Host India Takes 3 Golds on Opening Day of Women’s Wrestling

Thursday, February 20, 2020 - 18:09 By Ken Marantz

NEW DELHI (Feb. 20)—Going into this year’s Asian Championships, host India had had only one champion in women’s wrestling in the history of the tournament. In the space of one glorious day, they suddenly now have four.

Pinki PINKI (IND) and Sarita SARITA (IND) joined Divya KAKRAN (IND), who clinched her title in the afternoon session, as gold medalists with victories in the finals on the day three of the tournament Thursday in New Delhi.

Pinki won her first senior Asian title on the third try with a tense 2-1 victory over Dulguun BOLORMAA (MGL) in the 55kg final. A short time later, Sarita walked off with the 59kg crown with an equally close 3-2 win over Battsetseng ALTANTSETSEG (MGL), who was relegated to the silver medal for a second straight year.

“I feel fantastic,” Pinki said of the host nation’s success, albeit it came with powerhouses China and the DPR Korea absent due to circumstances related to the new coronavirus outbreak.

Earlier, Kakran clinched the 68kg gold by winning all four of her matches—all by fall—in the five-woman round-robin during the afternoon session, making her India’s first female Asian champion since Navjout KAUR (IND) won the 65kg title two years in Bishkek.

Japan won the other two golds at stake, as Miho IGARASHI (JPN) prevented India from gaining another title when she held on for a 3-2 victory over Devi NIRMALA (IND) in the 50kg final.

World silver medalist Hiroe MINAGAWA (JPN) capped the night with a 4-1 victory in the 76kg final over world U-23 bronze medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) to pick up her third Asian gold and first since 2015.

Sarita SARITA (IND) edged Battsetseng ALTANTSETSEG (MGL), 3-2, and claimed her first Asian title. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Sarita had joined the long list of Indians with Asian silver medals when she finished second at the 2017 tournament in New Delhi.

“In 2017, I had a silver, so I knew the silver was not important,” said Sarita, who has also been on the Indian team to the senior World Championships five times, with a career-high finish of seventh in 2018.

“From the first bout, I considered each one the final, because I can’t win if I don’t win every bout. There was no motivation for a silver, I just wanted to win the gold.”

Sarita said she didn’t feel pressure of performing in front of the home crowd at K.D. Jadrav Wrestling Stadium. “I just had to do what I have always learned on the mat, and this is what I did today and won the gold medal.”

In the final, Altantsetseg took the lead with a stepout, but Sarita came back with a takedown to take a 2-1 lead into the third period. With :21 left, Altantsetseg gained another stepout, meaning one more would give her the one.

But Sarita was ready. As soon as Altantsetseg stepped forward, the Indian dipped down and shot for her legs. She ended up behind and gained a stepout herself with :11 to make it 3-2.

“I had watched some of her bouts before, I was just hoping to not give up a point,” Sarita said. “The moment she jumped, I thought I should flip her over, but I couldn’t get the hold and so it was like, let’s finish this with a one and win the match.”

In the 55kg final, all of the points came on the activity clock, with Pinki going ahead 2-1 with :47 left. A late flurry of action at the end yielded no points, giving Pinki her first major senior title.

“I wasn’t feeling any kind of pressure, I was confident was I was going to win the match in the end,” she said.

Miho IGARASHI (JPN) stopped Indian from winning a fourth gold medal with a 3-2 win over Devi NIRMALA (IND) in the 50kg finals. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Igarashi, a two-time world champion at both the U-23 and junior levels, capped her senior national team debut by matching the exploit of her younger sister Saki, the 2018 Asian champion at 55kg.

In the final, Igarashi scored with a double-leg takedown in the first period, to which a penalty point was added. In the second period, she continued to attack, but Nirmala was able to fend her off, nearly turning her over with a three-quarter nelson.

With the seconds ticking down, Nirmala grabbed a foot and reeled in Igarashi for a 2-point takedown, but it was too little, too late.

“She was really strong,” Igarashi said. “I didn’t really think about a strategy, but I thought to go on the attack first. It was good that I got points off that.

“After that I got a bit scared and I didn’t stay aggressive. But I really wanted to win the championship, I was obsessed, so I think I took the title by emotions.”

Igarashi came to New Delhi coming off a disappointing showing at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in January, where she lost in the quarterfinals.

“I was really disappointed by my performance at last month’s tournament,” she said. “With only one month before a big tournament, I had to regroup. But my desire to win was so strong,”

Igarashi felt a sense of responsibility after being handed the place on the national team in a weight class in which Japan has so much depth. She placed third at the Japan Championships, but with winner Yui SUSAKI (JPN) heading to the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament and runner-up Yuki IRIE (JPN) opting out, she was next in line for the assignment.

“I thought, I can’t wrestle poorly or lose easily,” she said. “There was some pressure, but in the end, I had a good result.”

Hiroe MINAGAWA (JPN) downed Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) and won her third Asian gold medal, but first since 2015. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Minagawa’s win over Medet Kyzy was her second of the day. The two had met in their preliminary group, with the Japanese winning 3-0 before both won their semifinal matches to advance to a rematch in the final.

As she did earlier, Minagawa scored with stepouts, although this time she added in a 2-point title off a counter, from which Medet Kyzy gained a reversal to account for her point.

Minagawa said she was helped by recently training with sumo wrestlers on working in the arms to more effectively lock up in the standing position, a technique which is vital in Japan’s national sport.

“I think what I learned there was effective,” she said.

In the final round of matches at 68kg, world junior champion Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN) defeated Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) by 11-0 technical fall in a bout that decided the silver and bronze medals. Both had lost to Kakran in the afternoon session and went into their clash with 2-1 records.

Kazakhstan, shut out of the finals, came away with four bronze medals from Valentina ISLAMOVA BRIK (KAZ) at 50kg, Marina ZUYEVA (KAZ) at 55kg, Madina BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) at 59kg and Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) at 76kg.

Syzdykova, a 2016 Rio Olympic bronze medalist, won her fifth career Asian medal. She qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by placing fifth at last year’s World Championships.

Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) will square off with Vinesh PHOGAT (IND) in an opening-round top-three matchup. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

4th day to renew 2 major rivalries
The fireworks will start early on the fourth day of action Friday, as high-profile rivals in two weight classes were drawn to face each other in their opening bouts as women’s wrestling finishes up. In both cases, it will be the third time the foes will face each other at a major tournament.

At 53kg, world silver medalist Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) was drawn to face local star Vinesh PHOGAT (IND) as they begin their quest for gold at the quarterfinal stage.

Last May at the Asian Championships in Xi’an, China, Mukaida also faced Phogat in the round of 8, winning by 10-0 technical fall before going on to take the silver medal. Then, at the World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Mukaida ousted Phogat in the second round with a 7-0 win.

Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) will wrestle Yukako KAWAI (JPN) on Friday morning in a rematch of last year's Asian finals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

The quarterfinals at 62kg will see the latest clash between world champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) and world bronze medalist Yukako KAWAI (JPN). Like the other two, they also met at both the World and Asian Championships, with Tynybekova winning both.

Tynybekova took the Asian gold with an 8-6 win over Kawai in the final, then beat her again by fall in the second round at Nur-Sultan.

Day 3 Results

Women’s Wrestling

50kg (8 entries)
GOLD – Miho IGARASHI (JPN) df. Devi NIRMALA (IND), 3-2
BRONZE - Valentina ISLAMOVA BRIK (KAZ) df. Thi Xuan NGUYEN (VIE) by TF, 10-0, :39
BRONZE - Dauletbike YAKHSHIMURATOVA (UZB) df. Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL), 8-3

55kg (6 entries)
GOLD – Pinki PINKI (IND) df. Dulguun BOLORMAA (MGL), 2-1
BRONZE - Marina ZUYEVA (KAZ) df. Kana Higashikawa (JPN) by Fall, :52 (8-0)

59kg (7 entries)
GOLD – Sarita SARITA (IND) df. Battsetseng ALTANTSETSEG (MGL), 3-2
BRONZE - Madina BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) df. Yuumi KON (JPN) by Fall, 1:58 (2-0)

68kg (5 entries)
Final Group Standings
GOLD – Divya KAKRAN (IND), 4-0
SILVER - Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN), 3-1
BRONZE - Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL), 2-2
Key Match: Divya KAKRAN (IND) df. Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN) by Fall, 4:21 (6-4) in Round 4

76kg (7 entries)
GOLD – Hiroe MINAGAWA (JPN) df. Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), 4-1
BRONZE - Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) df. Arlunjargal GANBAT (MGL) by Fall, 1:58 (7-0)

#WrestleParis

Paris 2024: Ramazanov denies Yazdani, Higuchi completes 57kg turnaround

Saturday, August 10, 2024 - 00:42 By Ken Marantz

PARIS (August 9) -- Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) and his aching shoulder missed out on a second Olympic gold medal and was relegated to a second silver instead, and David TAYLOR (USA) was nowhere in sight. Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) is the new king of the freestyle 86kg class.

Russian-born Ramazanov outdueled a less-than-100 percent Yazdani in notching a 7-1 victory in the final on Friday at the Paris Olympics, giving Bulgaria its second gold in two nights.

"It was really something for me," said Ramazanov, the 2020 European 79kg silver medalist who began competing for Bulgaria this year. "I come from a little town, and my family worked really hard for me to get here. It is really an honor. I got the gold medal for them."

Japan grabbed the two other gold medals up for grabs at the Champs de Mars Arena, with Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) completing an arduous eight-year journey to an elusive freestyle 57kg gold and two-time reigning world champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) winning the women's 57kg title in her Olympic debut.

Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) and Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) at the podium of 86kg in Paris. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Yazdani, one of the biggest stars of the sport whose many laurels include the 74kg gold from Rio 2016 and a silver at 86kg three years ago in Tokyo, was in obvious discomfort from the get-go of his clash with the 31-year-old Ramazanov.

Almost immediately after the start, the Iranian signaled for a timeout, clutching his upper right arm. While managing to keep the score close, and even tentatively leading at one point, he stopped the match five times for treatment on his shoulder.

"It was hard for him, but he was a great fighter with his other arm," Ramazanov said. "In the Olympics, you don’t get to choose the conditions, you just have to compete, and that’s what makes this sport so hard."

Yazdani gave up an activity point in the first period -- just barely failing to complete a takedown in the process -- but got one himself in the second to lead 1-1 on criteria.

Ramazanov put the pressure on and tripped Yazdani for a takedown while trapping the Iranian's foot underneath him at an odd angle, keeping him in a sitting position. That allowed the Bulgarian to use a crossface to tilt Yazdani backward for two exposures and a 7-1 lead.

With 30 seconds left, Yazdani conceded that it was over. He put his hands on his knees as the seconds ticked down to the inevitable. He gave Ramazanov a hug of respect.

Ramazanov dedicated the gold medal to his father who died when he was still a child.

"It was really hard, I had to fight elite wrestlers, but today it was destiny, and I want to thank god and dedicate this medal to my father, who died a few years ago," Ramazanov said. "I think he would be very proud of me."

He also paid tribute to his adopted country. "Bulgaria is my second home," he said. "This country gave me this amazing opportunity to compete in the Olympics with the best athletes around the world. It’s really hard psychologically because you don’t know if you’ll get to the next Olympics, and it’s so hard to qualify."

Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) kisses his gold medal at the 57kg medal ceremony. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At freestyle 57kg, Higuchi won a showdown with an equally determined Spencer LEE (USA) 4-2 to capture the gold medal that eluded him at the 2016 Rio Olympics and for which he spent the ensuing years on a path of trials and tribulations.

"I was able to have fun wrestling," Higuchi said. "I think that in my career, this was my highest level performance. It was a great tournament."

Higuchi was able to limit Lee's attacks to a pair of stepouts in the first period, the first one while Lee was on the activity clock. In the second period, Higuchi managed to stay grounded so that there would be no points as he went over the edge.

Meanwhile, Higuchi took the initiative himself in the second period, launching a double-leg takedown attempt that Lee tried to counter by rolling over the top. But Higuchi rolled through it and Lee landed on his back, giving Higuchi 2 points and a momentary chance for a fall.

That gave Higuchi the lead 2-2 on criteria, and he managed to hold on, adding a takedown with two seconds left off a desperation throw attempt.

Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) tackles Spencer LEE (USA) in the 57kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

After Rio, Higuchi moved up to 61kg, winning an Asian title, with an eye on making the Tokyo Olympics at 65kg. He won the world U23 gold at 65kg in 2018, and defeated Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) at one point, but in the end lost out to the eventual Tokyo gold medalist.

The only option for going to his home Olympics was to drop down to 57kg, but he famously failed to make weight at the Asian Olympic Qualifier, a shock only made worse when he later lost a playoff for Japan's Olympic spot to Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN).

Still in his prime, he spent the next two years at 61kg, winning his first senior world crown in 2022, then made the drop back to 57kg with the aim of being on the mat in Paris.

This time he became more attentive to his nutrition and diet, which got a boost when he got married in May last year. It paid off with a world silver in Belgrade that clinched his ticket to Paris.

"The road to getting the gold medal was not easy at all," said Higuchi, who became a father in February. "I suffered many losses and I had the failure to make weight. I had many setbacks and moments of despair.

"But I was absolutely confident I could win the gold medal. My coaches and teammates supported me and this is a medal I could get because of so many people. I will never think this is
a gold medal that I won by myself."

With Higuchi's win, current students or alumni of his alma mater Nippon Sports Science University now account for four wrestling golds in Paris. He was preceded by Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) and Nao KUSAKA (JPN) in Greco and Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) in women's wrestling.

Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) celebrates after winning the 57kg final at the Paris Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Sakurai later added Japan's fifth gold overall through five days of competition in Paris with a 6-0 victory over Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) in a repeat of the women's 57kg final at last year's World Championships in Belgrade.

"I practiced just for this moment, and I was able to be here because of the support of many people," said Sakurai, who defeated two-time Olympic champion Risako KAWAI (now KINJO) (JPN) in the process of qualifying for Paris. "I'm really glad I won the title."

Sakurai, employing a 2-on-1 while standing that pretty much neutralized Nichita's offense, opened the scoring by shooting for a single-leg takedown, then stepping over for an exposure when Nichita attempted a counter-lift.

Sakurai had the 2-on-1 when the two went to the mat and Nichita tried to go over and hook the far leg. But Sakurai bucked her to the mat and went behind to make it 4-0 at the break. In the second period, Sakurai added a single-leg takedown while conceding nothing to clinch the gold.

After her victory lap, Sakurai went to the stands for a group hug with her father and her coach at Ikuei University, Yoshimaro YANAGAWA, who could have another Olympic champion after Ikuei's Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) made the women's 62kg final earlier in the session.

"He said, 'You did great,'" Sakurai said of Yanagawa. "For this Olympics, he sacrificed so much time for us. He made us train hard and kept pushing us. I'm glad I could get it done. I was able to put out on the mat what I had done up to now."

Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) wrestles Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) in the 57kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Sakurai suffered a setback in her Olympic preparations when she lost in the final at the Asian Championships in April to Yongxin FENG (CHN), but managed to right the ship in time for Paris. It was her first international loss since the 2019 Asian Junior (U20) Championships.

Despite missing out on the gold, Nichita earned a place in Moldovan history by becoming just its second Olympic wrestling medalist ever and the first woman.

"So many people came today to support me, and I'm really grateful for that," Nichita said. "I'm really sorry that I didn't win the gold medal, but next time I will try my best to win the gold.

"All of my life I dreamed about this, and I went through a lot of pain and trauma, and here I am today, with a medal."

Helen MAROULIS (USA) celebrates after winning her bronze-medal bout at 57kg in Paris. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Maroulis quickly bags bronze for 3rd Olympic medal

Helen MAROULIS (USA) needed just 24 seconds to win a third Olympic medal, taking a second straight women's 57kg bronze with victory by fall over Hannah TAYLOR (CAN).

Maroulis hit a textbook-perfect fireman's carry to send Taylor to her back, then clamped down to secure the fall less than a half-minute after the start.

The three-time former world champion added the Paris bronze to the gold she won at Rio 2016 with a historic win over legend Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) and her bronze from Tokyo three years ago.

Kexin HONG (CHN) needed a bit more time to secure the other women's 57kg bronze, rolling to a 10-0 victory over Giullia PENALBER (BRA) in 1:57.

The two bronze medalists at 86kg -- Aaron BROOKS (USA) and Daruen KURUGLIEV (GRE). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

World U23 champion Aaron BROOKS (USA), who needed to beat Tokyo Olympic champion David TAYLOR (USA) just to earn his ticket to Paris, defeated Asian silver medalist Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB) 5-0 to take home a freestyle 86kg bronze medal.

Brooks received an activity point in the first period, then added a stepout early in the second. Put on the clock himself, Brooks scored a double-leg takedown to make it 4-0, then added a late stepout to relegate Shapiev to a second straight fifth-place finish at the Olympics.

Asked if the competition in his first major senior event was tougher than he had expected, Brooks replied, "I never try to expect anything. When you are going on the mat with expectations and they are not met, it's where you can have those climaxes and drop-offs.

"It's the Olympics. They are what they are. It's a tough competition."

The other 86kg bronze went to Russian-born Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE), who survived a valiant late surge by Tokyo bronze medalist Myles AMINE (SMR) in a 5-4 victory that gave Greece its first Olympic wrestling medal since Athens 2000.

Kurugliev appeared to be cruising to a victory on the back of a first-period takedown and 2-point exposure off a second-period scramble. With the clock ticking down, Amine completed a takedown with :07 on the clock, but wasn't done there.

He got behind again, but Kurugliev somehow managed to keep his knees off the mat as they went out of the ring, limiting Amine to a stepout and fleeing point that made it 4-4 but left him on the short end on criteria. An unsuccessful challenge added the final point.

"I would like to thank Greece, this country that gave me this opportunity," Kurugliev said. "Thank you very much to all of you. I'm very happy to have won this medal. Of course, I tried to win gold, but bronze is fine, and I'm quite happy."

AMAN (IND) became India's youngest Olympic medalist in individual sports. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Asian champion Aman SEHRAWAT (IND), the lone Indian male wrestler to qualify for Paris, assured that the country would win a medal for the fifth straight Olympics, winning a takedown-a-thon over Darian CRUZ (PUR) 13-5 to take a bronze at freestyle 57kg.

Sehrawat scored three takedowns in each period, adding a late stepout with a fleeing point tacked on, to deny the U.S.-raised Cruz's bid to become just the second Olympic wrestling medalist for Puerto Rico. Cruz, an NCAA champion at Lehigh University in the U.S., chalked up two takedowns of his own.

Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), who also did some collegiate wrestling in the U.S., picked up the other 57kg bronze with a 5-1 win over Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) that was closer than the score indicates.

Abdullaev got an activity point and stepout in the first period, and led 2-1 in the second after giving up a point on the activity clock. Fighting off everything Almaz Uulu threw at him down the stretch, he got a last-second 2 by stopping a desperation throw attempt, with an unsuccessful challenge point added on.

Day 5 Results

Freestyle

57kg
GOLD: Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) df. Spencer LEE (USA), 4-2

BRONZE: Aman SEHRAWAT (IND) df. Darian CRUZ (PUR), 13-5
BRONZE: Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) df. Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ), 5-1

74kg
SF1: Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) df. Kyle DAKE (USA), 20-12
SF2: Razambek JAMALOV (UZB) df. Viktor RASSADIN (TJK), 8-2

86kg
GOLD: Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) df. Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), 7-1

BRONZE: Aaron BROOKS (USA) df. Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB), 5-0
BRONZE: Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) df. Myles AMINE (SMR), 5-4

125kg
SF1: Amir ZARE (IRI) df. Taha AKGUL (TUR), 2-1
SF2: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE), 7-0

Women's Wrestling

57kg
GOLD: Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) df. Anastasia NICHITA (MDA), 6-0

BRONZE: Helen MAROULIS (USA) df. Hannah TAYLOR (CAN) by Fall, :24 (4-0)
BRONZE: Kexin HONG (CHN) df. Giullia PENALBER (BRA) by TF, 10-0, 1:57

62kg
SF1: Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) df. Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ), 9-2
SF2: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) df. Grace BULLEN (NOR) by Fall, 4:26 (7-7)

Host India Takes 3 Golds on Opening Day of Women’s Wrestling

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Paris 2024: Ramazanov denies Yazdani, Higuchi completes 57kg turnaround