Emboldened Kawai knocks off Icho as Susaki shines again, Otoguro dealt stunning loss

Sunday, June 16, 2019 - 20:49 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (June 17)---For the past six months, Risako KAWAI was haunted by the memory. Not so much of her well-publicized loss to fellow Rio Olympic champion Kaori ICHO, but of how she lacked the courage to be more aggressive.

On Sunday, Kawai redeemed herself, and set up yet another showdown between the Japanese greats.

Kawai went on the attack throughout the women’s 57kg final and came away with a well-earned 6-4 victory over Icho at the All-Japan Invitational Championships, setting up a playoff between the two for a place on Japan’s team to the World Championships.

“Right after the match ended, I was really happy, but now I can look at it calmly,” Kawai said. “There’s another match I have to win, so I’ll be back at practice as soon as I get home.”

Among the other highlights in a thrilling final day of the four-day tournament known as the Meiji Cup, Yui SUSAKI kept alive her hopes of winning a third straight world gold by capturing the women’s 50kg title, while fellow world champion Takuto OTOGURO was dealt a stunning defeat in the freestyle 65kg final.

Their mixed fortunes mean that both Susaki and Otoguro will have to earn their tickets to the World Championships in Kazakhstan in September with victories in the playoffs for Olympic weight classes set for July 6.

Susaki was overjoyed to make the playoff, while Otoguro was understandably devastated that an extra hurdle was added to his path to Nur-Sultan 2019.

The Meiji Cup serves as the second of the two national tournaments for selection to the World Championships, along with the All-Japan Championships (Emperor’s Cup) in December. Winners of both tournaments automatically made the world team; different winners means a playoff to decide who gets the berth.

As the Japan federation also decreed that a medal at this year’s World Championships would earn an automatic place at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the majority of top wrestlers funneled into the 18 Olympic divisions. With medals likely in most of the women’s weight classes, the urgency to make the world team this year was palpable.

Kawai, the Rio gold medalist at 63kg and world champion at 59kg, moved down to 57kg, which put her in direct confrontation with Icho, who returned after a post-Rio hiatus in an attempt to capture an unprecedented fifth straight Olympic gold.

Icho got a leg up at the Emperor’s Cup when she scored a takedown with 10 seconds left to edge Kawai 3-2 in the final. That came a day after Kawai won 2-1 in a preliminary round-robin group match that featured little action, but handed Icho her first loss to a Japanese opponent since 2001.

Risako KAWAI went on the attack throughout the women’s 57kg final and came away with a well-earned 6-4 victory over Kaori ICHO at the All-Japan Invitational Championships. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

With so much at stake this time, an emboldened Kawai was determined to muster the fortitude to be more aggressive.

“Six months ago in December, I didn’t have the courage to go on the attack,” said Kawai, who earned the Meiji Cup as the tournament MVP. “Since that time, I anguished less over the fact that I lost and more about why I didn’t wrestle the way I wanted to. The big issue was the mental aspect. I feel I’ve grown from that standpoint.”

Before a vocal crowd at Tokyo’s Komazawa Gym and a national TV audience, Kawai gained the lone point of the first period with Icho on the activity clock.

In the second period, Kawai came out firing, and after being stopped on one single-leg attempt, connected with another, which she immediately transitioned into an ankle roll for a 5-0 lead with two minutes to go.

Icho countered another takedown attempt and slipped behind for 2, then launched a rare attack of her own, which resulted in a step-out to cut the lead to 5-3 with 27 seconds left.

Icho put the pressure on and received a fleeing point with 2.5 seconds left, meaning she could win with a step-out. And she came close, bulldozing Kawai out, but not before time expired. An unsuccessful challenge gave Kawai her final point.

“In the first period, Kawai was superior, and that was a factor in my defeat,” Icho said. “I need to set the pace so that the match can go the way I want, and not lose because she was more determined.”

Kawai’s desire is fueled by the prospect of competing at the Olympics with younger sister Yukako, the world silver medalist at 62kg who clinched her world team berth on Saturday.

“My goal has never changed,” Kawai said. “I chose this path so that my sister and I can go to the Olympics together. This time, of course I wanted to win, but even stronger was my feeling that I didn’t want to have any regrets. I was determined to be aggressive and wrestle my style.”

Icho, who was dealt an eye-opening loss at the Asian Championships in April and had to settle for the bronze, remained stoic after the defeat, already putting it behind her and looking ahead.

“Looking ahead to the playoff, I’ll reflect on what went wrong today and make the necessary changes,” Icho said. “I don’t have time to feel depressed.”

Yui SUSAKI kept alive her hopes of winning a third straight world gold by capturing the women’s 50kg title against Rio 2016 champion Eri TOSAKA. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Susaki completes changing of lightweight guard

Susaki needed a miraculous, last-second win over Emperor’s Cup champion Yuki IRIE in the quarterfinals on Saturday to stay alive in the race to Nur-Sultan. In the final, she needed no such drama in her first meeting with Rio 2016 champion Eri TOSAKA.

Susaki blitzed her predecessor as world champion with a 10-0 technical fall victory in just 1:36 to mark a symbolic changing of the guard for lightweight supremacy.

“She was an athlete that I had always looked up to,” said Susaki, who will have a rematch with Irie in the world team playoff. “After the Rio Olympics, that changed to wanting to beat her.

“I was very happy that the timing was right that I could face her here. I wanted to firmly defeat her and complete the generational change. That strong feeling led to this victory.”

Susaki, who will turn 20 later this month, scored a quick takedown, then a second that she topped off with three consecutive ankle rolls for an 8-0 lead. The coup de grace came with a slick sweeping single leg and go-behind that ended the match.

“It was a total defeat, and a show of my current ability,” said a tearful Tosaka, who had foot surgery after the Rio Olympics. “This last month I felt good and I thought I was definitely ready. To lose like this is really disappointing.”

Otoguro, who had to overcome a knee problem in preparing for the tournament, looked shell-shocked after being decisively beaten in the 65kg final by world U23 champion Rei HIGUCHI, who muscled his way to a 15-5 technical fall in 5:23.

Otoguro missed the Asian Championships and World Cup due to his knee ailment and returned to practice only about a month ago. Depleted stamina appeared to affect him as Higuchi, who trailed 3-2 going into the second period, scored big points by fighting off Otoguro’s lift attempts as he tried to counter Higuchi’s deep tackles.

A 4-point move with 25 seconds left all but settled the matter as Higuchi, the Rio 2016 silver medalist at 57kg, avenged losses to Otoguro in the semifinals at the Emperor’s Cup and last year’s Meiji Cup final.

For Otoguro, who became at 19 years 10 months the youngest male world champion in Japanese wrestling history when he won the gold at Budapest 2018, it was his first loss to a Japanese opponent since his second year of junior high school.

Kenichiro FUMITA forged a 4-1 victory against Shinobu OTA in the 60kg finals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Fumita, Mukaida, Dosho earn world tickets

Kenichiro FUMITA, the 2017 world gold medalist, will get a chance to regain the world title after defeating long-time nemesis Shinobu OTA in the Greco-Roman 60kg final.

Fumita fought off Ota’s attempt at his patented front headlock roll while in the ground position, then was able to execute a gut wrench when it was his turn on top to forge a 4-1 victory.

That was a repeat of the Emperor’s Cup final, which Fumita won 7-2. Fumita now has a 6-4 lead in career meetings with Ota, the Rio 2016 silver medalist.

“It went as I imagined, in which neither of us were able to score on our feet,” Fumita said. “It would come down to the ground position. I didn’t know which one of us would be on bottom first, but I knew he would use the front headlock, and I knew I had to roll him at least once. For both of those points to happen made the match go as I wanted.”

Ota had a final chance to win when he forced Fumita to the edge. But Fumita walked a tightrope, then shrugged Ota past him to gain the step-out point.

Ota said that with Fumita having a good chance of medaling in Nur-Sultan, he would consider moving up to 67kg in a bid to make Tokyo 2020.

“Kenichiro will likely decide the matter, so I’ll have to regroup and go for 67kg,” Ota said. “I’m not saying the 67kg wrestler (Shogo Takahashi) won’t clinch a berth, but I think the possibility is higher for 60kg. We’ll see what happens.

“I haven’t given up on my goal of winning a gold at the Tokyo Olympics. I know that some things will have to change.”

There is still a path open for Ota to the World Championships. The Japan federation, wanting to ensure that top-level wrestlers are sent in the non-Olympic weights, announced that it will allow the runner-ups in the Olympic weights to enter the playoffs for the non-Olympic weights. Those playoffs are to be held July 21.

That means, for example, Ota could attempt to make the team at, say 63kg. And if Takahashi does not medal in Nur-Sultan, Ota could still challenge for the right to enter the Olympic qualifiers at 67kg by winning the Emperor’s Cup.

Asked if he would take such a path, Ota said he did not even know about it, but would certainly consider it. Of course, if Fumita doesn’t win a medal, then all bets are off and the competition at 60kg begins anew.

“This only earns me the right to go,” Fumita said. “This is not the final destination. There are many tough matches ahead. On the road to the Olympics, this is just a point along the way that I cleared, and that was my attitude in wanting to win the title.”

Mayu MUKAIDA defeated Haruna OKUNO, 2-1 in the 53kg finals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

In a high-profile final between reigning world champions, Mayu MUKAIDA clinched her place on the world team in the Olympic weight of 53kg with a tame 2-1 victory over that weight’s world champion, Haruna OKUNO.

Mukaida, the world gold medalist at 55kg, gave up a point on the activity clock before scoring what would prove the decisive takedown late in the first period. She then held on to defeat Shigakkan University teammate Okuno for the ninth time in nine career meetings.

In the women’s 68kg final, Masako FURUICHI learned the perils of not staying in defensive mode to protect a late lead when Rio Olympic champion Sara DOSHO stopped her late tackle attempt, then spun behind for a takedown with 11 seconds left and a nail-biting 4-3 victory.

With her sixth career title at the Meiji Cup and first since 2017, Dosho secured a ticket back to the World Championships, where she will aim to regain the throne she abdicated last year after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Meanwhile, the tournament ended on a somewhat positive note for Irie, as she bounced back from her shocking loss to Susaki by winning a bronze medal at 50kg with an 8-3 win over Miho IGARASHI.

Not only that, but simultaneously on the other mat, younger sister Nanami IRIE also secured a bronze medal with a victory by fall over Momoka KADOYA in a third-place playoff at 53kg.

“More than winning today, I wanted to work on fixing my mistakes,” Yuki said, adding that she did not sneak a peek over at Namami’s match.

The third and youngest Irie sister, Kumi, lost her bronze-medal match at 62kg on Saturday.

In the end, world team playoffs will be held in six Olympic weights barring injuries or other factors: freestyle 65kg, 74kg and 125kg; Greco-Roman 77kg; and women’s 50kg and 57kg.

Day 4 Results

Freestyle

65kg (11 entries)
Final - Rei HIGUCHI df. Takuto OTOGURO by TF, 15-5, 5:47
3rd Place - Yujiro UENO df. Koki SHIMIZU, 8-1
3rd Place - Takuma TANIYAMA df. Shoya SHIMAE, 4-2

70kg (8 entries)
Final - Haruki SENO df. Kojiro SHIGA, 5-3
3rd Place - Jin HARAGUCHI df. Yuta NAKAMURA, 4-3
3rd Place – Kengo MATSUDA df. Shinnosuke SUWAMA, 3-2

Greco-Roman

60kg (12 entries)
Final - Kenichiro FUMITA df. Shinobu OTA, 4-1
3rd Place - Hayanobu SHIMIZU df. Kiyoshi KAWAGUCHI by TF, 10-0, 1:50
3rd Place - Ayata SUZUKI df. Ryotaro SUZUKI by TF, 10-2, 5:51

72kg (12 entries)
Final - Nao KUSAKA df. Tomohiro INOUE by TF, 10-1, 3:24
3rd Place - Keisei SHIMABUKURO df. Naoki KAWABE by TF, 8-0, 0:47
3rd Place - Takuya TOMIZUKA df. Ryoma HOJO by TF, 9-0, 1:40

82kg (9 entries)
Final - Yuya OKAJIMA df. Satoki MUKAI by TF, 9-0, 3:27
3rd Place - Masao TANAKA df. Yudai SASAKI by TF, 11-3, 4:04
3rd Place – Yoji KAWAMURA df. Tatsuya FUJII, 7-5

Women’s Wrestling

50kg (12 entries)
Final - Yui SUSAKI df. Eri TOSAKA by TF, 10-0, 1:36
3rd Place - Yuki IRIE df. Miho IGARASHI, 8-3
3rd Place - Kika KAGATA df. Remina YOSHIMOTO, 5-2

53kg (11 entries)
Final - Mayu MUKAIDA df. Haruna OKUNO, 2-1
3rd Place - Ibuki TAMURA df. Yu MIYAHARA, 7-4
3rd Place - Nanami IRIE df. Momoka KADOYA by Fall, 2:31 (6-0)

57kg (7 entries)
Final - Risako KAWAI df. Kaori ICHO, 6-4
3rd Place - Sae NANJO df. Akie HANAI by TF, 10-0, 1:17

68kg (6 entries)
Final - Sara DOSHO df. Masako FURUICHI, 4-3
3rd Place - Rio WATARI df. Chiaki SEKI by Def.

Watari Makes Emotional–and Victorious–Comeback from Cancer at Meiji Cup

Saturday, June 16, 2018 - 16:37 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO, Japan (June 16) - Emotions were running high when Rio WATARI stepped back onto the mat for a tournament, two years after beginning and eventually winning a grueling fight against cancer.

The tears of joy and relief flowed freely when she walked off as a champion.

Watari capped her remarkable recovery from Hodgkin lymphoma, winning the women’s 68kg title at the All-Japan Invitational Championships in Tokyo to earn a place on Japan’s team to the world championships in Budapest.

Watari added even more drama to the moment by scoring a decisive step-out point with :06 left in the final against Chiaki SEKI, giving her a 3-2 victory and her first title in the tournament, known as the Meiji Cup, since 2014.

Watari’s winning point came on her fourth tackle attempt. Her three previous ones were all stopped, and the only points scored by either wrestler had come on the activity clock, with Watari’s second giving her a 2-1 lead with :32 left.

But Seki, who had previously wrestled under her maiden name IIJIMA, went ahead on last-point criteria when her lone tackle attempt of the match forced out Watari to tie it at 2-2 with :24 remaining.

Watari, having come this far, wasn’t going to be denied, and she responded to the delight of the loud contingent of supporters from her sponsor, Aisin AW, in the Komazawa Gym stands.

“I went for it with the strong feeling that I would definitely win and go with the other champions from Shigakkan to the world championships,” Watari said, referring to her alma mater, powerhouse Shigakkan University, which will fill much of the women’s team to Budapest with current and alumni wrestlers.

Watari needed just two matches to win the gold. In her opening match---her first since the Rio 2016 Olympics—she scored a solid 7-0 victory over Shigakkan’s Mai HAYAKAWA to advance to the final.

“In the first match, even getting over my nervousness, my body was trembling, so much that I didn’t feel like myself,” the 26-year-old Watari said. “I couldn’t calm down and felt anxious. I felt like I wouldn’t be able to win the title if I go on like this.

“In the final, I believed in what I had done up that point and was determined to win. I was able to take up the challenge in a relaxed mood.”

Rio WATARI, 68kg champion. (Photo by Sachiko Hotaka)

Prior to her illness, Watari had already made nationwide headlines when she qualified for Rio. What made her case so special was that, in her intense desire to win an Olympic medal, she went up two weight classes, from 63kg to 75kg. She reportedly gained 12 kgs by eating five meals a day.

Her lymphoma was diagnosed just before the Olympics, but she managed to compete anyway. She does not use the illness as an excuse for her disappointing one-point loss to Aline da Silva FERRIRA (BRA). After returning to Japan, her condition was made public and, as it worsened, she began chemotherapy and other treatment.

“At the Olympics, while I fought with the decision about whether or not to compete, I kept practicing and was able to participate,” Watari said. “After that, my life fighting the illness began. I was bedridden much of the time, and often felt dizzy while standing. With every passing day I wondered if I would ever be able to return to wrestling.”

From last September, she started walking, riding a bicycle and little by little getting the “body of a normal person.” After being limited to basic exercising, she returned to the wrestling room in January.

“If I take my condition before the Olympics as 100 percent, I’m still far away in terms of physical strength,” she said. “I still can’t go all out until the end of practice. I would put it at 50 percent.”

Watari made it directly onto the team to Budapest because world and Olympic gold medalist Sara DOSHO, the 68kg winner at the All-Japan Championships (called the Emperor’s Cup), suffered a shoulder injury at the Women’s World Cup in March that kept her out of the Meiji Cup.

The winners of the Emperor’s and Meiji Cups in each weight class, if different, will meet in a playoff on July 7 for berths on the team to Budapest, and Dosho will not be available for the playoff either.

For Watari, her remarkable comeback does not erase the sting of her defeat in Rio. During her post-match press conference, she broke down when asked about the support she received from her parents during her battle with cancer.

“I wasn’t able to win at the Olympics and bring back a medal to show them,” she said through tears, her way of saying that the best way she can repay them is to strike gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“It’s not yet the Olympics, so this doesn’t erase what happened in Rio,” she said. “I have to think about how far I can go at 68kg, and with the Olympic qualifying coming up, what weight class is best for me. This victory and making the world team becomes a good step toward the Olympics.”

Still, having gone through a deadly disease makes her more appreciative of the time she spends on the mat and allows her to bear the rigors necessary to achieve success.

“Right now, I’m having fun everyday in wrestling,” she said.

Shota TANOKURA secured his ticket to the world championships by winning the 55kg championship. (Photo by Sachiko Hotaka)

Asian champ Tanokura has eyes on world gold

In other action, Asian champion Shota TANOKURA put on his latest display of spectacular throws in storming to the Greco-Roman 55kg gold and securing his ticket to the world championships.

Tanokura followed up on his Emperor’s Cup triumph by posting two victories by technical fall before beating Shota OGAWA 7-0 in the final, gaining the bulk of his points with a front headlock throw.

It was Tanokura’s third Meiji Cup gold and first since 2015. He had retired after failing to make the Rio Olympics, with part of the reason being that he felt handicapped when the minimum weight class was raised to 59kg. He was soon overtaken by Olympic silver medalist Shinobu OTA and world champion Kenichiro FUMITA.

But the return of the 55kg weight class led to Tanokura’s return to the sport last year, although he continues to keep his job as a Tokyo high school physical education teacher.

His school obligations kept him from training as he would have preferred for the Meiji Cup, much to the chagrin of his coach.

“This tournament, after the Asian Championships [in Bishkek in February] and the final national camp, I honestly wasn’t able to train,” Tanokura said.

“Coach Shingo Matsumoto, a week before the tournament, said to me, ‘Dude, you’re not going to be able win like that.’ I was told I would have to go in with the mindset of a challenger, and that turned the switch on for me, even though it was a bit late.

Tanokura, a three-time Asian medalist, will get his first shot at a world medal, and has boosted his confidence by a second-place finish as the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov Tournament in Sofia in March.

“I competed once in Europe, and my impression is that Asian wrestlers are stronger than the Europeans in the lighter weights,” he said. “All that remains is to aim for the gold at the world championships.”

Yukako KAWAI, 62kg gold medalist. (Photo by Sachiko Hotaka)

Meanwhile, half of Japan’s top sister act all but secured her ticket to Budapest, as Yukako KAWAI captured the women’s 62kg title.

Kawai shed tears after her victory, but they were not of joy. She was dissatisfied by her performance in the final, in which she failed to score off an attacking move in posting a 4-1 win over Yurika ITO.

“I aimed for the title and I’m glad that I got it, but I couldn’t do anything I had practiced, so it’s very disappointing,” Kawai said. “I had worked on shooting for takedowns in practice, on responding to the opponent and consciously thinking not to get too high in my stance. I didn’t do the very basics.”

Kawai and older sister Risako KAWAI, a world and Olympic champion, have switched weight classes from the ones in which they won titles at the Emperor’s Cup. Risako has dropped from 62kg to 59kg.

That has set up what could be an interesting scenario. If Risako surprisingly fails to win the 59kg on the final day Sunday, it would ostensibly set up a playoff between the two for the 62kg berth. Yukako, however, said it won’t ever come to that.

“By winning at 59kg, there would be no playoff between us, so Risako said we should both win decisively and go to the world championships together.”

For Yukako, Budapest will give her a chance to make amends for last year’s world championships in Paris, where she failed to win a medal at 63kg. But to do that, she can’t repeat her performance from Saturday.

“The way I wrestled this time was no good,” she said. “At this point, I will lose right away like I did last year. I have to start over from the beginning.”

Yuhi FUJINAMI suffered a broken cheek bone and had to withdraw from the tournament. (Photo by Sachiko Hotaka)

Fujinami withdraws, puts fate into playoff

In a surprise, Yuhi FUJINAMI, a Paris 2017 bronze medalist at 70kg in freestyle, withdrew from the competition in the 74kg class, opting to put his fate on a return to the world championships on a playoff.

Fujinami suffered a broken cheek bone below his right eye when he was struck with an elbow during practice in early May. He wrestled in a pair of duel meets for Yamanashi Gakuin University, but protected the injury by not shooting for takedowns. He hopes to be fully recovered by the time of the playoff.

Fujinami told the press that he came to the decision on Sunday, in consultation with his family at the national junior high school championships as it was gathered in support of his younger sister Akari, who won a gold medal.

In Fujinami’s absence, Ken HOSAKA won the title with an 11-3 victory over teenager Yuto MIWA. In the semifinals, Hosaka needed a stepover with :03 left for the two points that gave him a 4-4 win over Ryuki YOSHIDA.

Fujinami and Hosaka will meet in the playoff, which will be a rematch of the Emperor’s Cup final, which Fujinami won by technical fall.

The other freestyle title up for grabs on Saturday, at 97kg, went to Naoya AKAGUMA, who rolled to a 9-0 victory in the final over Taira SONODA.

In the semifinals, Akaguma scored a late takedown for a 3-3 win over Emperor’s Cup winner Takeshi YAMAGUCHI, setting up a playoff between the two for the ticket to Budapest.

Asian silver medalist Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (67kg) and Shohei YABIKU (77kg) in Greco-Roman, and Katsuki SAKAGAMI (57kg) in women’s wrestling all completed the national title double to grab places on the team to Budapest.

Results from Day 3

Freestyle

74kg (12 entries)
Gold – Ken HOSAKA df. Yuto MIWA, 11-3

Bronze – Hayato OGATA and Ryuki YOSHIDA

Semifinal – Yuto MIWA df. Hayato OGATA, 5-0
Semifinal – Ken HOSAKA df. Ryuki YOSHIDA, 4x-4

97kg (12 entries)
Gold – Naoya AKAGUMA df. Taira SONODA, 9-0

Bronze – Takeshi YAMAGUCHI and Hiroto NINOMIYA

Semifinal – Naoya AKAGUMA df. Takeshi YAMAGUCHI, 3x-3
Semifinal – Taira SONODA df. Hiroto NINOMIYA by Def.

Greco-Roman

55kg (10 entries)
Gold – Shota TANOKURA df. Shota OGAWA, 7-0

Bronze – Tomoya MARUYAMA and Hiromu KATAGIRI

Semifinal – Shota TANOKURA df. Tomoya MARUYAMA by TF, 8-0, 1:50
Semifinal – Shota OGAWA df. Hiromu KATAGIRI by TF, 10-2, 2:20

67kg (10 entries)
Gold – Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA df. Shogo TAKAHASHI by TF, 9-1, 4:17

Bronze – Daiki KOBAYASHI and Katsuyoshi KAWASE

Semifinal – Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA df. Daiki KOBAYASHI by TF, 10-1, 2:07
Semifinal – Shogo TAKAHASHI df. Katsuyoshi KAWASE, 5-3

77kg (12 entries)
Gold – Shohei YABIKU df. So SAKABE, 2x-2

Bronze – Kenryu KUZUYA and Takeshi IZUMI

Semifinal – Shohei YABIKU df. Kenryu KUZUYA by TF, 8-0, 1:27
Semifinal – So SAKABE df. Takeshi IZUMI by Fall, 3:30 (5-3)

Women’s Wrestling

57kg (6 entries)
Gold – Katsuki SAKAGAMI df. Akie HANAI, 4-1

Bronze – Sae NANJO and Chiho HAMADA

Semifinal – Katsuki SAKAGAMI df. Sae NANJO, 8x-8
Semifinal – Akie HANAI df. Chiho HAMADA, 2-0

62kg (7 entries)
Gold – Yukako KAWAI df. Yurika ITO, 4-1

Bronze – Atena KODAMA and Honoka IMAGAWA

Semifinal – Yurika ITO df. Atena KODAMA by TF, 11-0, 4:09
Semifinal – Yukako KAWAI df. Honoka IMAGAWA, 4-0

68kg (5 entries)
Gold – Rio WATARI df. Chiaki SEKI, 3-2

Bronze – Miwa MORIKAWA and Mai HAYAKAWA

Semifinal – Chiaki SEKI df. Miwa MORIKAWA, 7-2
Semifinal – Rio WATARI df. Mai HAYAKAWA, 7-0

Emboldened Kawai knocks off Icho as Susaki shines again, Otoguro dealt stunning loss

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Watari Makes Emotional–and Victorious–Comeback from Cancer at Meiji Cup