#DanKolov2019

Freestyle and Women's Wrestling Entries for Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov

By Eric Olanowski

RUSE, Bulgaria (February 22) - Four Olympic gold medalists and four world champions have entered next week’s Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov tournament, United World Wrestling’s second freestyle and women's wrestling Ranking Series event of the 2019 season.

Two-time defending world champion Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) and Olympic champions Taha AKGUL (TUR), Jordan BURROUGHS (USA), Kyle Frederick SNYDER (USA), and Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) have each signed up to compete in Ruse.

While on the women’s side defending world champions Petra OLLI (FIN), RONG Ningning (CHN), and Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL) are all scheduled to wrestle.

Winner of the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov will be awarded eight (8) points, with second, third and fifth place grabbing six (6), four (4), and two (2) points respectively.

In addition to the placement points, wrestlers will receive additional points based on the number of participants in their bracket. For weight categories with 10 or fewer entries, an additional six (6) points will be added. For categories with 11-20 wrestlers entered an additional eight (8) points will be added. Ten (10) points will be added to any weight category with more than 20 entries.

The two remaining freestyle and women's wrestling Rankings Series events are the Sassari (May 24), and the Yasar Dogu (July 12).

If you missed the first Ranking Series event, the Ivan Yariguin, click here to view the event hub. 

Freestyle 

57kg 
Salah Eddine KATEB (ALG)
Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG)
Uladzislau ANDREYEU (BLR)
Dzimchyk RYNCHYNAU (BLR)
Georgi Valentinov VANGELOV (BUL)
ZOU Wanhao (CHN)
LIU Minghu (CHN)
Zoheir EL OUARRAQE (FRA)
Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO)
Sandeep TOMAR (IND)
Kumar RAVI (IND)
KIM Sunggwon (KOR)
ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL)
TUMENBILEG Tuvshintulga (MGL)
Vladimir EGOROV (MKD)
Andrei DUKOV (ROU)
Egor POTAPOV (RUS)
Mikhail IVANOV (RUS)
Firas KHALIFA (TUN)
Ahmet DUMAN (TUR)
Suleyman ATLI (TUR)|
Taras MARKOVYCH (UKR)
Armen ARAKELIAN (UKR)
Joshua Andrew RODRIGUEZ (USA)
Thomas Patrick GILMAN (USA)
Makhmudjon SHAVKATOV (UZB)
Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB)

61kg
Stefan Ganchev IVANOV (BUL)
Otari GOGAVA (GEO)
Hassan Sabzali RAHIMI (IRI)
Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL)
Nikolai OKHLOPKOV (ROU)
Aryian TIUTRIN (RUS)
Randy Adrian VOCK (SUI)
Chedli METHLOUTHI (TUN)
Recep TOPAL (TUR)
Munir Recep AKTAS (TUR)
Petro BILEICHUK (UKR)
Yaroslav HURSKYY (UKR)
Volodymyr BURUKOV (UKR)
Joseph Daniel COLON (USA)
Jahongirmirza TUROBOV (UZB)


India's 2018 world finalist Bajrang BAJRANG will make his 2019 Ranking Series debut at the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov, where he'll wrestle at 65kg. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

65kg
Agustin Alejandro DESTRIBATS (ARG)
George KOLIEV (BLR)
Niurhun SKRABIN (BLR)
Dimitar Lyubomirov IVANOV (BUL)
Vladimir Vladimirov DUBOV (BUL)
LIN Zushen (CHN)
YUAN Shaohua (CHN)
Giorgi REVAZISHVILI (GEO)
Niklas Dietmar DORN (GER)
Bajrang BAJRANG (IND)
Junsik YUN (KOR)
Dmitrii MALENCOV (MDA)
Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL)
Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL)
Ivan GUIDEA (ROU)
Evghenii VOLCOV (ROU)
George BUCUR (ROU)
Eduard GRIGOREV (RUS)
Iulian GERGENOV (RUS)
Murad Abdusalamovitch NUKHKADIEV (RUS)
Kaireddine BEN TELILI (TUN)
Mehmet Emin OGUT (TUR)
Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)
Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR)
Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR)
Gor OGANNESYAN (UKR)
Evan Richard HENDERSON (USA)
Bernard Walter FUTRELL (USA)
Jordan Michael OLIVER (USA)
Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB)
Sirojiddin KHASANOV (UZB)

70kg 
Fares LAKEL (ALG)
Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO)
Kevin Christopher HENKEL (GER)
Mihail SAVA (MDA)
Byambadorj BAT ERDENE (MGL)
Maxim VASILIOGLO (ROU)
Anzor ZAKUEV (RUS)
Haithem DAKHLAOUI (TUN)
Mustafa KAYA (TUR)
Mehmet KARACA(TUR)
Andriy KVYATKOVSKYY (UKR)
Semen RADULOV (UKR)
Frank Aniello MOLINARO (USA)
James Malcolm GREEN (USA)
Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB)
Mirzo KHAYITOV (UZB)
Ramazon IBODOV (UZB)


Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) begins his quest to get back to the top of the world stage after a bronze-medal finish in 2018. (Photo: Sachiko HOTAKA)

74kg
Ishak BOUKHORS (ALG)
Jorge Ivan LLANO (ARG)
Simon MARCHL (AUT)
Azamat NURYKAU (BLR)
Andrei KARPACH (BLR)
Mohamed Youssef Dzhalal BAKAR (BUL)
Ali Pasha Ruslanovich UMARPASHAEV (BUL)
Miroslav Stefanov KIROV (BUL)
Juan Pablo PERALTA LANAS (CHI)
Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO)
Johann Christoph STEINFORTH (GER)
Kumar Omprakash VINOD (IND)
Jitender JITENDER (IND)
Mostafa Mohabbali HOSSEINKHANI (IRI)
Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA)
LEE Seungchul (KOR)
GONG Byungmin (KOR)
LEE Yunhan (KOR)
Evgheni NEDEALCO (MDA)
BYAMBASUREN Bat-Erdene (MGL)
Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL)
Maher GHANMI (TUN)
Yakup GOR (TUR)
Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR)
Ivan KUSYAK (UKR)
Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR)
Ali ZAKARIIEV (UKR)
Jordan Ernest BURROUGHS (USA)
Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB)

79kg 
Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG)
Engin Rashid ISMAIL(BUL)
Miroslav Donchev HRISTOV (BUL)
Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA)
Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO)
Unurbat PUREVJAV (MGL)
Andrzej Piotr SOKALSKI (POL)
Vasile Madalin MINZALA (ROU)
Omaraskhab NAZHMUDINOV (ROU)
Khalil AMINOV (RUS)
Ayoub BARRAJ (TUN)
Omar MAGHRAOUI (TUN)
Muhammet Nuri KOTANOGLU (TUR)
Ender COSKUN (TUR)
Oleksii DOMANYTSKYI (UKR)
Alexander David DIERINGER (USA)


Olympic champion Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) will make his first career Ranking Series appearance next wekened in Bulgaria. (Photo: Martin Gábor) 

86kg
Meruzhan NIKOYAN (ARG)
Ali SHABANAU (BLR)
Akhmed Adamovitch MAGAMAEV (BUL)
Eduardo Ivan GAJARDO MENESES (CHI)
Ville Tapani HEINO (FIN)
Akhmed AIBUEV (FRA)
Sandro AMINASHVILI (GEO)
Ahmed Ruslanovic DUDAROV (GER)
Deepak PUNIA (IND)
Hassan Aliazam YAZDANICHARATI (IRI)
KIM Gwanuk (KOR)
LEE Yunseok (KOR)
ORGODOL Uitumen (MGL)
Halil ZUBAIROV (MKD)
Radoslaw MARCINKIEWICZ (POL)
Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL)
Mihai Nicolae PALAGHIA (ROU)
Boris MAKOEV (SVK)
Osman GOCEN (TUR)
Selim YASAR (TUR)
Mraz DZHAFARIAN(UKR)
Viktor SOLOVIOV(UKR)
Nicholas Joseph HEFLIN(USA)
Abdurasul VAKHOBOV(UZB)

92kg  
Mohammed FARDJ (ALG)
Dominic Klaus PETER (AUT)
Irakli MTSITURI (GEO)
Turtogtokh LUVSANDORJ (MGL)
Michael MANEA (ROU)
Magomed Guseynovitch KURBANOV (RUS)
Ibrahim BOLUKBASI (TUR)
Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR)
Bohdan HRYTSAY (UKR)
Riley Kent LEFEVER (USA)
Michael Justin MACCHIAVELLO (USA)

97kg 
Ricardo Adrian BAEZ (ARG)
Nikolay Simeonov CHTEREV (BUL)
Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO)
Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER)
Wladimir REMEL (GER)
Reza Mohammad Ali YAZDANI (IRI)
Abraham de Jesus CONYEDO RUANO (ITA)
LEE Jongku (KOR)
SEO Minwon (KOR)
Nicolai CEBAN (MDA)
ULZIISAIKHAN Batzul (MGL)
Magomedgadji Omardibirovich NUROV (MKD)
Albert SARITOV (ROU)
Igor Alekseevitch OVSIANNIKOV (RUS)
Fatih YASARLI (TUR)
Baki SAHIN (TUR)
Valerii ANDRIITSEV (UKR)
Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR)
Kyle Frederick SNYDER (USA)
Ty Ryan Jack WALZ (USA)
Kevin Scott BEAZLEY (USA)


Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) is the lone returning world champion competing at the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov. He'll wrestle at 125kg. (Photo: Gábor Martin)

125kg 
Johannes LUDESCHER (AUT)
Ibrahim SAIDAU (BLR)
DENG Zhiwei (CHN)
Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)
Nick MATUHIN (GER)
Parviz Khodavirdi HADIBASMANJ (IRI)
KIM Donghwan (KOR)
NAM Koungjin (KOR)
NATSAGSUREN Zolboo (MGL)
MUNKHTUR Lkhagvagerel (MGL)
Robert BARAN (POL)
Vasile Vlad CARAS (ROU)
Said Gamidovitch GAMIDOV (RUS)
Zelimkhan KHIZRIEV (RUS)
Taha AKGUL (TUR)
Fatih CAKIROGLU (TUR)
Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR)
Michael Joseph KOSOY (USA)
Nicholas Edward GWIAZDOWSKI (USA)
Sardorbek KHOLMATOV (UZB)
Ibrokhim ILKHOMJONOV (UZB)


Finland's first women's wrestling world champion Petra Olli is one of three 2018 women's wrestling world champions who will be in action next weekend. (Photo: Gábor Martin)

Women's Wrestling 

50kg
Ibtissem DOUDOU (ALG)
Patricia Alejandra BERMUDEZ (ARG)
Ivana Kirilova DIMITROVA (BUL)
Elitsa Atanasova YANKOVA (BUL)
SUN Yanan (CHN)
ZHONG Yuhong (CHN)
Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA)
Miyu NAKAMURA (JPN)
OH Hyunyoung (KOR)
Emilia CIRICU-BUDEANU (MDA)
Anna LUKASIAK (POL)
Iwona Nina MATKOWSKA (POL)
Emilia Alina VUC (ROU)
Fredrika Ida PETERSSON (SWE)
Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR)
Erin Simone GOLSTON (USA)
Whitney CONDER (USA)
Victoria Lacey ANTHONY (USA)
Dauletbike YAKHSHIMURATOVA (UZB)

53kg 
Kheira Chaimaa YAHIAOUI (ALG)
Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR)
Raymyal Dzhihan ZIBEROVA (BUL)
PANG Qianyu (CHN)
DENG Juan (CHN)
Vinesh VINESH (IND)
LEE Shinhye (KOR)
Iulia LEORDA (MDA)
Silje Knutsen KIPPERNES (NOR)
Roksana Marta ZASINA (POL)
Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL)
Siwar BOUSETTA (TUN)
Aysun ERGE (TUR)
Lilya HORISHNA (UKR)
Iryna HUSYAK (UKR)
Amy Ann FEARNSIDE (USA)
Sarah Ann HILDEBRANDT (USA)
Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB)


Rio bronze medalist Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) returned to world championships in Budapest after an 18-month layoff, while spending time with her newborn baby. She finished in seventh place at last year's world championships.  (Photo: Gabor Martin)

55kg
Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR)
Evelina Georgieva NIKOLOVA (BUL)
Nina HEMMER (GER)
Maria PREVOLARAKI (GER)
Sofia Magdalena MATTSSON (SWE)
Dorssaf GHARSSI (TUN)
Faten HAMMAMI (TUN)
Eda TEKIN (TUR)
Bediha GUN (TUR)
Jacarra Gwenisha WINCHESTER (USA)

57kg 
Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR)
Katsiaryna HANCHAR YANUSHKEVICH (BLR)
Bilyana Zhivkova DUDOVA (BUL)
Mimi Nikolova HRISTOVA (BUL)
RONG Ningning (CHN)
PEI Xingru (CHN)
Lenka HOCKOVA MARTINAKOVA (CZE)
Mathilde Hélène RIVIERE (FRA)
Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER)
Pooja DHANDA (IND)
Sarita SARITA (IND)
Francesca INDELICATO (ITA)
Carola RAINERO (ITA)
UM Jieun (KOR)
Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR)
Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU)
Sara Johanna LINDBORG (SWE)
Khouloud EL OUNI (TUN)
Tetyana KIT (UKR)
Iryna CHYKHRADZE KHARIV (UKR)
Kelsey Rene CAMPBELL (USA)
Sevara ESHMURATOVA (UZB)

59kg 
Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ)
Kornelija ZAICEVAITE (LTU)
Katarzyna MADROWSKA (POL)
Georgiana Narcisa FILIP (ROU)
Brenda Olivia REYNA (USA)


Rio Olympic bronze medalist and 2017 world runner-up Marwa AMRI (TUN) will wrestle at 62kg at the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

62kg 
Lina KHELLAL (ALG)
Chaimaa Fouzia AOUISSI (ALG)
Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL)
KANG Juan (CHN)
LU Na (CHN)
Luisa Helga Gerda NIEMESCH (GER)
Sakshi MALIK (IND)
Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA)
Elena ESPOSITO (ITA)
Sara DA COL (ITA)
Jiae CHOI (KOR)
Mariana CHERDIVARA ESANU (MDA)
Jowita Maria WRZESIEN (POL)
Moa Lena Maria NYGREN (SWE)
Malin Johanna MATTSSON (SWE)
Marwa AMRI (TUN)
Derya BAYHAN (TUR)
Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR)
Olena KREMZER (UKR)
Mallory Maxine VELTE (USA)
Kayla Colleen Kiyoko MIRACLE (USA)
Nabira ESENBAEVA (UZB)


Petra OLLI (FIN) became Finland's first-ever women's wrestling world champion a year ago when she won the 65kg world title. She'll wrestle at 65kg at the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov. (Photo: Gábor Martin) 

65kg 
Dzhanan Filipova MANOLOVA (BUL)
Viktoria Ivanova BOBEVA (BUL)
Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN)
Adina Elena POPESCU (ROU)
Henna Katarina JOHANSSON (SWE)
Nour JELJELI (TUN)
Lilia MEJRI (TUN)
Asli TUGCU (TUR)
Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR)
Amanda Elise HENDEY (USA)
Maya Gabriella NELSON (USA)
Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA)

68kg
Sofiya GEORGIEVA(BUL)
ZHOU Feng (CHN)
HAN Yue (CHN)
Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE)
Eun Sun JEONG (KOR)
Danute DOMIKAITYTE (LTU)
Signe Marie Fidje STORE (NOR)
Agnieszka Jadwiga WIESZCZEK KORDUS (POL)
Rihem AYARI (TUN)
Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR)
Macey Ellen KILTY (USA)
Tamyra Mariama MENSAH (USA)
Alexandria Junis GLAUDE (USA)
Bakhtigul BALTANIYAZOVA (UZB)

72kg
Anna Carmen SCHELL (GER)
Maria SELMAIER (GER)
Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
Buse TOSUN (TUR)
Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR)


Belarus' 2017 world runner-up Vasilisa MARZALIUK is looking to get back on the podium after missing out on a medal at the Budapest World Championships. (Photo: Tony Rotundo) 

76kg 
Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR)
Mariya Gerginova ORYASHKOVA (BUL)
YAN Chuchu (CHN)
PALIHA Paliha (CHN)
WANG Juan (CHN)
Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER)
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
HWANG Eunju (KOR)
Greta CEPONYTE (LTU)
Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU)
Iselin Maria Moen SOLHEIM (NOR)
Daria Urszula OSOCKA (POL)
Denise Sabina MAKOTA STROEM (SWE)
Alla BELINSKA (UKR)
Shakhribonu ELLIEVA (UZB) 

SCHEDULE

February 27 (Wednesday) 
18:00 - Draw - FS - 61, 70, 79, 92kg; GR - 55, 63, 72, 82kg; WW - 55, 59, 65, 72kg

February 28 (Thursday) 
8:00 - Medical examination and weigh-in 1 - FS - 61, 70, 79, 92kg; GR (+2 kg) - 55, 63, 72, 82kg; WW - 55, 59, 65, 72kg
10:00 - Elimination rounds - FS - 61, 70, 79, 92kg; GR - 55, 63, 72, 82kg; WW - 55, 59, 65, 72kg
16:00 - Draw - FS - 57, 65, 74; GR-87 ,97, 130; WW - 62 ,68 ,76kg
16:30 - Opening ceremony
17:00 - Semifinals FS - 61, 70, 79, 92kg; GR - 55, 63, 72, 82kg; WW - 55, 59, 65, 72kg

March 1 (Friday) 
8:00 - Medical examination and weigh-in 1 - FS - 57, 65, 74; GR (+ 2 kg) - 87, 97, 130; WW - 62, 68, 76kg
8: 30 - Weigh-in 2 FS - 61,70,79, 92 kg; GR (+ 2 kg) - 55,63,72,82 kg; WW - 55,59,65, 72 kg Referee meeting
10: 00 - Elimination rounds FS - 57, 65, 74; GR - 87, 97, 130; WW - 62, 68, 76 kg
10: 00 - Repechages FS - 61, 70, 79, 92kg; GR - 55, 63, 72, 82kg; WW - 55, 59, 65, 72kg
16: 00 - Semi-finals FS - 57, 65, 74; GR - 87, 97, 130; WW - 62, 68, 76kg
17: 00 - Draw - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR - 60, 67, 77kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg
17: 15 - Final matches and awarding ceremony - FS - 61,70,79, 92kg; GR - 55, 63, 72, 82kg; WW - 55, 59, 65, 72kg

March 2 (Satuday) 
8:00 - Medical examination and weigh-in 1 - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR (+ 2 kg) - 60, 67, 77 kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg 
8:30: - Weigh-in 2 - FS - 57, 65, 74; GR (+ 2 kg) - 87, 97, 130; WW - 62, 68, 76kg 
10: 00 - Elimination rounds - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR - 60, 67, 77 kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg
10:00 - Repechages - FS - 57, 65, 74; GR - 87, 97, 130; WW - 62, 68, 76kg
16:00 - Semifinals - FS 86, 97, 125kg;GR - 60, 67, 77 kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg
17: 00 - Final matches and awarding ceremony - FS - 57, 65, 74; GR - 87, 97, 130; WW - 62, 68, 76kg

March 3 (Sunday) 
8:00 - Weigh-in 2 - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR (+ 2 kg) - 60, 67, 77kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg
Repechages - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR (+ 2 kg) - 60, 67, 77 kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg
Final matches and awarding ceremony - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR - 60, 67, 77 kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg

#JapanWrestling

World Champs Morikawa, Ishii Set Up Clash in 68kg Final

By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (May 22) -- The first of what could be several clashes of Japanese women titans was set up when reigning world champions Miwa MORIKAWA and Ami ISHII advanced to the 68kg final at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Championships in Tokyo on Friday.

Morikawa, the world champion at 65kg, had her hands full in grinding out a 3-2 win over world U20 champion Rey HOSHINO in their semifinal, scoring the decisive takedown off a counter in the final minute.

Ishii, the current 68kg world champ, had little trouble piling up the takedowns in a 10-0 victory over former world champion Masako FURUICHI.

Morikawa got the best of Ishii at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships last December, winning 5-3 to earn a trip to the Asian Championships, where she had to settle for the silver medal.

This time there is more at stake in the final on Saturday, as the Meiji Cup is serving as the final qualifier for this year's Asian Games, to be hosted by Japan, and the World Championships.

Winners of both the Emperor's Cup and Meiji Cup automatically earn places on the national team; if they are different, a playoff is held between the two at the end of the day.

Given the stakes, Morikawa knows Ishii will be coming at her with all guns blazing, knowing she need to beat Morikawa twice to earn a national team berth.

"That [Emperor's Cup win] doesn't matter," Morikawa said. "In that match, I went all out to the end and came up with the victory. I think that tomorrow, she will really be coming after me. I have to show the willpower and guts to not give in. I will do my utmost to secure the national team place in one fell swoop."

Morikawa naturally would not reveal what strategy she has for Ishii, but says she will rely on what her coach, four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO, comes up with.

"She's really good with her attacks, and my strong point is defense," Morikawa said. "Kaori will devise a plan, and I'll just go along with that."

Yuka KAGAMI (JPN)Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) reached the 76kg final at the Meiji Cup. (Photo: wrestling-spirits.jp / Takeo Yabuki)

In other semifinals on the second day of the four-day tournament at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym, Paris Olympic champion Yuka KAGAMI moved a step closer to returning to the global stage by making the 76kg final.

Kagami posted a slim 2-1 victory over Ayana MORO, with all of the points scored on the activity clock, to set up a meeting with Yasuha MATSUYUKI, who dealt her a stunning loss in the final of the Emperor's Cup, which was her first competition since Paris.

"I came to realize that last time, the fighting spirit that I had at the Olympics was taking a nap," Kagami said. "For these five months, I have prepared to come here and definitely win the title, then the playoff."

At 53kg, world champion Haruna MURAYAMA outlasted longtime rival and former Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI 2-1 -- with all points scored on the activity clock -- to set up a final against Moe KIYOOKA for the second straight year.

Murayama defeated Kiyooka, the world 55kg champion in 2024, twice last year -- 3-1 in the final, then again 4-1 in the playoff -- to make the team to the World Championships in Zagreb, where she claimed her fourth career gold.

Kiyooka came back to win the Emperor's Cup title in Murayama's absence, and will be looking to avenge last year's losses as she attempts to fill the void left when Olympic champion Akari FUJINAMI moved up to 57kg.

In a tragic incident, Taishi NARIKUNI's bid to repeat the Freestyle-Greco double that he accomplished at the Emperor's Cup ended when he suffered a serious eye injury in his Greco 70kg quarterfinal -- which he won nonetheless, but then was easily beaten in the semifinals.

Facing Takara FUKUZAWA in the last eight, Narikuni took a hard shoulder to the eye, which knocked him woozy for awhile. He managed to continue on, finishing up a 5-0 victory. But, wearing a patch over his right eye in the semifinals against Hajime KIKUTA, he went down 8-0 in 28 seconds.

Narikuni was scheduled to also take the mat later in the day in the Freestyle 72kg final, but would end up defaulting that match. Family members said he was taken to the hospital and was diagnosed with a broke cheek bone below his eye and would undergo surgery on Saturday.

As defending Freestyle 97kg champion Arash YOSHIDA awaited his final, it was a tough day for rest of his family, whose Iranian father runs the kids wrestling club where the siblings got their start in the sport.

Keivan YOSHIDA, Arash's older brother who preceded him as 97kg champion in 2024, was ousted in the semifinals at 125kg, losing 11-1 to Hosei FUJITA.

Just moments later on an adjacent mat, younger brother Ariya YOSHIDA was dealt a tough 10-9 loss at 79kg to Kanata YAMAGUCHI.

In the final, Yamaguchi will face another wrestler with Iranian heritage, newly crowned Asian champion Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI, a 10-0 winner over Kohei KITAMURA in the other semifinal.