Tokyo 2020

Icho Returns to Mat After 2-Year Absence with Eyes on 5th Olympic Gold

Saturday, October 13, 2018 - 01:18 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (October 13) -- More than two years after making history by winning an unprecedented fourth Olympic gold medal at Rio 2016, Japanese legend Kaori ICHO has returned to the mat to begin a quest for a fifth. The road back has had its bumps along the way.

Icho, who has not competed since her triumph in Rio, is entered in the 57kg division at the All-Japan Women's Open to be held this weekend in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture, about 100 kilometers southwest of Tokyo.

The tournament is serving as a qualifier for the All-Japan Championships, also known as the Emperor's Cup, to be held at December. That, along with the All-Japan Invitational Championships, or Meiji Cup, in May, are used to select national teams to the world championships and Olympics.

Top wrestlers such as Icho would normally never enter the Women's Open, but her time away from the mat has kept her from earning an automatic berth in the Emperor's Cup. Also, it presents a sufficient challenge to check her progress ahead of the stiffer competition ahead.

It was the same path that Rio 2016 champion Eri TOSAKA took last year when she returned from injury. Tosaka won the tournament at 53kg, but eventually came up short in her bid to make Japan's team to the world championships at 50kg.

To get into the Emperor's Cup, Icho needs to finish in the top two among the field of seven entries. On paper, at least, this should pose little problem. Her main competition looks to come from Shigakkan University's Hanako SAWA, a two-time runner-up at the Japan collegiate championships, and Fusano MOCHIZUKI, a semifinalist in Mishima last year. The four others, all collegians, all lost in the first or second round at the collegiate tournament in August.

Icho, who normally avoids the spotlight anyway, has been kept off limits from the media during her preparation for the tournament, which consists of competition in various age groups. She will be in the senior division, which will be held Sunday.

When it was announced in the summer that Icho would make a comeback aimed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she said in a statement issued through her sponsor ALSOK: "I will give my full effort to help make wrestling a sport with even more appeal."

The sport was in need of a boost. At the beginning of the year, Icho revealed through third parties that she was a victim of power harassment, sparking a scandal that stunned the nation and rocked the sport to its core. The perpetrator was none other than Kazuhito SAKAE, the national team director of athlete development and head coach at powerful Shigakkan.

Sakae is best known as the man who turned Japanese women's wrestling into the premier global force, mentoring Saori YOSHIDA, Icho, Tosaka and numerous others to international glory.

But the allegations against Sakae and a resulting investigation revealed a coach who wielded uncontested power, and resulted in his dismissal from all of his posts. The fact that he used it against such a national hero such as Icho---in one case leaving her off the Japan team to the Asian Games---was all the more shocking. It appears he was venting anger for her defying him and changing her training base from Shigakkan in central Japan to Tokyo, where she wanted to practice with a men's team.

Besides the banishing of Sakae, the incident led to reforms by the Japan Wrestling Federation, which issued an apology to Icho. Most noteworthy is that the federation changed the system for selecting the national women's team.

In the Japan system, if the same wrestler wins titles at both the Emperor's and Meiji Cups, they automatically earn a berth on the Japan team. If there are different winners, the two face each other in a playoff. This was always the case for the men, but was used for the first time this year for the women -- their places had previously been decided by the federation, with Sakae having the most influence.

With the sordid affair behind her, Icho was able to start focusing on the task ahead, having quelled rumors of her retirement by deciding to go for a fifth Olympic gold.

"From April, she started training two times a day," said Masanori OHASHI, the manager at ALSOK, a home security company that sponsors a number of top wrestlers including Rio 2016 silver medalist Shinobu OTA and Paris 2017 world champion Yuki TAKAHASHI. "But she was not yet close to full strength, so she couldn't go all out. She gradually picked up the pace little by little."

There were also light times after Rio. After winning the gold to become the first woman in Olympic history to win golds at four consecutive Olympics, Icho was awarded the prestigious National People's Award from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, an honor bestowed on only a handful of truly outstanding athletes, entertainers or others who inspire the nation with their exploits.

In September last year, she traveled to Iran at the request of that nation's federation. There she conducted clinics for women's wrestling coaches, part of that country's drive to include women in the sport.

The harassment scandal, investigation and conclusion took up the first four months of the year. In May, she headed to New York where, according to the NBC Sports website, she did a high school clinic in Brooklyn, worked out with fellow Olympic champion Helen MAROULIS (USA) and watched the Beat the Streets in Manhatten.

While she may be out of the spotlight abroad, Icho won't be able to avoid it on Sunday. According to the Japan federation website, Japan two's major wire services, 17 general and sports newspapers, six TV networks and four magazines have applied for media credentials -- not all that different than for the national championships.

Icho has certainly earned her status as one of Japan's greatest athletes, male or female, of all time. In addition to her four Olympic golds (the first two at 63kg, the second two at 58kg), she won 10 world titles dating back to 2002, and never lost in a final in either competition.

Just how dominant has Icho been? Before a stunning loss to Orkhon PUREVDORJH (MGL) by technical fall in the final of the Yarygin Grand Prix in January 2016, Icho strung together 108 consecutive wins in domestic and international competition, according to records on the Japan federation website.

And that takes into account a loss by default at the 2007 Asian Championships. Icho was injured at the time, but to be eligible for Beijing 2008, she had to enter the continental tournament. So she had little choice but to take the black mark, and give HOU Min-Wen (TPE) an unexpected victory.

Prior to that, she had strung together 81 wins. So taking into consideration only matches in which she actually stepped onto the mat, Icho had an incredible streak of 189 wins.

That streak started following a loss at the Klippan Open in 2003 to Sara MCMANN (USA) -- a defeat that Icho would avenge six times over, including in two major finals, at the New York 2003 world championships and Athens 2004 Olympics.

For the record, Icho heads to Mishima with a 7-match winning streak. How many it eventually becomes is less important than making sure it doesn't stop at Tokyo 2020.

#JapanWrestling

Matsuyuki spoils Kagami's mat return; Morikawa downs Ishii

Friday, December 19, 2025 - 14:26 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (December 19) -- The buzzing that had barely died down from the epic clash of reigning world champions in the previous match turned to gasps when Paris Olympic champion Yuka KAGAMI was dealt a shocking loss to spoil her return to competition.

Yasuha MATSUYUKI notched one of the biggest wins of her career, scoring a buzzer-beating takedown to defeat Kagami 4-2 in the women's 76kg final on the second day of the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships on Friday.

"I was continually finishing second, so I'm happy to finally win the championship," said Matsuyuki, a longtime fixture on the podium but whose lone previous title came in 2019.

Matsuyuki's victory overshadowed one of the most anticipated matches of the four-day tournament, in which world 65kg champion Miwa MORIKAWA moved up to 68kg and notched a well-earned 5-3 win over Ami ISHII, the reigning world champion in the weight class.

The national championship at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym carries with it additional perks, as it is also serving as the qualifier for the Asian Championships in April, and as one of two qualifiers for the Asian Games and World Championships in the fall.

Yasuha MATSUYUKI, left, fends off Paris Olympic champion Yuka KAGAMI in the women's 76kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

The 26-year-old Matsuyuki has an added incentive to get to the Asian Games, as the event will be held in her native Aichi Prefecture. But getting there will likely mean having to repeat her victory over Kagami at the second domestic qualifier, the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships in the late spring.

Whatever her fate, the three-time world age-group bronze medalist can always look back on pride at having defeated an Olympic champion, even if it was in the latter's first competition in 16 months.

"I focused doing what I wanted to do, and keeping the opponent from doing what they wanted to do. In the final in particular, my thought was to keep the points I give up to a minimum," said Matsuyuki, one-half of a set of twin sisters who have a long list of podium finishes at national competitions.

In the final, Kagami took a 2-0 lead into the second period after scoring a stepout while Matsuyuki was on the activity clock.

"When she got her second point, I thought that if I give up any more, that would really put me in a bind," Matsuyuki said. "Anyway, I didn't want to give up any more points. At the very end, I thought only of how to go ahead."

After cutting the gap with an activity point, Matsuyuki was trying to work for an opening as the clocked ticked down and Kagami put up a stiff resistance. Matsuyuki managed to secure a body lock from the side, which Kagami countered with a hard whizzer, leaving the two battling side-by-side on their knees.

Yasuha MATSUYUKI, top, completes the winning takedown in the final seconds of the women's 76kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

With time running out, Matsuyuki, using her decided height advantage, went over the top and slipped a grapevine in from the opposite side. From there, it was a matter of getting her arm out of the whizzer -- which she did with :01 on the clock to the shock of the crowd. The takedown was upheld on challenge, making the final score 4-2.

Asked what was going through her mind during the challenge, Matsuyuki replied, "When I got behind and got my arm out, the clock was still going, so I thought I would be alright."

Kagami, who had been aiming for her fourth career title and first since 2021, has gained quite a national following after her triumph in Paris, affably appearing on a wide range of TV variety shows.

"I'm sorry to everyone who came to support me," Kagami said. "I was thinking about defending the lead."

Reigning world champions Miwa MORIKAWA, left, and Ami ISHII battle in the women's 68kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

The clash between Morikawa and Ishii lived up to its billing, and portends a fierce competition all the way up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after both came up short of Paris.

"It's been awhile since I've competed at 68kg, but I decided to move up after the World Championships," Morikawa said. "I think this is a good first step toward Los Angeles."

Morikawa struck first, withstanding Ishii's underhook attack to score a stepout, gain an activity point, then counter a single-leg attempt to get behind for a takedown. Ishii gained a stepout herself to make it 4-1 at the break.

In the second period, Morikawa picked up another stepout, then survived a dicey predicament that could have been far worse. Ishii got in on a low single, which Morikawa countered by reaching to the side and grabbing a leg.

But Ishii managed to step over and pressured her leg into Morikawa's chest, which gained an exposure and put her dangerously close to a fall. Morikawa opted to keep hold of the leg and managed to squirm out of the situation, thus limiting Ishii to just two points.

"If I had let go of the leg, she might have been able to turn me a few times," Morikawa said. "I just tried to avoid the fall, and that kept it to two points."

Morikawa had lost to Ishii in two of three bouts between the two over a six-month span from late 2022 to mid-2023 in the qualifying process for Paris (in which Ishii eventually lost out to Nonoka OZAKI). She knows that she has not seen the last of her rival.

"I know she is a strong opponent," Morikawa said. "She is the world champion, and I had disappointed losses to her before and missed out on Paris.

"I kept believing that if I can give everything I have, the results will come. I do everything that needs to be done, just as my coach [four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO] tells me. Today the result was a victory, which is great, but with my win, it means my opponent is going to be training even harder. I have to do the same."

Taishi NARIKUNI, right, knocks Ryoma HOJO temporarily off balance during the Greco 72kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Narikuni emulates Tanabe, achieves Greco half of two-style double

In the tournament, Olympic weight classes are being competed over two days, while non-Olympic divisions are completed in a single day.

In a case of the latter, Taishi NARIKUNI joined Kaisei TANABE as a winner of a Greco title as part of their attempts to complete the first Greco-freestyle double in over 50 years.

Narikuni gained a second-period takedown that gave him a 3-1 victory over Ryoma HOJO in the 72kg final for his first Greco title at the Emperor's Cup.

"My mind is on tomorrow," Narikuni said when asked how he felt about his victory.

Having previously won the freestyle 70kg title in 2021, he joined a select group of wrestlers who have won titles in both styles over their careers.

But the 2022 world freestyle 70kg champion is looking to complete the double in the same tournament, when he competes in that weight class on Saturday. That hasn't been done since 1973.

In doing so, Narikuni would beat Tanabe to the punch. Tanabe won the Greco 63kg title on Thursday, but to complete the double, he needs a victory in the final at freestyle 65kg -- which won't be until Sunday.

Narikuni's ultimate goal is to win world titles in both styles -- his way of exceeding his mother, who was a two-time world champion. That has caused him to put immense pressure on himself.

"My value will only be recognized if I get it tomorrow," Narikuni said. "If I don't make it, entering this tournament will be meaningless."

Taizo YOSHIDA, right, gets a grip on Daisei ISOE, but is unable to complete the lift. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

In other finals, teen phenom Taizo YOSHIDA, a senior world bronze medalist at Greco 82kg, made a successful move up to 87kg, defeating Nippon Sports Science University teammate Daisei ISOE 6-1.

The weight difference might have been seen in Yoshida's inability to complete a lift, but he was never in danger of losing after combining three stepouts and a go-behind takedown for his second senior national title.

At freestyle 61kg, former world bronze medalist Toshihiro HASEGAWA won his first Emepror's Cup title in four years with a 14-4 victory over world U23 bronze medalist Akito MUKAIDA.

In a rematch of the final from the Meiji Cup last June won by Hasegawa, he gave up a pair of takedowns in the first period to trail 4-0 going into the second. But fate dealt Mukaida a heavy blow, as Hasegawa caught him with an ankle-low single, then went right to the lace lock. Mukaida appeared to suffer a knee injury as Hasegawa easily rolled him six times.

Teenager Yamato OGAWA, a 2023 world U17 champion, became the sixth different champion in six years at freestyle 57kg, overcoming a five-point deficit in the second period to defeat Fuga SASAKI 6-5.

Ogawa's comeback featured a 4-point arm throw as he won in a weight class that was missing, among others, the U.S.-based pair of defending champion Rin SAKAMOTO and former world 61kg champion Masanosuke ONO.

Arash YOSHIDA completes a takedown to the back against Toyoki HAMADA in their freestyle 97kg semifinal. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Yoshida powers into final

In Olympic weight classes that were run up to the semifinals, rising star Arash YOSHIDA set himself up for a three-peat at freestyle 97kg by advancing to Saturday's final.

With entries limited in the division he now dominates, the 21-year-old Yoshida received a forfeit that put him directly into the semifinals, where he demolished Toyoki HAMADA by fall after building an 11-1 lead.

In the final, Yoshida will face high schooler Noah LEIBOWITZ in a rematch of the gold-medal match at the Meiji Cup that Yoshida won by fall. The match will be sort of a proxy fight between Iran and the United States, given that their fathers are natives of those wrestling powerhouses, respectively.

A victory would cap a breakout year for Yoshida, highlighted by his bronze medal at the senior World Championships in Zagreb. He also won the senior Asian and world U23 titles.

Meanwhile, the irrepressible Sohsuke TAKATANI, who won 12 consecutive titles over four freestyle weight classes from 74kg to 92kg starting in 2011, earned a shot at his first in three years by making the final at 86kg.

Takatani, now 36 and the head coach at Takushoku University, edged Tatsuya SHIRAI 2-1 in the semifinals, with all of the points scored on the activity clock. In the final, he will take on Kodai TAKAHASHI, an 8-2 winner over Natsura OKAZAWA.

Ironically, both Takatani and Takahashi have seen their younger brothers outshine them of late. Daichi TAKATANI won the 74kg silver medal in Paris, while Kota TAKAHASHI struck gold at the Zagreb worlds in the same weight class.

At women's 53kg, defending champion Moe KIYOOKA dealt Tokyo Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI another setback in her return from a hiatus for marriage and childbirth, scoring takedowns in both periods in a 5-2 victory in the semifinals.

In the final, she will face 2023 world U23 55kg champion Umi IMAI, a 5-0 winner over Saki YUMIYA. Kiyooka will be aiming for a fourth straigt national crown, having won back-to-back at 55kg in 2022 and 2023.

World champion Haruna MURAYAMA OKUNO is skipping the tournament.

An enticing final was set up at Greco 60kg, in which Yu SHIOTANI, a former world bronze medalist and the 2021 Emperor's Cup champion at 55kg, will face current world U23 champion Koto GOMI.

Shiotani, a two-time Asian champion who won the Tirana Ranking Series event in February, advanced with a 5-2 victory over Takuma NAKASHIMA. Gomi knocked off 2023 Asian Games silver medalist and three-time former champion Ayata SUZUKI 9-4.

Day 2 Results

Freestyle

57kg (18 entries)
GOLD: Yamato OGAWA df. Fuga SASAKI, 6-5

BRONZE: Kento YUMIYA df. Kentaro KAWANO by TF, 11-0, 1:48
BRONZE: Rikuto NAGAI df. Yamato FURUSAWA, 8-4

61kg (20 entries)
GOLD: Toshihiro HASEGAWA df. Akito MUKAIDA by TF, 14-4, 4:51
BRONZE: Shosuke TAKASUGI df. Atsushi KATO, 2-1
BRONZE: Meiryu AKAMINE df. Kodai OGAWA, 4-0

SF 1: Toshihiro HASEGAWA df. Atsushi KATO by Fall, 2:59 (7-0)
SF 2: Akito MUKAIDA df. Kodai OGAWA, 9-4

86kg (10 entries)
SF 1: Kodai TAKAHASHI df. Natsura OKAZAWA, 8-2
SF 2: Sohsuke TAKATANI df. Tatsuya SHIRAI, 2-1

97kg (8 entries)
SF 1: Arash YOSHIDA df. Toyoki HAMADA by Fall, 2:07 (11-1)
SF 2: Noah LEIBOWITZ df. Keita KOBAYASHI by TF, 10-0, :32

125kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Taiki YAMAMOTO df. Taira SONODA, 3-0

BRONZE: Hosei FUJITA df. Akinari ORIYAMA, 4-0
BRONZE: Hibiki ITO df. Yuta MITSUHASHI by TF, 10-0, 1:22

Greco-Roman

60kg (16 entries)
SF 1: Yu SHIOTANI df. Takuma NAKASHIMA, 5-2
SF 2: Koto GOMI df. Ayata SUZUKI, 9-4

72kg (18 entries)
GOLD: Taishi NARIKUNI df. Ryoma HOJO, 3-1
BRONZE: Rintaro SOGABE df. Takara FUKUSAWA, 6-0
BRONZE: Takeru KOZUKA df. Rei NAGAMATSU, 10-6

SF 1: Taishi NARIKUNI df. Takara FUKUSAWA by Fall, 1:51 (4-0)
SF 2: Ryoma HOJO df. Takeru KOZUKA by TF, 9-0, 2:01

87kg (9 entries)
GOLD: Taizo YOSHIDA df. Daisei ISOE, 6-1

BRONZE: Genki YAHAGI df. Takahiro MURAYAMA, 4-3
BRONZE: Chihiro MOTOHASHI df. Takahiro INAMOTO by Fall, 2:02 (6-1)

97kg (16 entries)
GOLD: Takahiro TSURUTA df. Yuri NAKAZATO, 1-1

BRONZE: Atsuki CHIDA df. Koki MATSUMOTO, 3-2
BRONZE: Kanta SHIOKAWA df. Sorato NAKAZAWA, 7-5

130kg (9 entries)
SF 1: Yuta NARA df. Ayumu IWASAWA by TF, 9-0, 2:07
SF 2: Shion OBATA df. Sota OKUMURA, 3-3

Women's Wrestling

53kg (10 entries)
SF 1: Moe KIYOOKA df. Mayu SHIDOCHI, 5-2
SF 2: Umi IMAI df. Saki YUMIYA, 5-0

59kg (19 entries)
GOLD: Sena NAGAMOTO df. Sae NANJO, 3-2
BRONZE: Konami ONO df. Sae NOGUCHI by Inj. Def.
BRONZE: Yuri KOSHIBA df. Hiyori MOTOKI, 6-4

SF 1: Sena NAGAMOTO df. Sae NOGUCHI by TF, 10-0, 3:10
SF 2: Sae NANJO df. Hiyori MOTOKI by TF, 10-0, 1:06

68kg (8 entries)
GOLD: Miwa MORIKAWA df. Ami ISHII, 5-3

BRONZE: Momoko KITADE df. Kaede MATSUYAMA, 5-3
BRONZE: Ray HOSHINO df. Rua YOKOYAMA by Fall, 1:51 (8-0)

76kg (8 entries)
GOLD: Yasuha MATSUYUKI df. Yuka KAGAMI, 4-2

BRONZE: Nodoka YAMAMOTO df. Sakura NAKANO by Fall, 2:08 (10-0)
BRONZE: Mahiru FUJITA df. Makoto KOMADA by TF, 10-0, 3:50

Icho Returns to Mat After 2-Year Absence with Eyes on 5th Olympic Gold

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Matsuyuki spoils Kagami's mat return; Morikawa downs Ishii