Fujinami preps for Belgrade worlds with 1st Japan collegiate title

Tuesday, August 23, 2022 - 18:14 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (Aug. 22) --- With less than a month to go before she attempts to defend her world 53kg title in Belgrade, Japanese teen star Akari FUJINAMI opted to forego a chance at another world age group title, instead staying home and winning her first national collegiate championship.

In a women's competition that can be regarded as comparable to the World U20 Championships that ran concurrently in Sofia, Bulgaria, the Nippon Sports Science University freshman moved up to 55kg and cruised to the gold medal at the Japan collegiate championships held Aug. 15-18 in Tokyo.

"There were things I found I need to work on, and things that worked well," the 18-year-old Fujinami said. "I want to fix the small things in the leadup to the World Championships."

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Akari FUJINAMI counters a takedown attempt by Umi IMAI in the women's 55kg final.(Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation)

With three dominant wins without conceding a point, including a fall in the final over fellow Asian champion Umi IMAI, Fujinami will head to Belgrade riding a 103-match winning streak that dates back to 2017 and her junior high school days.

Fujinami, a 2018 world cadet (U17) champion, had qualified for the World U20 by winning the Junior Queens Cup title in April, which she followed up by adding her first senior Asian title later that month then securing her ticket to Belgrade with a victory at the domestic Meiji Cup in June.

But a trip to Sofia was taken off the table after taking into account a number of factors, which also played into her decision to wrestle at 55kg for the first time in her career (although she did win the 54kg title at the Asian U15 in 2018).

"It takes a toll to get down to 53kg many times," Fujinami said. "And thinking of the time needed to go overseas and come back, it's better to keep working hard here with the target of the World Championships. So I chose this [tournament]."

Wrestling at the heavier weight meant a new challenge and opponents with different physiques, but the two-time national senior champion was more than up to the task at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym.

"By entering 55kg, there is more power and I can find things to work on," she said. "At 55kg, I could give myself a test. After trying it, I feel a difference in power with 53kg, although the difference was not really that big."

After chalking up a pair of technical falls by a combined score of 21-0, Fujinami had her hands full with a determined Imai, a 2018 world junior (U20) champion who won her second senior Asian gold in April as a teammate of Fujinami's in Mongolia.

While Fujinami has earned a reputation for her lightning-quick single-leg takedowns, it was Imai who was the aggressor. Fujinami scored no offensive points, instead building up a 6-0 lead by countering three attacks by Imai, including the final time when she caught Imai and put her onto her back, finishing the match with a fall at 4:47.

Even so, Fujinami regarded the performance as a positive. "My counters were decisive," she said. "I didn't create chances to score from my own attacks. But I had foreseen that and thought I will have future matches like this. I went on the attack, but that also gave the opponent a chance to get in on a tackle."

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Akari FUJINAMI works for a fall against Umi IMAI in the women's 55kg final.(Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation)

Fujinami, whose father left his job as the coach of the high school she attended in central Japan to become the coach at NSSU in Tokyo, said she is enjoying her first year of college life. Although she won her world title last year prior to starting at NSSU in April, she feels like she's just one of the crowd at a school that produces top athletes in a variety of sports.

"I'm just a regular college student," said Fujinami, who lives with her father in a nearby apartment, where he does the majority of the cooking and housework. "There are many Olympic athletes all around me. I'm nothing special."

Fujinami has a single-minded goal of winning an Olympic gold medal, so it's no wonder that she can get a bit star-struck by someone who has already reached that lofty perch. She said that she recently got up the courage to ask Uta ABE, the women's 52kg gold medalist in judo at the Tokyo Olympics, to share a meal.

"It made me unbelievably happy," said Fujinami, who is three years Abe's junior. "She was so kind to me. It is really nice to have someone so close by who I respect so much."

While Fujinami would not go into details about what the two talked about, she said Abe is open to someday working out together and sharing techniques from the two sports. "I think it would be good for both of us," she said.

Fujinami never has to go far to be reminded of what hard work can achieve. Every day at practice she gets first-hand advice from, and an occasional thrashing by, NSSU coach Kaori ICHO, the only four-time female Olympic gold medalist in any sport.

"I get the chance to always be close to a great person like Icho," Fujinami said. "She won over 100 straight matches and has even greater records."

MATSUI Ken MATSUI battles with NSSU teammate Kuranosuke OKAWARA in the Greco 60kg final.(Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation)

Matsui, Yoshimoto rebound with titles

In other action, world champions Ken MATSUI and Remina YOSHIMOTO bounced back from losses that prevented them from being able to defend their world titles in Belgrade by winning collegiate crowns, although through very different routes.

NSSU's Matsui, who won the Greco 55kg gold last year in Oslo but lost out to Asian champion Yu SHIOTANI for the ticket to Belgrade, moved up to 60kg and needed come-from-behind victories in the final three of his four matches to snatch the gold.

"In June, I lost at the Meiji Cup and so I lost the chance to go to the World Championships," Matsui said. "Recently, when I'm at 55kg, I can't feel good about my match as I feel pressure to go out and win. By trying 60kg here, I was able to relax, and I thought I could simply enjoy wrestling."

His opponents hardly made it fun for Matsui. Moving up a weight class may have taken much of the pressure off him, it also made him more vulnerable while in the bottom of par terre position.

In the quarterfinals, he fell behind 9-4 against Senshu University's Keijiro SONE when he was tossed not once, but twice for 4 points. Matsui managed to come back and win 11-9, going ahead with :45 left.

In the final, Matsui defeated NSSU teammate Kuranosuke OKAWARA 4-2, scoring all four points by wiggling out from the bottom, getting behind and rolling his opponent out at the edge.

"My opponent in the final is a teammate, he knows my game, so it was tough going against him," Matsui said. "But I thought that definitely a chance would come my way, and I had to make sure not to let it get away. Normally, I can defend on the ground, but this time at 60kg, I could be turned, so I practiced standing up. If I could escape, I would avoid getting in dangerous positions."

Matsui, who also has a 2017 world cadet (U17) gold medal and 2019 world junior (U20) bronze to his credit, said that he was able to clear his head after the disappointment of losing to Shiotani both at the Meiji Cup and the subsequent world team playoff that followed.

"After the Meiji Cup, I went back to my home [in Aichi Prefecture] and did my student teaching for three weeks [in P.E. in high school]," Matsui said. "That allowed me to refresh my mind and get my thoughts in order. I had been down in the dumps and that was a good way to start anew. It was a good experience and a plus for my wrestling."

Will he be watching rival Shiotani at the World Championships?

"I don't want to watch, but if I don't, it won't be to my benefit," he said. "So I'll watch in support of all Japanese wrestlers who are entered."

Remina YOSHIMOTO works for a takedown in the women's 50kg final against Shigakkan teammate Minoriho YONEHARA. Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation)

Yoshimoto, a senior at Shigakkan University, earned her third national collegiate title--the 2020 tournament was canceled, preventing her from becoming a four-time champion--by ripping through the women's 50kg field with four straight technical falls without giving up a point.

Yoshimoto, the gold medalist in Oslo at 50kg, had her national team place usurped by Tokyo Olympic champion Yui SUSAKI, who returned to the mat to handily defeat Yoshimoto both in the Meiji Cup final and world team playoff.

Yoshimoto had to choke back tears when replying to a question about bouncing back from those losses.

"It was really heartbreaking," she said. "It's tough to think that 50kg is Yui's. But I have to accept it. The reality is that I lost, and that I lost completely. I accepted that and went back to practice."

Asked if she will watch the Belgrade worlds, she replied. "I will," but not just scout Susaki. "It's important to have a strategy, but no matter who the opponent is. I just want to pursue my own wrestling."

Yoshimoto's next shot at Susaki will come at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships in December, which will mark the start of the qualifying process for the 2024 Paris Olympics. It will also be her next competition.

"I have my student teaching coming up, so I can't go overseas," she said. "This will be the last tournament before December, and I will put everything into [the Emperor's Cup]."

Another medalist from the Oslo worlds who won't be going to Belgrade, NSSU's Rin MIYAJI, also came away with a collegiate title, taking the women's 68kg crown.

Miyaji won the silver medal at 68kg in Oslo, but suffered a serious knee injury in the final. She was in less-than-top shape at the Meiji Cup and lost in the semifinals to Ami ISHII, knocking her off the team to Belgrade.

Coming off a third-place finish at the Poland Open in July, she looked like a different person on the mat at Komazawa Gym, winning both of her matches by 10-0 technical falls.

"I got hurt at last year's World Championships, and I entered the Meiji Cup as my comeback tournament," Miyaji said. "At that time, because of the coronavirus, there were many times I couldn't practice. There was also still some fear factor. I couldn't be confident when I took the mat.

"This time, it was good because I was able to take the mat with confidence."

Taka Yudai TAKAHASHI won the freestyle 86kg title with his fifth straight technical fall of the competition. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation)

Belgrade-bound Takahashi triumphs

NSSU's Yudai TAKAHASHI, another wrestler who will be on the plane to Belgrade, moved up to freestyle 86kg and stormed to the gold in his final preparation for his second senior World Championships appearance.

The bullish Takahashi, who will wrestle at 79kg in Belgrade, strung together five technical falls in five matches, while allowing just a single point.

Asked if the move up was to provide a tougher challenge ahead of Belgrade, he replied, "It's also for the World Championships, but my ultimate goal is getting to the Olympics. This time I will be wrestling 79kg at the World Championships, so I want to win there and build momentum for the All-Japan Championships in December."

Takahashi first appeared at the worlds while still a high schooler in 2019, and he is now older, wiser and somewhat more self-assured.

"I went to the Asian Championships in April and I finished third, so it was a tournament where I gained a lot," Takahashi said. "That's no guarantee I can be successful [at the World Championships], but it made me aware of my strengths. But I have to build them up further, and the Asian Championships also brought up other things to work on. I want to overcome those issues."

Two of Takahashi's NSSU teammates pulled off the remarkable feat of completing the freestyle-Greco double. Hibiki ITO won titles in both styles at 97kg, while Tatsuya SHIRAI took the Greco gold at 87kg, then returned to the mat to win at freestyle 92kg.

Ito is one worth keeping an eye on just because he is such an anomoly in Japanese. He not only literally stands out because he stands 1.93 meters--an unheard-of height for a wrestler here--but also from an athleticism derived from his intriguing pedigree.

Ito's father Hiromichi competed at Greco 74kg at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, while his mother Keiko was a member of the Japanese women’s volleyball team that won a bronze medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. She stands 1.78 meters.

Ito said wrestling caught his eye as a youth, a decision that met no resistance from his mother. "I didn't think about [playing volleyball]," he said. "From the beginning, I went solely with wrestling under my father's influence. [My mother] said, wrestling's OK, you don't have to play volleyball."

Ito said he prefers freestyle, and will concentrate on that now as he aims for the Emperor's Cup in December, where he will look to avenge a loss in last year's final to 2021 Asian bronze medalist Takashi ISHIGURO.

"I haven't closed the gap yet [on Ishiguro]," he said. "The test will come in December and after that, so I'll do what I can to get closer."

#WrestleBelgrade

Taylor wins latest duel against Yazdani; Burroughs claims sixth gold

Friday, September 16, 2022 - 23:05 By Ken Marantz

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 16) -- With military-like precision and power, David TAYLOR (USA) came out on top in the latest edition of the top-gun rivalry that currently has the wrestling world abuzz.

Taylor avenged a loss to Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) at last year's World Championships with a well-earned 7-1 victory in the 86kg final, giving the American his second world title in one of four freestyle finals on Friday in Belgrade.

"This is the first time I've really gone into wrestling Yazdani with super strict intentions," Taylor said. "And I followed that. He's burning that fire for me to continue going. He's that barrier to me and a gold medal in Paris."

Earlier, Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) captured the 79kg title to tie Adeline GRAY (USA) for the most-ever world golds by an American with six, while an unheralded and unorthodox Japanese shed some rain on the American victory parade with a surprisingly one-sided win over Zain RETHERFORD (USA) in the 70kg final.

Taha AKGUL (TUR) captured the final title at stake on the seventh day of competition with a victory at 125kg, giving him a third world title and first since 2015.

David TAYLOR (USA) never let off the pressure against Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) in the 86kg final. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Taylor's victory over Yazdani was his fourth in five career meetings between the two superstars, the last three of which have come in global finals. Last year, Taylor came out on top 4-3 in the final of the Tokyo Olympics, an outcome Yazdani reversed three months later with a 6-2 win for the gold in Oslo.

"Going there and losing, it was hard," said Taylor, who said he at one time considered retiring.

In every previous match, Yazdani took the initial lead, and Friday night's clash was no exception. Yazdani received an activity point, but few could have foreseen that that would be the limit to his scoring.

After Yazdani tip-toed out of a takedown attempt, Taylor came right back at him and gained a single-leg takedown to lead 2-1 going into the second period. A sweeping tackle and a stepout off a single-leg attempt put the American up 5-1.

Yazdani looked like he was going to cut the lead to a manageable margin when he very nearly got behind for a takedown in the final minute, but Taylor reached back and prevented the Iranian from completing the move. Yazdani still had a shot when moved to the side for a crotch lift, but Taylor resisted that for a stalemate.

With Yazdani putting the pressure on to score, it was Taylor who came up with a final takedown to put the victory on ice.

Taylor said that for some time, he lost his desire to continue the sport, and only relit the flame through the support of his family and others around him.

"I tell you why this year has been so hard for me," he said. "I contemplated retiring multiple times. I just didn't know if I wanted to do it anymore. I've been at the top of what I want to do since I was a little kid. Olympic champion. I believe if I didn't go the World Championships, eight weeks later, I'd probably be done."

Taylor and Yazdani are both Olympic champions with the latter winning at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but became rivals when Yazdani made the move from 74kg up to Taylor's domain at 86kg.

In their first two encounters, Taylor won by fall at the 2017 World Cup, then 11-6 in the first round at the 2018 World Championships, which he won for his first senior world crown.

"We're the number one rivalry in the world for a reason," Taylor said. "You know, we're putting it on the line for wrestling. We're dog-tired out there. You know, it's just like, listen, that's what we're here for, you know. I mean, you gotta be a little bit showman, you know I am the Magic Man for a reason. I was able to be on top today and it feels pretty good."

Yazdani, a three-time champion, now has six world medals. Combined with his two from the Olympics, the 28-year-old has the most global medals in Iranian's storied history, with certainly more on the way in the years ahead.

"We'll go down to two greatest wrestlers of all time, we'll be battling to push each other the entire time so thankful for him," Taylor said. "But it feels good to be a champ."

Asked what he would tell Yazdani, Taylor replied, "Losing sucks. You're gonna get better, I'm gonna get better. And next year, we're gonna put it on the line again. I know you'll be there. I'll be there. And let's put another show for the fans. Give them something else to remember. That and the record books. I'll be there. I know you will, too. Let's go battle."

Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) is now a six-time world champion, the best record for a male USA wrestler. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

For Burroughs, his hard-fought 4-2 victory over Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) in the 79kg final -- a repeat of 2021 final which the American won 5-1 -- made him the most decorated wrestler in American history when taking into consideration both world and Olympic golds.

"I feel amazing," Burroughs said. "All I can say is, God is good. My family, my coaches, and my training partners. I just think about all of the people who put so much work into helping me get to this platform. You guys get to see the championships, the hard double-legs, and the commitment here, but you rarely get to see the definition of what makes a champion behind the scenes."

Burroughs now has seven combined golds, breaking a tie with the legendary John SMITH (USA), and 10 medals overall. "I thank John for pushing me indirectly," he said.

While Nokhodi received an activity point for the lone point of the first period, Burroughs was far and away the aggressor in the second, launching a succession of takedown attempts that bore fruit with one stepout and a trademark blast double-leg tackle for a takedown.

"The refs hadn't been giving me favorable calls throughout the week, so I knew I had to do something extra," Burroughs said. "But honestly, I just wanted a takedown. I knew he couldn't get to my legs."

An activity point for Burroughs and a late stepout by Nokhodi completed the scoring.

Burroughs won his first four world golds in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017 at 74kg, the same weight he won his lone Olympic title in London in 2012. He moved up to 79kg in 2021 and won gold No. 5. He also has bronze medals from 2014, 2018 and 2019.

For now, Burroughs said he has no thoughts of retiring, despite the demands of being one of the elites of the sport.

"Before every match, I always remind myself that I chose this," he said. "This is chosen suffering. It's difficult, it's hard, it's scary as heck, but I know that God equipped me with the right tools to be the person to go out there and do this repeatedly. I'm 34 years old, I'm the father of four, been married for almost a decade, and I'm still at the top of my game."

Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN) won the 70kg gold medal with a quick win over Zain RETHERFORD (USA) in the final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Earlier, Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN) had dealt the U.S. a shock when he powered to a 10-0 technical fall over Retherford in the 70kg final.

"I can't put it into words," the 24-year-old Narikuni said of his stunning win. "I really went through a lot. I finally made it to this point."

Narikuni, who first appeared on the world radar when he won the Asian title in April in his first major senior competition, scored a takedown on a counter, then added two points with an exposure in which he put his head between Retherford's legs, lifted up and rotated. He then transitioned to a lace lock.

"I thought I probably wouldn't get that chance again, so I wanted to end it there in one shot," he said. "If the match continued and gone longer, the match might have gone at his pace and I might have lost."

Reeling off three rolls, Narikuni ended the match in 2:10 for gold that he said he will not be defending next year. And not because he will be moving to an Olympic weight class. In fact, he won't even be wrestling freestyle.

"I'm planning to get away from freestyle for a while," Narikuni said. "Without having doubts, I think I can make it in Greco at 67kg. My thinking is to become a world champion in both styles. I won't concede to anyone. This had been my objective before I came here and I definitely think I can achieve it."

All of his life, Narikuni has felt like he was living in the shadow of a two-time world champion. And literally, he was, as it was his mother who won two world golds under her maiden name of Akiko IIJIMA in the 1990s.

She runs Gold Kids, the Tokyo wrestling club where he, Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) and a number of other top Japanese got their start in the sport, and where he is now a coach (he also works part-time at a karaoke parlor). Growing up, he developed a complex about being compared to his mother, and winning the gold in Belgrade puts him halfway to redeeming himself in his own eyes.

But equaling her with two golds is not enough. He will try to outdo her by winning the second title in Greco-Roman. He is no stranger to the style, having finished seventh at the world juniors 2017.

In fact, he might have already been wrestling that style, but the tournament he was going to enter to qualify in Greco for last year's national championships got canceled due to the pandemic.

"She won two titles, and I've only won one," Narikuni said. "I've closed the gap a little. If I win at Greco, no one can deny what I have done. If I don't win at Greco, I will never feel in my heart that I've caught up to her."

Narikuni is also an anomaly in that he spends little time actually wrestling in his training, preferring to mainly hit the weight room. The techniques that he has been learning as a toddler and the power he has built up have served him well.

Taha AKGUL (TUR) won the world title for the third time and first since 2015. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

In the last match of the night, Akgul won a clash of 2021 bronze medalists, scoring a single-leg takedown and a gut wrench in the second period to rally to a 6-2 win over Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL).

"It was very difficult," Akgul said. "The exhaustion from yesterday was very noticeable, but it's important that I won, to finally become world champion again after seven years and to show the world that I can still be the best."

Akgul had a stepout and received an activity point in the first period, but Munkhtur went ahead by opening the second with a takedown. Munkhtur was attempting to become Mongolia's first world gold medalist in freestyle since 1975.

Akgul was coming off a grueling 4-2 win in the semifinal over defending champion Amir ZARE (IRI), which he won with a takedown in the last second. He said that victory was about more than avenging a loss to Zare in last year's semifinals.

"I prepared well, my opponent beat me last year, but Zare made a "KING" gesture when he won," Akgul said. "Geno [Petrashvili] or I never did that. Respect is very important in sports. This move of mine was for him."

Asked about the difference between his two titles, Akgul replied, "Nothing has changed. I have lost twice in the final in the past, that was very annoying. I would have been world champion five times if that had not happened. If I stay healthy and train well, I can beat everyone."

Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) won a bronze medal with by beating Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ). (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Georgia, Kyrgyzstan take 2 bronzes each

Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), who once dominated the weight class along with Akgul in one of the sport's fiercest rivalries, picked up his seventh world medal when he outclassed Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ) 11-4 to take home one of the bronze medals at 125kg.

Petriashvili, who had a three-peat of world golds from 2017 to 2019, fell behind 4-2 early in the second period, but turned on the jets and reeled off nine unanswered points to give Georgia its second bronze of the night.

Earlier, Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO), a world champion in 2017, picked up his third world bronze and second in a row with a wild 5-5 victory over Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) at 70kg in a repeat of this year's European final.

Iakobishvili's 4-point takedown early in the second period proved the difference after Andreasyan tied the score at 5-5 with a takedown, but a 2-point title awarded by the referee was taken away when a challenge showed Iakobishvili's back never broke the 90-degree plane.

Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) countered Naveen MALIK (IND) attacks to win the bronze at 70kg. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ), the 2021 silver medalist and runner-up to Narikuni at the Asian Championships in April, won the other 70kg bronze and the first of two for Kyrgyzstan when he scored all of his points on counters in a 4-1 over Naveen MALIK (IND).

Malik opened the scoring with a stepoout, but that would be all that Akmataliev would concede as he continued to fend off the Indian's attacks, going ahead with a counter to exposure for a 2-1 lead. In the second period, he countered a double-leg attack and went behind to pad his lead to 4-1.

Zare took home the other 125kg bronze when he bounced back from a disappointing loss to Akgul in the semifinals by scoring four takedowns in an 8-0 loss to Amarveer DHESI (CAN), an important win for Iran in the team race with the rival U.S.

At 79kg, Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (KGZ) captured his country's second straight bronze of the night when he scored two takedowns in the second period in a 5-1 victory over Ali UMARPASHAEV (BUL).

The other 79kg bronze when to Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR), who gained a decisive stepout off a scramble with :15 left and edged veteran Olympic bronze medalist Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB), with the final score becoming 5-3 following a subsequent unsuccessful challenge.

Taking home the 86kg bronzes were Asian champion Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) and Boris MAKOEV (SVK).

Dauletbekov, limited to two points in the first period, overwhelmed Ethan RAMOS (PUR) in the second rolling to a 10-0 technical fall in 4:25 for his third career world medal. The loss kept Ramos, now an assistant coach at Duke University in the U.S., from becoming just the second world medalist in Puerto Rican history.

The Russian-born Makoev, a silver medalist in 2017 in his first year competing for Slovakia, was behind on criteria when he scored a takedown with a minute to go to defeat Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL) 3-1.

Defending world champion Thomas GILMAN (USA) reached the final at 57kg. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

U.S. puts 3 into finals

In the semifinals in three weight classes held earlier in the night session, it was an American trifecta as defending champions Thomas GILMAN (USA) and Kyle DAKE (USA) and 2021 bronze medalist Jden COX (USA) all advanced to Saturday night's finals. For both Dake and Cox, their final will be a rematch from the 2021 World Championships.

Gilman, a bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, got the juggernaut going at 57kg, when he used his snap-down attack to great effect for a comprehensive 8-2 win over 2018 world U23 bronze medalist Wanhao ZOU (CHN).

Keeping the pressure constantly on the Chinese, scored three takedowns from a snap-down setup, which he combined with an activity clock point and a stepout. Defensively, Gilman, who also has a 2017 world bronze, limited Zou to a pair of stepouts.

In the final, he will face Russian-born Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB), who scored a takedown and a counter lift for 2 in defeating American-born and bred Stevan MICIC (SRB) 6-1. Abakarov began competing for Albania this year with limited success, although he did win the Kolov-Petrov tournament in Bulgaria in February at 61kg.

Dake, aiming for his fourth consecutive world title and second straight at 74kg, survived a low-scoring but titanic battle with Asian champion Yones EMAMI (IRI) to eke out a 2-2 win.

Emami controlled the first period, taking a 2-0 lead with an activity point and a stepout from a counter, but it was only Dake's passive defense that prevented the Iranian from scoring more. Twice Dake managed to escape the situation when Emami got in deep on a single.

In the second period, Dake, also an Olympic bronze medalist in Tokyo, drove Emami to the edge and as they went out, then launched a backdrop. The call on the mat was for 4, but the Iranian side challenged. The move was reduced to a stepout, but an additional point was tacked on for fleeing, making it 2-2 with Dake holding the advantage on criteria.

Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) held off Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) 3-0 in the 74kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Standing between Dake and another world title will be Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), the same opponent he defeated 7-3 a year ago for the gold in Oslo.

Salkazanov scored a pair of stepouts to defeat two-time former world champion Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) 3-0 in the other semifinal. That was a repeat of this year's European Championships final, which Salkazanov won 7-5 for his second straight crown.

At 92kg, Cox will get a chance to avenge a semifinal loss at the same stage in Oslo that forced him to settle for a bronze medal when he takes on defending champion Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI).

Day 7 Results

Freestyle

57kg (31 entries)
Semifinal - Thomas GILMAN (USA) df. Wanhao ZOU (CHN), 8-2
Semifinal - Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB) df. Stevan MICIC (SRB), 6-1

70kg (28 entries)
Gold - Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN) df. Zain RETHERFORD (USA) by TF, 10-0, 2:20

Bronze - Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) df. Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM), 5-5
Bronze - Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) df. Naveen MALIK (IND), 4-1

74kg (34 entries)
Semifinal - Kyle DAKE (USA) df. Yones EMAMI (IRI), 2-2
Semifinal - Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) df. Frank CHAMIZO (ITA), 3-0

79kg (32 entries)
Gold - Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) df. Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI), 4-2

Bronze - Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (KGZ) df. Ali UMARPASHAEV (BUL), 5-1
Bronze - Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR) df. Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB), 5-3

86kg (30 entries)
Gold - David TAYLOR (USA) df. Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), 7-1

Bronze - Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) df. Ethan RAMOS (PUR) by TF, 10-0, 4:25
Bronze - Boris MAKOEV (SVK) df. Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL), 3-1

92kg (23 entries)
Semifinal - Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) df. Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), 5-0
Semifinal - Jden COX (USA) df. Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 7-0

125kg (24 entries)
Gold - Taha AKGUL (TUR) df. Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL), 6-2

Bronze - Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ), 11-4
Bronze - Amir ZARE (IRI) df. Amarveer DHESI (CAN), 8-0

Fujinami preps for Belgrade worlds with 1st Japan collegiate title

Comments

Taylor wins latest duel against Yazdani; Burroughs claims sixth gold