the right time," said coach Dave McKay, whose team trained in nearby Thessaloniki the past 10 days.

"The key is mental -- how you're dealing with it."

Igali has overcome tremendous odds to return to the Olympics despite a year in which he often contemplated turning down the opportunity if he felt he wasn't able to give his best for his adopted country.

"I know I want to do more than just compete -- I want to win a medal," said Igali, who opens against Asian champ Yusup Abdusalomov of Tajikistan.

Also wrestling today is Montreal's 33-year-old Guivi Sissaouri (60 kg), who won silver in Atlanta eight years ago.

He'll have to beat European champ Tevlik Odabasi if he is to challenge for another medal.

"We're fortunate we have two world champions on our men's side," said McKay, who watched as Ottawa's Evan MacDonald lost both his matches and was eliminated in the 66-kg class yesterday.

"We're trying to find positives and momentum and our experience is something we can definitely draw on."

Days after Igali lost out to four high-profile athletes to be on the IOC's Athlete Council, he was named to the Canadian Olympic Committee's equivalent yesterday alongside Nicolas Gill, Iain Brambell, Anne Montminy, David Ford and Sherraine MacKay.