Fujinami earns shot at world title repeat with 100th straight win

Saturday, June 18, 2022 - 14:47 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO, Japan (June 18) -- Not that she cares about it, but Akari FUJINAMI extended her winning streak dating back to her junior high school days to a nice round 100 in a row on Saturday. Far more important to the super teen was that with the milestone win, she clinched a chance to defend her world 53kg title.

Fujinami hit the century mark in consecutive wins with a 4-0 victory over former world champion Haruna OKUNO in the 53kg final at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships, Japan's second and final domestic qualifier for this year's World Championships.

The 18-year-old, who went into the tournament at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym with 97 straight wins, posted a fall and a technical fall before scoring a takedown in each period to defeat an understandably cautious Okuno for the third time in three career meetings.

"Many in the media talk about it, but for me, the winning streak is all in the past," said Fujinami, to whom a photographer gave a "100"-shaped balloon for a cheesy memorial shot that the Japanese press ate up. "I'm only concerned with myself in the present. From here, there will be more wins, but when I get on the mat, it will have nothing to do with extending the winning streak. I just accept that it's in the past and I only focus on winning.

Fujinami's victory, paired with her title-winning run at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships last December, secured her spot on Japan's team for the World Championships to be held in September in Belgrade, Serbia.

Winners of both national tournaments automatically make the team to Belgrade; in weight classes where the champions are different, a playoff is held at end of the day's action. On Saturday, four playoffs were held, including two involving reigning world champions -- Masako FURUICHI made it, while Ken MATSUI didn't.

Furuichi will get a chance to defend her world title at 72kg after posting two wins over Emperor's Cup champion Sumire NIIKURA, while Matsui, the Greco 55kg gold medalist a year ago in Oslo, lost out in the playoff to two-time Asian champion Yu SHIOTANI after beating him in the Meiji Cup final.

Akari FUJINAMI controls Haruna OKUNO during the women's 53kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

Fujinami has not lost since being beaten in the 44kg final at the national junior high school championships in June 2017 (for trivia buffs, her conqueror was Umi ITO). The 100 wins have come over a span of 24 tournaments, including the last three since she started her freshman year in April at Nippon Sports Science University. She has only given up a total of four points since 2020.

As NSSU, which is locally referred to as Nittaidai, she is under the mentorship of four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO as well as her father, who was her coach as a kid and in high school. He took an assistant coaching job at the university in Tokyo, where the two live in an apartment near campus.

"This was my second [national] tournament since entering Nittaidai and many coaches have been teaching me new techniques, and I thought this was a tournament where I could try using them," said Fujinami, who won the gold at the Asian Championships in Ulaanbaatar in April.

"There are some that I tried and others that still have a way to go. I want to reflect on that and
use it my advantage in the next competition."

Asked what she has been addressing, Fujinami said that instead of her former turbo-charged style of tackling, she wants to take it to new level by working on set-ups, tying up and other aspects that will facilitate scoring.

Despite her amazing success at such a young age, Fujinami knows that it also puts a target on her back, with others looking for any weakness. She has to widen her repertoire to keep the opposition off balance.

"It's only natural that [others] will be studying me," Fujinami said. "That's why in college I've been working on tying up and other aspects beyond actual tackling to brush up ways to lead to points. Being studied is par for the course."

In the final, it was clear that Okuno had done her homework after previously losing to Fujinami by fall and 11-2. Okuno maintained a tight guard, but Fujinami broke through with a neat ankle pick in the first period, then shrugged off a headlock counter for a second takedown in the second period.

The only thing missing in Fujinami's latest performance was the antagonist that everyone wants to see her face, Mayu SHIDOCHI (formerly MUKAIDA), the Olympic champion at 53kg who is entered at 55kg in her first tournament since the Tokyo Games.

"I would be lying if I said she's not on my mind," Fujinami said. "She's the Olympic champion in the same weight class. So I'm thinking about her, and I want to beat her."

Their long-awaited clash will likely come at this year's Emperor's Cup in December, which will be the first qualifier for next year's World Championships, which in turn is the first qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympics. That's what makes it so vitally important.

"Looking ahead, the tournaments leading up to the Paris Olympics are about to get going, but I first want to win a second straight title at the World Championships. This year, I'm sure there will be a higher level of opponents, but I want to repeat as champion and get momentum going for the Paris Olympics."

Okuno, who advanced to the final by beating 2020 world 55kg silver medalist Nanami IRIE 4-1, is one of only two wrestlers on the planet (Furuichi is the other) who have completed the world championship Grand Slam with titles at the U17, U20, U23 and senior levels. But her path back to the world stage has been solidly blocked by the emergence of Fujinami.

Had the 23-year-old Okuno moved up to 55kg, the weight class in which she won the first of her two world titles in 2017 and 2018, it's not a sure thing that she would have been any more successful. Okuno has an 0-8 career record against her former Shigakkan University teammate Shidochi.

Masako FURUICHI (blue) scores a last-second takedown in the women's 72kg final to defeat Sumire NIIKURA and set up a world team playoff between the two. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

Furuichi in, Matsui out

At 72kg, Furuichi needed the playoff to return to the World Championships because she failed to win at the Emperor's Cup after dropping down to 68kg. In her absence, the unheralded Niikura won the 72kg title, which she followed up with a silver medal at the Asian Championships in her first-ever overseas competition.

Furuichi cut it razor-thin in the Meiji Cup final, scrapping to score a decisive takedown in the dying seconds of an 9-6 victory. The playoff was a staid affair, with Furuichi receiving activity points in both periods for a 2-0 win.

In the final, Niikura was leading 6-6 on criteria when Furuichi made a desperate lunge for a takedown. Niikura clamped down from above, but as the seconds ticked off, Furuichi drove ahead and managed to gain control at the buzzer for 2. An unsuccessful challenge added the final point.

"If I didn't win in the final, I wouldn't get into the playoff," said Furuichi, who won her second straight Meiji Cup title and third overall. "I was losing and whether I scored points or not, that was my last chance. I gave it all I had and I was happy to come out with the win and get into the playoff."

Yu SHIOTANI works to lift Ken MATSUI during their world team playoff at Greco 55kg. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

At Greco 55kg, both clashes between Shiotani and Matsui were on a level that could have been the final of a World Championships, with the equally matched collegians each giving their all for the full six minutes in a whirl of action.

Matsui took the opener 6-1 for his second straight Meiji Cup title, but Shiotani came back with a 6-3 win in the playoff. Both are known for the big throws, but both matches hinged on how their actions from the bottom position.

"I really feel like the playoff saved me," Shiotani said. "I should have won in the first place, but I lost. Still I was in the situation where I still had the playoff, and to post a solid victory in that was really good."

Matsui, coming off his gold-medal run in Oslo that made him Japan's youngest-ever Greco world champion, was out for revenge after suffering a humiliating 11-0 loss in the Emperor's Cup final to Shiotani that included two 5-point throws.

And he got it in the Meiji Cup final, reversing Shiotani to his back when he attempted his patented reverse body lift and adding a 2-point exposure for a 6-1 win.

"My opponent came up with a strategy to not fall for the same move," Shiotani said. "I didn't think it would go like last time."

But Matsui wasn't able to repeat that performance in the playoff. Trying to squirm out of the bottom of par terre in the first period, he got hit with 2-point penalty for grabbing below the waist. In the second period with Matsui on top, Shiotani did the reversing to take a 4-1 lead. Matsui cut the gap with a takedown, but gave one back in the final seconds off a desperation
attempt.

"Anyway, I knew it was important to attack from the start in the playoff," Shiotani said. "In the final, I gave up points first. In the end, I didn't get points with my techniques, but to me, it was
worse to give up points first."

Not surprisingly, the win over the reigning world champ gives Shiotani confirms his belief that he can achieve the same feat.

"When I won the Emperor's Cup, I thought there is a chance I could become a world champion," Shiotani said. "At that point, I had only faced Asian opponents, I never faced European opponents. I didn't know how I would do. But Matsui had won thoroughly, so I thought I can win as well."

Taishi NARIKUNI battles Kota TAKAHASHI in the world team playoff at freestyle 70kg. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

In other playoffs for world team spots, Asian champion Taishi NARIKUNI avenged a loss to teenager Kota TAKAHASHI in the Meiji Cup semifinal, beating the NSSU freshman by fall in the wrestle-off to secure the place at freestyle 70kg.

Narikuni, the Emperor's Cup champion, gave up an early takedown to Takahashi, but clamped down on a front headlock, spun to the side and secured a cradle, which he used to turn his opponent over for a fall in 1:22.

Earlier, Takahashi had a 4-point takedown in beating Narikuni 7-1 in the semifinals, then won the title with a 3-1 victory over NSSU teammate Keitaro ONO.

"He's so strong, I can't believe he's only 18," said Narikuni, who likes to hit the weight room himself. "He'll be a world champion some day."

Takahashi came just short of joining older brother Yudai, who won the 79kg title on the opening day, on the team to Belgrade.

Narikuni will get his first shot at the world title he has been chasing his entire life. His mother was a two-time world champion, and also the coach of the kids club where he started the sport.

"I really hate being compared to my mother, I have a complex about it," said Narikuni. "More than the Olympics, my aim is for the World Championships," adding that should he win the gold come September, he will try to win his next one in Greco-Roman.

At freestyle 86kg, Emperor's Cup champion Shota SHIRAI defeated Mao OKUI 2-1 in the playoff after losing to him by the same score in the Meiji Cup final. All points in both matches were scored on the activity clock.

Okui won his first Meiji title since 2019, when he triumphed at 74kg. He finished fifth at the World Championships that year to secure the Olympic 74kg berth for Japan but failed to fill it himself when he lost a playoff to Keisuke OTOGURO.

Meanwhile, Sohsuke TAKATANI continued to establish himself as one of the most dominant wrestlers in Japan history, winning the 92kg title for his seventh career Meiji Cup crown dating back to 2013 and spanning four weight classes.

Takatani, who moved up to 92kg in a successful run at the Emperor's Cup, won all three of his matches by fall or technical fall, capped with a comprehesive 10-0 whitewash in 2:36 in the final over very overmatched collegian Hikaru ABE.

Takatani, the world 74kg silver medalist in 2014, will be heading to Belgrade with his younger brother Daichi, the champion at 74kg. After that, he plans to go back down to 86kg in a bid to make a fourth Olympics.

At 97kg, 2021 Asian bronze medalist Takashi ISHIGURO secured his second trip to the World Championships with a 4-0 victory over Hibiki ITO in a repeat of last year's final.

Ishiguro received an activity point and had a stepout in the first period, then added a 2-point counter lift to top NSSU's Ito, who is a rarity in Japanese wrestling in that he stands a towering 1.95 meters in height.

Ito's athletic ability and size could be linked to his Olympic pedigree. His father Hiromichi competed at Greco 74kg at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, while his mother Keiko was a member of the Japan women's volleyball team that won a bronze medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. She stands 1.78 meters.

In the other Greco weight class in action, Yuya OKAJIMA scored all of his points in the first period and held on for a 6-4 victory over Masao TANAKA in the 82kg final for his second career title.

Okajima, who also made the world team in 2019, had beaten Tanaka by technical fall in the Emperor's Cup final.

Day 3 Results

Freestyle

70kg (10 entries)
Final - Kota TAKAHASHI df. Keitaro ONO, 3-1
3rd Place - Taishi NARIKUNI df. Hiroki AZEGAMI by TF, 12-2, 3:42

World team playoff - Taishi NARIKUNI df. Kota TAKAHASHI by Fall, 1:22 (4-2)

86kg (7 entries)
Final - Mao OKUI df. Shota SHIRAI, 2-1
3rd Place - Tatsuya SHIRAI df. Taisei MATSUYUKI, 2-2

World team playoff - Shota SHIRAI df. Mao OKUI, 2-1

92kg (8 entries)
Final - Sohsuke TAKATANI df. Hikaru ABE by TF, 10-0, 2:36
3rd Place - Satoshi MIURA df. Ryoichi YAMANAKA, 7-1

97kg (6 entries)
Final - Takashi ISHIGURO df. Hibiki ITO, 4-0
3rd Place - Taira SONODA df. Keisuke ITO by TF, 10-0, :41

Greco-Roman

55kg (10 entries)
Final - Ken MATSUI df. Yu SHIOTANI, 6-1
3rd Place - Yasutaka SHIOZAKI df. Taiga ONISHI by TF, 9-1, 5:06

World team playoff - Yu SHIOTANI df. Ken MATSUI, 6-3

82kg (11 entries)
Final - Yuya OKAJIMA df. Masao TANAKA, 6-4
3rd Place - Tatsuya FUJII df. Renta YAMAGUCHI, 8-1

Women's Wrestling

53kg (9 entries)
Final - Akari FUJINAMI df. Haruna OKUNO, 4-0
3rd Place - Nanami IRIE df. Rino KATAOKA, 3-0

72kg (9 entries)
Final - Masako FURUICHI df. Sumire IIKURA, 9-6
3rd Place - Yuka FUJIKURA df. Kyoka MIZUSHIMA, 3-2

World team playoff - Masako FURUICHI df. Sumire IIKURA, 2-0

#wrestlebishkek

Badaghimofrad Claims Historic Asian Gold for Qatar

Wednesday, April 8, 2026 - 18:37 By Ken Marantz

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 8) -- Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) continued to make history for his adopted homeland, and this time it came at the expense of his real one.

Iranian-born Badaghimofrad gave Qatar its first-ever gold medal at the Asian Championships, coming from behind for a 4-3 victory over Amin HOSSEINI (IRI) in the Greco 82kg final on Wednesday in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

“I won a bronze medal at last year's Asian Championships, and this year I'm very happy that I managed to take a bigger step and win a gold medal,” Badaghimofrad said.

On a night when five different countries struck gold to finish up the Greco competition, Alisher GANIEV (UZB) ended a recent run of runner-up finishes with a victory at 60kg, and world and Olympic champion Hadi SARAVI (IRI) won his third straight title and fourth overall at 97kg.

Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ), who had settled for the silver medal the past two years, made it to the top step of the podium at 67kg to give the host nation its fourth gold, and Almatbek AMANBEK (KAZ) handed Iran another defeat in a final to take the 72kg crown.

Despite going two for seven in gold-medal matches, Iran cruised to the team title by medaling in every weight class for the first time since 1983. The wrestling powerhouse finished with 195 points to outdistance host Kyrgyzstan, which had four champions and compiled 153 points. Uzbekistan, with two gold medalists, was third with 136.

Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) turns Amin HOSSEINI (IRI) during the 82kg final at the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Badaghimofrad, who had been a world cadet (U17) silver medalist and world junior (U20) bronze medalist, was competing for Iran when he first appeared at the Asian Championships three years and 15 kilograms ago, placing fifth in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

A native of Khuzestan Province in southeast Iran, he changed his allegiance after 2023 and debuted for Qatar in February 2025 at the Tirana Ranking Series, where he could only manage a seventh-place finish. But a month later, he placed third at the Asian Championships in Amman, Jordan, marking Qatar’s first ever medal in Greco and just its second overall.

Badaghimofrad’s more recent results were not exactly awe-inspiring – an 11th place at the World Championships in Zagreb, then back-to-back seventh places at Ranking Series tournaments in February this year.

And the outlook did not appear much better in Wednesday’s final when Hosseini, the winner of this year’s Tirana Ranking Series tournament, opened the scoring with a gut wrench for a 3-0 lead in the first period.

In the second period, Badaghimofrad got his chance in par terre and, breaking down stiff resistance from Hosseini, managed to roll him over. An Iranian challenge for a potential leg foul was unsuccessful, putting the Qatari up 4-3, which is how it ended.

“I had wrestled my opponent before, so we were both familiar with each other’s styles,” Badaghimofrad said. “Knowing I could apply my move on the ground, I approached the match without any stress. When the referee gave the passivity warning, I was able to execute my move and emerge as the winner.”

Badaghimofrad knows he still has a way to go if he wants to achieve similar success on the bigger global stages.

“My wrestling isn’t perfect yet, and I’m gradually trying to improve it … so I can get thebest result at the World Championships and the Olympics,” he said.

Alisher GANIEV (UZB) defeated Se Ung RI (PRK) in the 60kg final to claim his first-ever Asian title. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Ganiev finally got the result he was looking for, escaping from second-place purgatory by avenging a loss in last year’s 60kg final with a victory by fall over world and Olympic bronze medalist Se Ung RI (PRK).

Ganiev went up 2-1 when he stepped over and gained an exposure on Ri’s gut-wrench attempt from par terre. In the second period, he increased the lead with a passivity point and a challenge point, but made the score moot when he pancaked Ri to the mat and held on for a fall at 5:06.

“The plan was not to rush, to wrestle patiently, wait for the right moment in par terre,” Ganiev said. “However, during the match, things changed. I managed to score points [from bottom] in par terre. In the second period, I continued with my approach. We prepared specifically for this opponent.”

Ganiev finished second at the Zagreb Ranking Series in February 2025, and again at this year’s. In between, he lost in last year’s Asian final to Ri and in the final of the World Championships to Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ).

“I had been waiting for a long time,” Ganiev said. “This is my second Asian Championship. In the first one, I finished in second place. Now in 2026 I finally took first place. Today, all the hard work paid off. In the 2025 final, I made mistakes, but this time I corrected them.”

Hadi SARAVI (IRI) defended his Asian title with a 7-1 win over NITESH (IND). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

While a number of Saravi’s teammates faltered at the final hurdle, the two-time Olympic medalist proved to be a rock of stability in claiming the 97kg gold with a solid albeit not overwhelming 7-1 win over NITESH (IND).

“I managed to finish the competition with the gold medal,” Saravi said. “After the World Championships, I set aside some time for recovery to get my body back in shape. The coaches decided to send me to the Asian Championships. I arrived at this competition with only a relative level of readiness, but thankfully I managed to achieve the best result and claim gold.”

Saravi, whose long list of laurels also includes four world medals, reeled off two rolls from par terre in the first period to lead 5-0. After being put on the bottom in the second but never budging, Saravi added a pair of stepouts to beat Nitesh for the third time in as many career meetings and clinch his fourth Asian gold over a seven-year span.

“The final was tougher [than the previous matches] because I’d suffered a knee injury before arriving, which was bothering me a bit and meant I couldn't keep up with my training properly or come to the competition fully prepared,” Saravi said. “Because of that I was a bit unsettled.”

Almatbek AMANBEK (KAZ) tries to pin Javad REZAEI (IRI) during the 72kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 72kg, Amanbek capped his senior Asian debut with a stunning victory by fall over Javad REZAEI (IRI), which more than avenged a 3-2 loss to the Iranian in the quarterfinals of the Tirana Ranking Series that Rezaei won.

“It’s the first time I’ve taken first place in the 72-kilogram category,” said Amanbek, who moved up from 67kg this year. “It’s been an incredibly emotional day.

“I’d give myself a ten out of ten. I did really well. Everything went exactly as I’d planned. I can give myself a pat on the back.”

The quick succession of moments that led to Amanbek’s victory started with him on the bottom of par terre. When Rezaei tried to force a gut wrench, Amanbek stepped over, scooped Rezaei’s head and held him down for a fall in 1:50.

“I know that Iranian wrestler, we faced each other at a ranking tournament in Albania,” Amanbek said. “I lost there. Today I got my revenge. I was in good spirits. We went out there and stuck to our tactics and our game plan. That’s why we won.”

Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) scores a four-point throw on Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN) during the 67kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 67kg, Beishekeev wrapped up a strong Greco outing for the home team by soundly defeating former world bronze medalist Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN) 8-2.

“I can say that this victory means a lot to me,” Beishekeev said of triumphing in front of the home crowd at Zhastyk Arena. “I truly felt the strong support of my people, it gave me strength and motivation. Thanks to that, everything came together today and I became a champion.”

Beishekeev all but put the match away in the first period, when he not only completed a gut wrench from par terre, but added a 4-pointer by lifting Shimizu and dumping him onto this back.

In the second period, Beishekeev gave up a passivity point but nothing from the bottom of par terre, and received a point himself when the Japanese side unsuccessfully challenged for a leg foul. A late stepout by Shimizu only changed the margin of victory.

In the three previous Asian Championships, Beishekeev’s results had been: bronze, silver, silver.

“Behind this success is a lot of hard work,” he said. “I worked patiently, step by step, never forgetting my goal and constantly pushing forward. If we continue working with the same determination, I believe a gold medal at the World Championships is also possible. “

Iran Iran won the team title in Greco-Roman at the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Entire Iranian team comes away with medals

In the bronze-medal matches, Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) and Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) both picked up their first major senior medals and assured that nobody on the Iranian Greco team would be leaving Bishkek empty-handed.

Ahmadi Vafa, who won world titles at each of the three age-group levels from 2022 to 2024, secured a bronze medal at 60kg with a 10-0 rout of Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ).

After a 4-point throw from par terre, Ahmadi Vafa tossed Kamaliyev again, although he didn’t get the necessary exposure and it was ruled a 2-pointer. But the Iranian continued the move and forced Kamaliyev to his back for 2 more to end it at 1:49.

The other bronze at 60kg went to Yu SHIOTANI (JPN), who was back on the Asian scene for the first time since winning the 55kg gold in 2022, the same year he won a world bronze.

Shiotani hit a 4-point throw from par terre, good enough for a 5-1 win over two-time former Asian U23 champion Haodong TAN (CHN).

At 67kg, Mohsen Nezhad, a 2025 world U23 bronze medalist, gained his bronze without a fight, as he received a victory by default from world silver medalist Hanjae CHUNG (KOR), who had suffered an elbow injury in his quarterfinal loss to Beishekeev on Tuesday.

Sachin SAHRAWAT (IND) captured his second career 67kg bronze when he fought back from behind three times to eventually come away with a 6-5 win over Abdumalik AMINOV (UZB).

A drag-by takedown in the final 30 seconds finally put Sahrawat over the top, after he had trailed 1-0, 3-2 and 5-3 during the match.

At 72kg, Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN) saw his bid for a place in wrestling history harshly ended by Shakhzod KUCHKOROV (UZB), who needed less than a minute to uncork a pair of 4-point throws in a 9-0 romp.

Narikuni, the 2022 champion at Freestyle 70kg, was looking to join the select group of wrestlers with Asian medals in both styles – a group that compatriot Kaisei TANABE (JPN) joined the previous day by taking a bronze at 63kg.

Ironically, last December, Narikuni had pipped Tanabe in each’s bid to become the first wrestler in 52 years to complete the Freestyle-Greco double at the All-Japan Championships. Narikuni did it by also winning the Freestyle 70kg title, while Tanabe fell short by finishing third at 65kg.

Narikuni will be returning to the Bishkek mat on Friday for the Freestyle 70kg qualification rounds as he attempts to bounce back from his Greco disappointment. Narikuni also won the world gold in Freestyle in 2022, but his attempt to repeat that feat in Greco last year in Zagreb ended in the first round.

Dongyu LI (CHN) took the other bronze at 72kg on Wednesday with a somewhat odd victory by fall over Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ).

After breaking out to a 5-0 lead with two rolls from par terre, Li secured double underhooks and pancaked Ismailov to his back for 4 points.

Having achieved a win by technical superiority, Li stood up and thrust his fists in the air in triumph, only to notice that Ismailov was still lying on his back. Li then hopped on top of his prone opponent for an easy fall in 2:40.

At 82kg, Kakabay KAKABAYEV (TKM) became the third wrestler from Turkmenistan to make it to a bronze-medal match in Greco and have a chance to become the country’s first medalist since 2018, and the third to come up short.

Kakabayev never really had a chance against PRINCE (IND), who reeled off four rolls in a row from par terre en route to a 10-1 victory. That gave Prince a senior Asian bronze a year after winning one on the U20 level.

The other 82kg match saw veteran and former Asian champion Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) earn his fourth straight Asian medal and second straight bronze with a 5-3 victory over Rui LIU (CHN).

Magomadov, the 2023 champion at 72kg and a bronze medalist last year at 77kg, hit a 4-point throw from par terre in the first period, then held on after giving up a 2-point penalty in the second.

At 97kg, Zagreb Ranking Series silver medalist Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), the 2024 world U20 champion at 82kg, never gave Minho LEE (KOR) a chance, spinning behind for a takedown then chalking up a combination of exposures and rolls for a 9-0 victory in 1:27.

Zegang WANG (CHN) was equally dominant in taking the other 97kg bronze with an 11-1 victory over Melis AITBEKOV (KGZ) in his Asian debut.

Day 3 Results

Greco-Roman

60kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) df. Se Ung RI (PRK) by Fall, 5:06 (6-1)

BRONZE: Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) df. Haodong TAN (CHN), 5-1
BRONZE: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) df. Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ) by TS, 10-0, 1:49

67kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) df. Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN), 8-2

BRONZE: Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) df. Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) by Inj. Def.
BRONZE: Sachin SAHRAWAT (IND) df. Abdumalik AMINOV (UZB), 6-5

72kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Almatbek AMANBEK (KAZ) df. Javad REZAEI (IRI) by Fall, 1:50 (2-1)

BRONZE: Dongyu LI (CHN) df. Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ) by Fall, 2:40 (9-0)
BRONZE: Shakhzod KUCHKOROV (UZB) df. Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN) by TS, 9-0, :48

82kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) df. Amin HOSSEINI (IRI), 4-3

BRONZE: Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) df. Rui LIU (CHN), 5-3
BRONZE: PRINCE (IND) df. Kakabay KAKABAYEV (TKM) by TS, 10-1, 2:06

97kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Hadi SARAVI (IRI) df. NITESH (IND), 7-1

BRONZE: Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) df. Minho LEE (KOR) by TS, 9-0, 1:27
BRONZE: Zegang WANG (CHN) df. Melis AITBEKOV (KGZ) by TS, 11-1, 4:11

Women’s Wrestling

50kg (11 entries)
SF 1: Son Hyang KIM (PRK) df. Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB), 12-8
SF 2: Yui SUSAKI (JPN) df. Maral TANGIRBERGENOVA (KAZ) by TS, 8-0, 2:00

55kg (8 entries)
SF 1: Sowaka UCHIDA (JPN) df. Ariunzaya ODONCHIMEG (MGL) by TS, 10-0, 1:33
SF 2: Yuxuan LI (CHN) df. Hansika LAMBA (IND) by TS, 11-1, 5:54

59kg (8 entries)
SF 1: Mengyu XIE (CHN) df. NEHA (IND), 12-5
SF 2: Sena NAGAMOTO (JPN) df. Ulmeken ESENBAEVA (UZB) by TS, 10-0, 4:00

68kg (10 entries)
SF 1: Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) df. Zelu LI (CHN), 1-1
SF 2: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL), 7-0

76kg (9 entries)
SF 1: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE) by TS, 11-0, 1:03
SF 2: Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL) df. Gulmaral YERKEBAYEVA (KAZ), 7-2

Fujinami earns shot at world title repeat with 100th straight win

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Badaghimofrad Claims Historic Asian Gold for Qatar