#JapanWrestling

Higuchi, Susaki reign supreme as two Olympic champs tumble

By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (December 24) -- On a day that saw two of her fellow Tokyo Olympic champions tumble to defeat, Yui SUSAKI remained as rock steady as always, while Rei HIGUCHI gave his ambitions for an elusive Olympic gold a further boost.

Susaki continued her dominance of Remina YOSHIMOTO, who held the national and world titles in her absence, cruising to an 8-0 victory in the women's 50kg final at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships on Saturday in Tokyo for her first title since 2019.

Higuchi, coming off winning his first world title at freestyle 61kg, defeated Asian bronze medalist Rikuto ARAI 8-4 to regain the national title at 57kg, the weight class in which he won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics that he is looking to better in Paris in two years.

Meanwhile, a highly anticipated clash between Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI and 2021 world champion Akari FUJINAMI at women's 53kg was put on hold after world 55kg champion Haruna OKUNO crashed the party by beating Shidochi for the first time in 10 career meetings.

Yukako KAWAI became the second Olympic casualty when the gold medalist at women's 62kg was overwhelmed in the semifinals by world 59kg bronze medalist Sakura MOTOKI, who earned a meeting in the final with reigning world champion Nonoka OZAKI.

Takuto OTOGURO, ending a long hiatus with his first competition since winning the Olympic gold at freestyle 65kg, avoided the upset bug by storming into the final with a pair of 10-0 technical falls. Like Susaki and Higuchi, his last national title came in 2019.

For the top wrestlers, the tournament at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym is serving as the first of two domestic qualifying tournaments for next year's World Championships in Belgrade, where the first spots in the 2024 Paris Olympics will be up for grabs.

A medal in an Olympic weight won by a Japanese in Belgrade means an automatic ticket to Paris, thus adding urgency to making the team. Those who lose at the Emperor's Cup will get another shot in June at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships.

Yui SUSAKI (JPN)Yui SUSAKI scores with a counter lift in the women's 50kg final against Remina YOSHIMOTO. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki/Japan Wrestling Federation)

Susaki, whose close call with nearly missing out on the Tokyo Olympics has been well documented, is determined to be in Paris to defend her title and is leaving nothing to chance. As she has done throughout this history-making year, on Saturday she wrestled calmly and decisively, taking advantage of every opportunity and not giving her opponent any openings.

"This is the first step in the qualifying process for the Paris Olympics, and I was able to achieve what I set out to do," Susaki said.

Unlike her typical matches in which she gets a takedown and then rips off four straight lace-lock rolls for a quick victory, Susaki scored all of her points in different ways against Yoshimoto, who had ascended to the national throne in 2020 and 2021 that Susaki had abdicated.

Susaki started with a takedown off a single-leg for a 2-0 lead, then added four points with a counter lift and a gut wrench to go into the break up 6-0. In the second period, Susaki forced a stalemate from a Yoshimoto shot, then spun behind after countering another in the final seconds for her final takedown. She had now beaten Yoshimoto in all five of their career matches.

Yui SUSAKI (JPN)Yui SUSAKI celebrates her victory in the women's 50kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki/Japan Wrestling Federation)

It was a much cleaner and well-executed victory than her 4-2 win over Yoshimoto in the final of the Meiji Cup last June, which remains the only time Susaki has been scored upon in her last 23 matches dating back to early 2021.

"At the Meiji Cup, I watched for the opponent to make a move and didn't stay on the attack to the end, which I regretted," Susaki said. "This time, I kept attacking, so I feel I've cleared that issue."

Susaki, who this year regained the world title she had previously won in 2017 and 2018 in September in Belgrade, also picked up the only major title missing from her collection a month later by capturing the world U23 gold. That completed an unprecedented "Grand Slam" of Olympic gold and all four age-group titles.

Asked about the pressure of Olympic qualifying, she replied, "I don't feel tension. Like before the Tokyo Olympics, I feel more excited that the qualifying for the Olympics has started."

Susaki said she watched the other Olympic champions fall on a monitor in the warmup room, and that it makes her more determined to maintain her focus on the journey ahead.

"The younger wrestlers and others all have their own goals and have been making progress in trying to achieve them," Susaki said. "It makes me feel I have to keep trying even harder and aim higher."

Rei HIGUCHI (JPN)Rei HIGUCHI won his first world title in September in Belgrade at 61kg. (Photo: UWW/Kadir Caliskan)

Higuchi's victory in the 57kg final, which gave him his fourth career title, was noteworthy in that his opponent spent about half of the match on his back, a credit perhaps to him that he could avoid the fall. The two often practice together at Nippon Sport Science University, where they are both alumni.

Early in the match, Higuchi caught Arai in a cradle to his back, then switched it to a Turk ride with a cross-face. For more than two minutes, Arai managed to keep a shoulder off the mat until he was saved by the buzzer ending the period.

Higuchi added a takedown off a counter to go up 6-0. But Arai, who had knocked off 2021 world 61kg bronze medalist Toshihiro HASEGAWA in the quarterfinals, came back to life with a counter lift and gut wrench to cut the lead to two.

Higuchi then put the match away with a single-leg attack to exposure, from which he again went to the Turk ride and cross-face and held Arai on his back for the final 1:10 of the match.

"This is the first of the tournaments that I have to win out at, but I went in with the feeling of being the challenger and stayed relaxed and stayed aggressive," Higuchi said. "In the final, after I gave up points I immediately came back and scored myself. I give myself a passing grade for the effort."

For Higuchi, the effort involves a battle with the scale. He famously failed to make weight for the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament, which indirectly led to him missing out on the Tokyo Games.

When it comes to strength and skill, he said he feels he showed he could more than hold his own by winning the world title in the heavier weight class.

"Losing weight is tough," he said. "I was able to win the world title at 61kg. I showed I had the power and technique to be No. 1 in the world. I think I brought that to 57kg."

In other finals, 2021 world bronze medalist Sae NANJO followed up her semifinal victory over world champion Tsugumi SAKURAI by regaining the women's 57kg title with a victory over Asian 59kg champion Sara NATAMI.

Leading 1-0 in the second period, Nanjo countered a single-leg shot by Natami by slapping a cradle on her, then twisted her onto her back for a fall in 4:01. The victory gave Nanjo her fourth career title and first since 2020.

Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN)Kyotaro SOGABE celebrates his victory in the Greco 67kg final over Katsuaki ENDO.  (Photo: Takeo Yabuki/Japan Wrestling Federation)

Collegian Kyotaro SOGABE finally reached the pinnacle that has been expected of him since his days as a high school star, beating defending champion and senior training partner Katsuaki ENDO 9-3 for the gold in Greco 67kg.

Sogabe led 3-1 when he came up on top in a late second-period scramble, then added a pair of gut wrenches to avenge a loss in the Meiji Cup final last June to Endo, an Asian bronze medalist this year and 2018 world U23 champion.

A junior at Endo's alma mater of Nippon Sports Science University, Sogabe finished second at this year's Wladyslaw Pytlasinski Cup in Warsaw, which he followed with a world U20 bronze medal.

Not bad for a wrestler who won three national high school titles despite the fact that his high school in rural Ehime Prefecture did not have a team, forcing him to practice at another school.

Takuto OTOGURO (JPN)Takuto OTOGURO puts the pressure on Kaiji OGINO during their semifinal match at freestyle 65kg. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki/Japan Wrestling Federation)

Otoguro, Fujinami cruise

Following the Tokyo Olympics, Japan's medalists all took some time off before gradually returning to the mat. Otoguro was the last one to end his hiatus, and his performance Saturday made it look like he had never been away.

And technically speaking, he wasn't. He may not have been competing, but he was still practicing hard as a member of the Self-Defense Forces Physical Training School team.

"In the past, I've gone a year or two without a competitive match, and then suddenly came back," said Otoguro, who has endured his share of injuries. "Because of that experience, it wasn't like there was anything different than usual this time. Instead of matches, I'm practicing every day. So I've got a solid foundation."

In the semifinals, Otoguro easily defeated Kaiji OGINO -- a student at Otoguro's alma mater of Yamanashi Gakuin University -- by 10-0 technical fall in 1:49 to advance to the final against world U23 bronze medalist Ryoma ANRAKU.

Fujinami is also returning from a layoff, although hers was unforced as injuries forced her to skip both the senior worlds and the world U23. She said she has completely recovered, and showed it with back-to-back technical falls to advance to the women's 53kg final against Okuno.

"It was my first match in four months, and I feel I've got my mat sense back leading into tomorrow," said Fujinami, whose victories extended her current winning streak to 105 matches that includes those in the run to the 2021 senior world title.

The 19-year-old Fujinami has beaten Okuno in all three of their previous encounters, most recently a 4-0 victory in the final at last June's Meiji Cup.

Haruna OKUNO (JPN)Haruna OKUNO, left, notched her first victory over Mayu SHIDOCHI in 10 career meetings to advance to the women's 53kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki/Japan Wrestling Federation)

But Okuno, a two-time senior world champion who added a third world U23 gold this year, showed she might be a different wrestler than before with her stunning win over Shidochi.

In a match that saw only a few shots, all defended well by both wrestlers, Okuno defeated Shidochi 3-1 with all but one point scored on the activity clock. Okuno was on the receiving end of two of them, then clinched the match when Shidochi stepped out while having Okuno in a front headlock with :32 left.

Neither wrestler made themselves available to the media after the match.

Sakura MOTOKI (JPN)Sakura MOTOKI gains control of Yukako KAWAI during their women's 62kg semifinal match. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki/Japan Wrestling Federation)

Kawai also wouldn't offer any comments on her one-sided loss to Motoki, who stormed to a 9-2 victory in which all of the points were scored in the first period.

Motoki opened with a pair of takedowns, then added two two-point exposures from a chicken wing hold. Kawai had a chance to snatch a victory when she put Motoki on her back during a scramble, but Motoki squirmed free and scored a reversal.

When the final buzzer sounded, Kawai dropped to her knees, having apparently suffered a left leg injury sometime during the bout. She had to be helped off the mat.

The victory earns Motoki a clash with one of Japan's hottest wrestlers, Nonoka OZAKI, who has put together a string of titles this year that include the world U20, senior and U23 titles in succession over a three-month span. She also beat Kawai in the Meiji Cup final in June.

The 19-year-old Ozaki's lone loss dating back to August 2017 came in the second round of the 2021 World Championships to eventual champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ), a defeat she has since avenged. She advanced to the final on Sunday with a pair of technical falls.

"This is one tournament related to qualifying for the Paris Olympics, so I prepared myself more than I had ever done before and am confident of winning the title," Ozaki said. "My spirit is in sync with my body and I'm moving very well."

As for the unexpected change in her final opponent, she said, "I never concern myself with who the opponent is, only that I do what I need to do. I'm always nervous in a match and have various emotions, but this tournament I'm really enjoying myself, so I have good vibes going."

At Greco 60kg, Olympic silver medalist Kenichiro FUMITA advanced to the final with a 9-0 technical fall over Kosei TAKESHITA as he aims for his fourth career title and first in two years.

He will face Maito KAWANA, who defeated defending champion Ayata SUZUKI in the quarterfinals.

Day 3 Results

Freestyle

57kg (11 entries)
Gold - Rei HIGUCHI df. Rikuto ARAI, 8-4

Bronze - Ryuto SAKAKI df. Toshihiro HASEGAWA, 4-1
Bronze - Yuto NISHIUCHI df. Yuki TAKAHASHI by Def.

65kg (14 entries)
Semifinal - Takuto OTOGURO df. Kaiji OGINO by TF, 10-0, 1:29
Semifinal - Ryoma ANRAKU df. Yujiro UENO, 8-1

70kg (14 entries)
Gold - Yoshinosuke AOYAGI df. Daiju SUZUKI, 8-1

Bronze - Toki OGAWA df. Keitaro ONO, 10-4
Bronze - Taishin YAMAJI df. Ryota UCHIYAMA by Fall, 1:55 (5-0)

Semifinal - Yoshinosuke AOYAGI df. Toki OGAWA, 3-0
Semifinal - Daiju SUZUKI df. Ryota UCHIYAMA, 5-3

79kg (14 entries)
Gold - Yajuro YAMAZAKI df. Kosuke YAMAKURA, 6-0

Bronze - Takahiro MURAYAMA df. Kohei KITAMURA by TF, 10-0, :51
Bronze - Kota ABE df. Kenshin YAMAJI by Def.

Semifinal - Yajuro YAMAZAKI df. Takahiro MURAYAMA, 4-0
Semifinal - Kosuke YAMAKURA df. Kenshin YAMAJI by TF, 12-0, 1:19

86kg (14 entries)
Gold - Hayato ISHIGURO df. Yudai TAKAHASHI, 4-2

Bronze - Taisei MATSUYUKI df. Shota SHIRAI by Def.
Bronze - Fumiya IGARASHI df. Ryuki YOSHIDA by Def.

Greco-Roman

60kg (11 entries)
Semifinal - Kenichiro FUMITA df. Kosei TAKESHITA by TF, 9-0, 1:59
Semifinal - Maito KAWANA df. Yuto GOMI, 7-0

67kg (13 entries)
Gold - Kyotaro SOGABE df. Katsuaki ENDO, 9-3

Bronze - Haruto YABE df. Yuji UEGAKI, 3-1
Bronze - Eito NISHIDA df. Shigeki TSUTSUMI, 5-2

77kg (13 entries)
Gold - Kodai SAKURABA df. Nao KUSAKA by TF, 10-1, 5:43

Bronze - Tatsuya FUJII df. Shohei YABIKU, 3-3
Bronze - Minto MAEDA df. Naoki KADODE by TF, 9-0, 1:56

82kg (12 entries)
Gold - Yuya MAEDA df. Masao TANAKA, 7-5

Bronze - Daizo TANIZAKI df. Muuto SAWADA by TF, 8-0, 4:10
Bronze - Desshin HIGUCHI df. Kiriru SHIMABUKURO, 9-5

Semifinal - Masao TANAKA df. Muuto SAWADA, 9-4
Semifinal - Yuya MAEDA df. Kiriru SHIMABUKURO by TF, 9-0, 3:33

Women

50kg (16 entries)
Gold - Yui SUSAKI df. Remina YOSHIMOTO, 8-0

Bronze - Umi ITO df. Nanami IRIE by TF, 10-0, :48
Bronze - Hanano SAKURAI df. Haruna MORIKAWA by TF, 10-0, 2:21

53kg (9 entries)
Semifinal - Akari FUJINAMI df. Mako ONO by TF, 10-0, :28
Semifinal - Haruna OKUNO df. Mayu SHIDOCHI, 3-1

57kg (10 entries)
Gold - Sae NANJO df. Sara NATAMI by Fall, 4:01 (5-0)

Bronze - Tsugumi SAKURAI df. Ibuki TAMURA by Def.
Bronze - Yumeka TANABE df. Umi IMAI, 6-4

62kg (11 entries)
Semifinal - Nonoka OZAKI df. Nayu UCHIDA by TF, 10-0, 3:57
Semifinal - Sakura MOTOKI df. Yukako KAWAI, 9-2

#JapanWrestling

Fumita returns to book ticket to Belgrade; Sakurai, Ishii make it

By Ken Marantz

TACHIKAWA, Japan  (July 1) -- Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Kenichiro FUMITA managed to defy the doctor and recover enough to make it onto the mat for the world team playoff. Having come this far, neither Maito KAWANA nor a nasty gash over his eye was going to stop him.

Fumita defeated Kawana 3-1 to secure the Greco-Roman 60kg spot on Japan's team to this year's World Championships as the seven final places in Olympic weight classes were decided on Saturday in Tachikawa in western Tokyo.

"Among competitions in which I wasn't in perfect condition, I came into this tournament in the lowest I have been, and could not move as I wanted," said Fumita, who was forced to withdraw from the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships two weeks ago due to a torn right hamstring.

The Meiji Cup was the second of Japan's two domestic qualifiers for the World Championships, along with the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships held last December. Winners of both automatically earned places on the team to Belgrade; in cases where the champions were different, a playoff would decide matters.

Also earning tickets to Belgrade were women's world 57kg champion Tsugumi SAKURAI and Ikuei University teammate and world 68kg silver medalist Ami ISHII -- both with dramatic victories -- while world 76kg bronze medalist Yuka KAGAMI took a gamble and made it pay off to earn a return trip to the worlds.

Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN)Kenichiro FUMITA works to turn Maito KAWANA in the Greco 60kg playoff. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation / Takeo YABUKI)

With his victory, Fumita will get a chance to regain the world title he won in 2017 and 2019 and improve on his bronze-medal finish from 2022. But more importantly, it gives him a chance to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, where making amends for his Tokyo silver holds top priority.

The Japan Federation has decreed that any wrestler in an Olympic weight class who wins a medal at the World Championships will automatically fill the spot in Paris themselves.

"The biggest reason [for my win] is that I want to get back to the Olympics and win a gold medal," Fumita said.

Fumita had won the Emperor's Cup by beating Kawana in the final but was forced to miss the Meiji Cup when he tore a hamstring in practice in early May. Kawana won the title in his absence to earn the place in the playoff.

Fumita said that the doctor who diagnosed his injury said it would take 12 weeks to heal. That ruled him out of the Meiji Cup, but he was determined to make it back in time for the playoff.

"At the Meiji Cup, I saw my Nittaidai teammates do so well," said Fumita, using the familiar name for his alma mater, Nippon Sports Science University, where he and other alums still train. "It was tough to watch. But I watched the Meiji Cup with a positive outlook. That really gave me motivation."

Fumita spent three weeks completely away from the mat after the injury and did what he could to prepare, including adding swimming to his training regimen. It worked somewhat, but he acknowledged he wasn't at his best.

"Up to now, I've never cramped during a match," he said. "But it happened now. Usually before a match, I jump in the air twice. But when I jumped today, I already started to feel I was cramping up. I was really surprised. In this condition, I wrestled at my limit."

In the match, Fumita was put into par terre first and, while not even attempting a big throw, managed to lever Kawana over for a 2-point roll. Early in the second period, a clash of heads left him with a bloody gash over his left eye that required his head to be wrapped. When put on the bottom, he resisted and held on for the victory.

"Still, I was able to fight to the end," Fumita said. "I took [the points] that I could get, and defended well to keep from giving up points. I think that was from what I learned while I was injured."

Among the small crowd at Dome Tachikawa Tachihi was the 27-year-old Fumita's wife and baby daughter Hazuki, who was born in January. "I only want my daughter to see me winning," he said with a smile.

Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN)Tsugumi SAKURAI, red, has now beaten Sae NANJO in four of five career matches at women's 57kg, all victories in the final seconds. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation / Takeo YABUKI)

Sakurai deals Nanjo yet another last-second loss

For the fourth time in five meetings between the two, Sakurai left it until the final seconds in handing world U23 champion Sae NANJO a heartbreaking defeat.

Sakurai scored a 2-point exposure off a front headlock in the last second -- and which was only awarded after a challenge -- to edge Nanjo 2-2 on last-point criteria and earn a shot a defending her 57kg world title.

"The match was tough and I couldn't control the flow," Sakurai said. "At the end, I was fighting on sheer will and was able to get the points and win."

In the Meiji Cup final, Sakurai was awarded a takedown with less than a second left on the clock, which was upheld on a challenge, to defeat Nanjo 5-2 and avenge a loss in the Emperor's Cup semifinals.

On Saturday, Nanjo came out strong and scored a shrug-by single-leg takedown in the first period. It looked like that would be enough as she continually fended off Sakurai's attacks well into the second period.

But Sakurai managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat yet again. Gaining a front headlock with seven seconds left, her first attempt at a roll went nowhere. But she tried again with all of her might, and it just got Nanjo's shoulders to break the 90-degree plane, although the referees did not see it that way.

Sakurai's look of despondency suddenly turned to joy when the mat chairman announced that she had indeed earned the points.

"Honestly speaking, I wasn't sure if I turned her or not," said Sakurai. "I had to go for it and just tried the move. Seeing the video, it looked like I got her over."

At the Emperor's Cup, Nanjo had finally gotten the best of Sakurai by taking a five-point lead and holding on for a 5-4 win in the semifinals. That was after Sakurai had scored last-second victories in their two previous meetings, at the 2021 Emperor’s Cup and at last year's Meiji Cup.

"I've been in this situation before and I was able to win, so I wasn't anxious," Sakurai said. "I've faced this opponent a number of times and I've gotten single-leg takedowns, but she was on the lookout for that. There was a moment in there I thought I was going to lose, but my desire to go to the Paris Olympics made me fight to the end."

On the path to Belgrade, Sakurai also defeated Tokyo Olympic champion Risako KINJO in the semifinals of the Meiji Cup.

"Japan has incredible depth and to win out gives me confidence," Sakurai said. "I want to be the one who takes the Olympic gold next and I'll do what I have to do to get there."

Ami ISHII (JPN)Ami ISHII looks for an opening the women's 68kg playoff against Miwa MORIKAWA. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation / Takeo YABUKI)

Ishii assured she will join teammate Sakurai on the plane to Belgrade by holding on for a nail-biting 2-1 win over world 65kg champion Miwa MORIKAWA, avenging a loss to her in the Meiji Cup semis.

Ishii scored a double-leg takedown in the first period and, after giving up an activity point in the second, fended off Morikawa's attacks for the victory.

"I worked to fix what went wrong at the Meiji Cup, but I also worked on strengthening my usual techniques," Ishii said.

Yuka KAGAMI (JPN)Yuka KAGAMI keeps hold of Ayano MORO's leg during a key point in their women's 76kg bout. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation / Takeo YABUKI)

At 76kg, Kagami followed up on her Meiji Cup victory over world U20 champion Ayano MORO by scoring a takedown with 50 seconds left to win 2-2 in a bout that hinged on a risky challenge by the Kagami side.

The 18-year-old Moro had opened the match with a single-leg takedown, then scrambled out of several scoring chances by Kagami. In the second period, Kagami got in deep on a single, but Moro worked around to the back into a grapevine-like situation and was given a 2-point takedown.

Kagami, however, had never lost her grip on Moro's leg, and Toyo University coach Shogo MAEDA decided to challenge the call, even though a rejection would put her into a deeper five-point hole.

The referees' call was overturned, and Moro's two-point lead restored, opening the door for Kagami to win with just one score.

"I myself thought she didn't get it," said Kagami, who had shoulder surgery in January after defaulting at the Emperor's Cup. "If I challenged it, it could make it 5-0 and make it tougher for me. I thought for a moment about rejecting it, but I looked at my coach and he said it was alright. I left it up to my coach."

Maeda acknowledged that the challenge was risky, but concluded it was worth it because in essence being down five points is not much different than being down by four.

"The opponent was being very cautious of tackles," Maeda said. "If [we didn't challenge and] it became four points, it would have been difficult. But if we got it, it would just be a difference of one takedown. To have a chance, we needed it to be 2-0. I understood the risk."

The three other playoffs were in Greco-Roman, with 2022 world U23 bronze medalists Kyotaro SOGABE (67kg) and Nao KUSAKA (77kg) prevailing, along with 2018 Asian silver medalist Masato SUMI (87kg).

The playoffs in the non-Olympic weight classes will be held on July 17.

All wrestlers who finished in the top two in an Olympic weight at either the Emperor's Cup or Meiji Cup are eligible to make a challenge in a non-Olympic weight. Among notable wrestlers who are eligible, but as yet undecided, are Kinjo and Morikawa.