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

Kayaalp joins 5-time world champions' club; Japan women take 2 golds

Tuesday, September 13, 2022 - 20:53 By Ken Marantz

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 13) -- Even at less than 100 percent, Riza KAYAALP (TUR) can pack quite a wallop, which is why he has joined the elite list of five-time world champions.

Kayaalp emerged with a 1-1 victory on criteria in an intense tussle with Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) to take the 130kg title on Tuesday in the last Greco-Roman final on the program at the World Championships in Belgrade.

"It is a very nice feeling," said Kayaalp, who also has two silvers and two bronzes in his collection of world medals -- not to mention three Olympic medals.

"Hearing the national anthem is our goal. I am proud to represent my country. I think I will lie down for a few minutes because I am so exhausted."

In other action on the fourth day at Stark Arena, Japan's women got off to a good start as Mayu SHIDOCHI (JPN), who won the Tokyo Olympic gold at 53kg under her maiden name of MUKAIDA, captured her third world gold at 55kg, while rising star Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) dominated at 62kg for her first senior world title.

And two days after Kyrgyzstan's first-ever male world champion was crowned, Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) gave the central Asian nation a second with a dominant victory at Greco 60kg.

Riza KAYAALP (TUR) defeated Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) 1-1 in the 130kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

In the Greco 130kg final, Kayaalp was unable to score any technical points, as he did when he defeated Mirzazadeh 7-2 in the bronze-medal match at the Tokyo Olympics. But he got the second of the passivity points and was able to preserve the lead he held on criteria for the win.

Mirzazadeh, the 2021 world U23 champion, was presented with a second chance for par terre late in the match but opted to remain on his feet. Unable to score, his defeat left Iran with the rare result of having no Greco golds for the tournament.

Kayaalp's victory helped Turkey capture the team title with 125 points. Azerbaijan finished second with 118, while host Serbia, with an amazing four champions, was third with 110.

Kayaalp, who won the European gold earlier this year, said he had been battling a shoulder injury and other ailments over the past two months during his preparation for Belgrade.

"Preparing for the World Championships with the injuries was very hard for me, especially in the last training camp it is very important to stay injury free," Kayaalp said. "I knew that the injuries will affect me in the final fight, so I changed my tactic a little bit. My defense is very good and we knew that."

Mayu SHIDOCHI (JPN) picked up her third world title at 55kg. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

She may have a new name and was in a different weight class, but it was pure Shidochi who stormed to the women's 55kg gold with her fourth technical fall in five matches, without conceding a point.

Shidochi managed to finish up a 10-0 win over Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) just before the end of the first period to add to the world titles at 55kg that she previously won in 2015 and 2018. She also has two silvers at 53kg.

Khomenets appeared to suffer an ankle injury when Shidochi scored her second takedown to go up 4-0, and offered little resistance when the Japanese got a takedown and then immediately executed a roll and an exposure to end the match at 2:59.

Shidochi, whose husband and coach Shota was in her corner in Belgrade -- the two got married after the Olympics -- was competing overseas for the first time since her triumph in Tokyo.

"The Tokyo Olympics was an international event, but it was held in my country, so it didn't have the feel of being international," Shidochi said. "This time, I felt like it was an overseas event for the first time in a long time. I was a bit nervous in the first match, but in that feeling, I wanted to put out everything I had. I feel that I kept moving up to the end."

The tournament is only a prelude to what lies ahead. Shidochi plans to return to 53kg for the Japan championships in December, which is the starting point for qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics. That puts her on a collision course with teen star Akari FUJINAMI (JPN), the 2021 world champion who missed this tournament due to a foot injury.

"After the Tokyo Olympics, heading to the Paris Olympics, I regard myself as the challenger and that's how I approached [this tournament]. I concentrated on each and every match and it's great that I was able to win out."

Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) upgraded her 2021 bronze to gold by beating Kayla MIRACLE (USA) in the 62kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Ozaki also faces domestic competition that arguably exceeds that outside of Japan. She needed to defeat Tokyo Olympic champion Yukako KAWAI (JPN) to make the team to Belgrade and will have to do so again in the year ahead. Should she make the team, a victory at next year's World Championships will automatically secure a place at Paris 2024.

"I'm really happy, but when I was taking the medal podium, I thought if I'm not here again next year, I can't be satisfied," Ozaki said.

Having finished third last year in Oslo, Ozaki for now is content with accomplishing a goal of winning a senior world title, which she did with a 10-0 technical fall over Kayla MIRACLE (USA) in the 62kg final.

"For the final, all I thought was, I really want to win, I want to win," Ozaki said. "I wanted to relax, but my desire to win was so strong that I may have rushed things. But it was big that I was able to string together points. I think I had a good match."

Ozaki, like many Japanese women, likes to go directly to the lace lock and end their match quickly. Against Miracle, she was only able to complete two rolls after her first takedown. But she stayed patient and got two more takedowns to complete the mission.

"After getting a takedown, going right to work on the ground to end the match is the best style for winning for me," said Ozaki, who won the world U20 title last month. "Even if I can't do that, I use the three minutes and win in whatever way I can. After I scored six points, I thought there was still time and it would be alright if it went into the second period."

Ozaki, who is a product of the JOC Elite Academy that also produced Olympic champions Yui SUSAKI (JPN) and Takuto OTOGURO (JPN), is a rarity in Japan in that instead of going to a university that is a wrestling powerhouse, she took the academic route and passed the entrance exam for prestigious Keio University. The demands of being a true scholar-athlete add to her burden.

"I've had tough times," Ozaki said. "Wrestling was most on my mind, but I also had my studies. I was able to accomplish everything I wanted to. That it all came together here, it's the best."

Zholoman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) became Kyrgyzstan's second Greco-Roman world champ in Belgrade. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

For Sharshenbekov, the victory by compatriot Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) at 77kg on Sunday night may have cost him a place in history, but it also served as motivation after he had to settle for the silver medal last year in Oslo.

In the final, Sharshenbekov built up a big lead with a 4-point throw and went on to defeat 20-year-old European silver medalist Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) by an 11-2 technical fall in 2:30.

"After Akzhol won his final the other day, it gave me a lot of motivation and strength to win my gold medal as well," said Sharshenbekov, this year's Asian champion.

A 2-point penalty, an unsuccessful challenge and the 4-pointer put Sharshenbekov up 7-0 before Nazaryan, whose father Armen was a two-time Olympic champion, came back with a takedown when he slipped out of a throw attempt.

But that only delayed the inevitable as Sharshenbekov scored a takedown and added a throw to end the proceedings.

World champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) returned empty-handed from Belgrade. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Tynybekova leaves empty-handed

Two-time world champion and Olympic silver medalist Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) will leave Belgrade empty-handed after a furious comeback in her women's 62kg bronze-medal match fell short against Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR), who ended the bout in a cradle but an 8-7 victory.

Prokopevniuk, a three-time world U23 medalist, took a 7-2 lead early in the second period with a 4-point leg trip and a spin-behind takedown. Tynybekova cut the gap with an arm-drag takedown and a penalty. With the clock ticking down, Tynybekova secured a cradle and put the Ukrainian on her back for 2 but needing a fall, she ran out of time. An unsuccessful challenge made it 8-7.

Karla GODINEZ (CAN) defeated Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) 6-2 in the 55kg bronze medal bout. (Photo: UWW / Kostandin Andonov)

In other third-place matches, Karla GODINEZ (CAN) will be taking home one of the women's 55kg bronzes, but sister Ana GODINEZ (CAN) came up just short in a bid for one at 62kg.

Karla scored two takedowns in the first period and went on to defeat Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) 6-2, while Ana fell into a 4-point hole against Xiaojuan LUO (CHN), but a comeback still left her on the short end of a 4-3 decision.

"Hasn’t sunk in yet," Karla said. "When I think about this I am like ‘Wow!’ Yes, I wanted the gold, but winning the bronze just shows that I am growing and that is a huge deal."

The sisters, born in Mexico, relocated to Canada with their family while in elementary school under the pretense that they were going to visit Disneyland. They both started wrestling in their late teens and won Pan American titles this year.

"I have only been wrestling for six years, so I have to put triple the time in to catch up to these girls," Karla said. "I am constantly working.”

In the other 55kg match, 2019 Asian champion Mengyu XIE (CHN) snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat by scoring a fall over 2019 world champion Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) after trailing 12-4.

Winchester had scored a takedown and was attempting to execute a gut wrench that would end the match, but Xie stepped over and caught the American on her back. Xie eventually broke down Winchester's bridge and secured the fall at 4:56.

Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) won a bronze medal at 60kg. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

In Greco-Roman, it wasn't the color he wanted, but two-time world champion Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) will leave Belgrade with a bronze medal at 60kg after defeating Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) 5-1.

Fumita, still feeling the sting of losing the final at the Tokyo Olympics, scored two points with a headlock that stopped a roll from par terre, then had a gut wrench of his own when he was on top.

In the other 60kg match, Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) added to the world bronze he won in 2018 with a 7-1 victory over Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN). The 2021 Asian champion took the lead for good in the first period with an arm-drag takedown and roll to go ahead 5-1.

At 130kg, Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU) won his first world medal in four appearances with a 3-1 victory over Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO). Knystautas got a second chance in par terre and he took advantage, hitting a gut wrench with a half-minute to go for the decisive points.

Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU) pulled a rabbit out of the hat and stunned four-time Asian medalist Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) 5-3 to take the other 130kg bronze.

Trailing 3-1 late in the second period, Alexuc Ciurariu got a pair of stepouts, then scored a snap-down takedown with :11 left for the victory. It was his first medal in nine trips to the senior World Championships.

Samar HAMZA (EGY) became the first wrestler to reach the world final in women's wrestling. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Hamza makes history; Susaki powers through

In the semifinals in four women's weight classes held earlier in the night session, Samar HAMZA (EGY) made more history when she became the first from her country to make a women's world final after rallying for a 3-2 victory over veteran Epp MAE (EST) at 76kg.

Hamza, who became Egypt's first-ever female world medalist when she took the bronze last year in Oslo, was trailing 2-0 after surrendering two activity-clock points. With Mae on the clock, Hamza scored a go-behind takedown with :25 left to go up on criteria, then got the activity point for good measure.

In Wednesday's final, the five-time African champion will face Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Yasemin ADAR (TUR), who had to put on a late comeback of her own to defeat Genesis REASCO (ECU) 4-3 in the other semifinal. Down 3-0, Adar scored a takedown and added a lace-lock roll for the win.

Hamza will have her work cut out for her if she wants to take home the gold. The two met at this year's Mediterranean Games, where Adar scored a 10-0 victory.

Yui SUSAKI (JPN) secured a fall in her 50kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

In other action, Olympic champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) found another, equally devastating way to vanquish her opponent when she powered into the women's 50kg final with a victory by fall over Miesinnei GENESIS (NGR).

Susaki, who used her trademark lace-lock roll to such deadly effect in winning her first two matches in a combined 71 seconds, couldn't get that move going. So she switched to a chicken wing after her second takedown of the match and levered the African over for the fall at 2:25.

Susaki, looking to add to the world titles she won in 2017 and 2018, remains undefeated in her career against non-Japanese opponents.

In the final, she will face 2021 world bronze medalist Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL), who knocked off last year's runner-up and Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) 6-2.

Hildebrandt struck first with a takedown, but Dolgorajav answered with one of her own, then added a 2-point exposure while stopping a roll attempt. In the second period, she fought out of one single-leg attempt, then spun out of another for a clinching takedown.

At 65kg, 2021 world silver medalist Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) kept her gold-medal hopes alive with a 3-0 victory over 2020 European champion Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL).

Morikawa, this year's Asian champion, received an activity-clock point in each period and scored with a stepout in the second.

In the other semifinal, Jia LONG (CHN) overcame a five-point deficit against world U23 champion Koumba LARROQUE (FRA), scoring all of her points in the second period to scrape out a 9-7 victory. She notched the deciding takedown with :40 left.

Mongolia will have a second wrestler in Wednesday's finals after Asian silver medalist Khulan BATKHUYAG (MGL) pulled off a miracle comeback to defeat 2021 world junior champion Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) at 53kg.

Malmgren had dominated the match, scoring a takedown and exposure for a 4-0 lead in the first period, then started the second period with another takedown. But Batkhuyag never gave up and managed to get a half-nelson from standing and muscled Malmgren onto her back for a fall at 4:54.

Batkhuyag will face Dominique PARRISH (USA), a 3-1 winner over European silver medalist Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE), in the gold-medal match to decide who will ascend to the throne left empty when reigning champion Fujinami became a late withdrawal. Japan did not send a replacement.

Day 4 Results

Greco-Roman

60kg (29 entries)
Gold- Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) df. Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) by TF, 11-2, 2:30

Bronze - Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) df. Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN), 7-1
Bronze - Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) df. Murad MAMMADOV (AZE), 5-1

130kg (25 entries)
Gold- Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI), 1-1

Bronze - Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU) df. Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO), 3-1
Bronze - Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU) df. Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), 5-3

Women's Wrestling

50kg (22 entries)
Semifinal - Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL) df. Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA), 6-2
Semifinal - Yui SUSAKI (JPN) df. Miesinnei GENESIS (NGR) by Fall, 2:25 (8-0)

53kg (23 entries)
Semifinal - Khulan BATKHUYAG (MGL) df. Emma MALMGREN (SWE) by Fall, 4:54 (2-6)
Semifinal - Dominique PARRISH (USA) df. Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE), 3-1

55kg (17 entries)
Gold- Mayu SHIDOCHI (JPN) df. Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) by TF, 10-0, 2:59

Bronze - Mengyu XIE (CHN) df. Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) by Fall, 4:56 (6-12)
Bronze - Karla GODINEZ (CAN) df. Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA), 6-2

62kg (24 entries)
Gold- Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) df. Kayla MIRACLE (USA) by TF, 10-0, 2:28

Bronze - Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) df. Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ), 8-7
Bronze - Xiaojuan LUO (CHN) df. Ana GODINEZ (CAN), 4-3

65kg (14 entries)
Semifinal - Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL), 3-0
Semifinal - Jia LONG (CHN) df. Koumba LARROQUE (FRA), 9-7

76kg (25 entries)
Semifinal - Yasemin ADAR (TUR) df. Genesis REASCO (ECU), 4-3
Semifinal - Samar HAMZA (EGY) df. Epp MAE (EST), 3-2

Fujinami preps for Belgrade worlds with 1st Japan collegiate title

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Kayaalp joins 5-time world champions' club; Japan women take 2 golds