#JapanWrestling

Inagaki deals Ozaki shocking loss; Kawai solid at 68kg

Thursday, June 15, 2023 - 13:37 By Ken Marantz

Share this article

TOKYO (June 15) -- Among the slew of highly anticipated showdowns at this year's Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships, Nonoka OZAKI was looking for revenge against Sakura MOTOKI. She never got the chance, thanks to Yuzuka INAGAKI.

Inagaki stunned world champion Ozaki by rallying to a 6-6 victory on last-point criteria in the quarterfinals at women's 62kg on the opening day of the four-day tournament on Thursday, then later earned a place in Friday's final against Motoki.

"Deep down, I'm glad I could beat Ozaki today, but tomorrow is for all the marbles, so I see this as a step along the way," said Inagaki, a world U23 and junior champion in 2019.

The Meiji Cup is serving as the second domestic qualifier for this year's World Championships in Belgrade, where winning a medal will also earn a Japanese wrestler a ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics. So the competition is fierce.

Winners of the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships, the first qualifier held last December, can automatically clinch a place on the team to Belgrade with a victory at the Meiji Cup. In Olympic weight classes, if the champions are different, they will meet in a playoff on July 1.

Motoki, a world bronze medalist at 59kg who moved up to the Olympic weight with an eye on Paris, won the title at the Emperor's Cup by beating Ozaki in the final. She can secure the world team spot with a win over Inagaki; a loss will set up a playoff between the two.

One wrestler who had left the 62kg picture after a loss at the Emperor's Cup was Tokyo Olympic champion Yukako KAWAI, who made the surprise move all the way up to the next Olympic weight of 68kg. She kept her hopes of a second straight Olympic gold alive by making the semifinals on Thursday.

In the tournament at Tokyo Metropolitan Gym, the Olympic weight classes are being run over two days, while the non-Olympic divisions are completed in a single day.

Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN)Yuzuka INAGAKI completes a takedown against Nonoka OZAKI in their 62kg quarterfinal. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation / Takeo Yabuki)

The fact that the 20-year-old Ozaki -- who last year completed a trifecta of world senior, U23 and U20 titles -- will not be around for finals on the second day at 62kg sent shock waves through the arena. But credit has to go to a determined Inagaki, who was looking for some revenge of her own.

The two had been rivals since their junior high school days, and in their most recent meeting, at last year's Meiji Cup, Ozaki came away with a 2-1 win.

"I've faced Ozaki a number of times," said the 21-year-old Inagaki. "I lost to her recently, but I seriously studied her and trained for this match. In the end, I had a strong determination to win."

Ozaki jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a takedown and an activity point in the first period. In the second period, Inagaki got on the scoreboard with a takedown, but as she was trying for a gut wrench, Ozaki stepped over for a 1-point reversal. She then added a takedown to go up 6-2.

As the taller Ozaki tried to keep Inagaki at arm's length, Inagaki fought to create an opening and scored a takedown with :48 left. As the clock was ticking down, Inagaki got in deep on a single and as she tried to finish off the move, Ozaki went out of bounds. Inagaki was awarded a stepout and a point for fleeing, giving her the last point for a 6-6 victory.

"In practice, we work on finishing off a scoring move in the final seconds, and I was glad I could do it today," Inagaki said.

"It all came down to the last 30 seconds," Ozaki said. "When I am winning, I want to stay on the attack and not give the opponent an opening. I had practiced for when it comes down to a battle of wills at the end, but more than losing because of heart, I felt like it was because I kept my hips up. Also, my heart and body weren't in sync."

Of course, there is no assurance that whoever wins out at 62kg will win a medal in Belgrade, so Ozaki still has a chance to get to Paris, however slim. But she would prefer to have her fate in her own hands.

"I came into this tournament in the situation where there was nothing else and I had to win," Ozaki said. "But I lost before the final, and it is very difficult to make the Olympics. Right now I don't know what to think."

Ozaki, a rarity among top Japanese wrestlers in that she attends academically elite Keio University, said that whatever happens in the upcoming months, she remains dedicated to the sport.

"I am still in college, and I will continue wrestling," she said. "My big goal of getting to the Olympics and winning a gold medal has not changed. Each year, I will aim at making the World Championships and becoming No. 1 in the world. I want to be a wrestler who can win, whether it is in Japan or in the world."

Yukako KAWAI (JPN)Yukako KAWAI defeated Miwa MORIKAWA 4-4 at 68kg. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation / Takeo Yabuki)

In women's wrestling, it is perhaps only in Japan that an Olympic champion -- and two-time world medalist to boot -- can be regarded as the underdog. But that was the situation that Kawai, who won the Tokyo gold along with older sister Rikako, placed herself in with her bold move up two weight classes.

The 68kg division has just seven entries, but most are current or former world champions or medalists. Kawai won all three of her round-robin matches in her Nordic group, including a thrilling 4-4 victory over world 65kg champion Miwa MORIKAWA.

Either of the resulting semifinals could be a world final in their own right. World silver medalist Ami ISHII will face Morikawa in a rematch of the Emperor's Cup final won by Ishii, while Kawai will take on Masako FURUICHI, whose three world medals at 72kg include a 2021 gold.

Kawai, who said she remained at her normal weight of 63kg for the tournament, said she is feeling the burden of the extra poundage of her opponents.

"All of my opponents seemed so heavy, but despite that, I got this far," Kawai said. "I didn't think I would be unbeaten. I think I really gave a good effort. My first match was my first [at 68kg] and I was nervous. While my opponents were heavy and I gave up points, they came off technical mistakes on my part, so it doesn't bother me."

Facing Morikawa in her second match, Kawai trailed after giving up a stepout and an activity point in the first period. In the second, she scored with a double-leg takedown, which she followed with a 2-point exposure to go up 4-2. Morikawa scored a takedown with :38 left, but it was not enough as Kawai won on big-point criteria.

"In that match, more than victory or defeat, I just wanted to give everything I had," Kawai said.

"When I got the tackle and went ahead, I thought, 'If it goes like this, I can definitely win.' I put it all out there and, even though it turned into a close match, it made me believe I can hold my own at 68kg."

Looking ahead, Kawai is ready for the challenge and force a playoff.

"I'm coming up from a lower weight class, so I am absolutely the challenger," she said. "It's no sure thing that I can win. All of the opponents are really strong. Giving everything I have is No. 1 and I will fight my hardest for the remaining matches."

Ishii won both of her group matches but was taken to the limit in a 3-2 victory over Furuichi. After receiving an activity point in the first period, Ishii scored a single-leg takedown for a 3-0 lead. Furuichi battled to the end and notched a takedown with :20 left, but Ishii held on for the win.

In a non-Olympic weight, world U20 champion Mahiro YOSHITAKE followed up her Emperor's Cup triumph at 65kg by beating Rin TERAMOTO 7-1 in the final, putting her on the inside track to Belgrade.

The Japan federation will allow the second-place finishers in Olympic weights at both the Emperor's Cup and Meiji Cup to enter the playoffs in non-Olympic weights, so it remains to be seen whether or not Yoshitake will have competition for her place.

Katsuaki ENDOKatsuaki ENDO hits a five-point suplex on Taishi NARIKUNI in the 67kg semifinal. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation / Takeo Yabuki)

Narikuni meets match in Greco

In the men's competitions, world 70kg freestyle champion Taishi NARIKUNI's bold bid to pick up a world title in Greco-Roman came crashing down with a pair of flashy throws by Katsuaki ENDO in the semifinals at 67kg.

Narikuni, looking to join his mother as a two-time world champion but with a twist, looked out of his league against technician Endo, a 2022 Asian bronze medalist. Endo had a 2-0 lead when put on top in par terre, he put on a master performance, first scoring a 4-point throw, then adding the coup de grace with a spectacular 5-point back suplex.

"There was a difference in technical ability, but it was really how the match progressed," Narikuni said. "Endo really knows how to control the flow of a match. I took that too lightly."

Asked if he had any regrets about attempting the difficult crossover of styles, he replied. "I regret nothing, of course. This is something I decided to do on my own. I had people around me providing their support. I have one more match tomorrow [for the bronze medal], so I want to finish up with a solid win."

In the final, Endo will face Asian silver medalist Kyotaro SOGABE in a rematch of the Emperor's Cup final won by Sogabe.

Meanwhile, Emperor's Cup-winning brothers Hayato and Takashi ISHIGURO kept alive their hopes of making the trip to Belgrade together by advancing to their respective finals in freestyle.

Hayato, coming off a bronze medal at this year's Asian Championships, defeated 2022 world U23 champion Tatsuya SHIRAI 3-0 in the semifinals at 86kg, setting up a gold-medal clash with three-time Olympian Sohsuke TAKATANI.

Takatani, who had spent the past two years at 92kg, won the Emperor's Cup at that weight but has dropped down in an attempt to make a fourth Olympics.

Takashi Ishiguro advanced to the 97kg final with a 12-3 victory over Keivan YOSHIDA, and will face Taira SONODA in the final.

In the final match of the day, Yoshida's younger brother Arash won the 92kg title. The Asian champion won all three of his matches by technical fall, including a 10-0 rout of Satoshi MIURA in the final.

Day 1 Results

Freestyle

86kg (12 entries)
Semifinal -- Hayato ISHIGURO df. Tatsuya SHIRAI, 3-0
Semifinal -- Sohsuke TAKATANI df. Yudai TAKAHASHI, 6-4

92kg (6 entries)
GOLD -- Arash YOSHIDA df. Satoshi MIURA by TF, 10-0, 3:12

BRONZE -- Kuya MOCHINAGA df. Akinobu TAKEUCHI, 4-1

Semifinal -- Arash YOSHIDA df. Kuya MOCHINAGA by Fall, 1:46 (8-0)
Semifinal -- Satoshi MIURA df. Akinobu TAKEUCHI by TF, 10-0, 2:29

97kg (9 entries)
Semifinal -- Takashi ISHIGURO df. Keivan YOSHIDA, 12-3
Semifinal -- Taira SONODA df. Hibiki ITO by TF, 10-0, 1:05

Greco-Roman

55kg (9 entries)
GOLD -- Taiga ONISHI df. Kohei YAMAGIWA, 7-3

BRONZE -- Mizuki ARAKI df. Sosuke MASUDA, by TF, 9-0, 4:10
BRONZE -- Taketo NINOMIYA df. Shu HIRATA by TF, 8-0, 2:01

Semifinal -- Taiga ONISHI df. Mizuki ARAKI, 2-0
Semifinal -- Kohei YAMAGIWA df. Taketo NINOMIYA by TF, 11-1, 2:03

67kg (13 entries)
Semifinal -- Kyotaro SOGABE df. Kensuke SHIMIZU, 6-3
Semifinal -- Katsuaki ENDO df. Taishi NARIKUNI by TF, 12-0, 1:55

Women

55kg (12 entries)
GOLD -- Rino TAKAOKA df. Ruka NATAMI, 4-2

BRONZE -- Karina HONDA df. Narumi NAKAMURA, 3-2
BRONZE -- Neon GOMI df. Riko TAKAYAMA, 2-1

Semifinal -- Rino TAKAOKA df. Narumi NAKAMURA, 2-1
Semifinal -- Ruka NATAMI df. Neon GOMI by Fall, 5:00 (3-0)

62kg (13 entries)
Semifinal -- Sakura MOTOKI df. Naomi RUIKE by Fall, 4:19 (10-0)
Semifinal -- Yuzuka INAGAKI df. Suzu SASAKI by TF, 10-0, 4:47

65kg (9 entries)
GOLD -- Mahiro YOSHITAKE df. Rin TERAMOTO, 7-1

BRONZE -- Nagisa ITO df. Momoko Kitade by TF, 5:39, 13-3
BRONZE -- Kaede HIRAI df. Kaede MATSUYAMA by Fall, 4:50 (7-0)

Semifinal -- Mahiro YOSHITAKE df. Nagisa ITO by TF, 10-0, 3:40
Semifinal -- Rin TERAMOTO df. Kaede MATSUYAMA, 4-1

72kg (6 entries)
GOLD -- Mei SHINDO df. Sumire NIIKURA, 4-3

BRONZE -- Yuka FUJIKURA df. Kokona TAKADA, 2-0

Semifinal -- Sumire NIIKURA df. Kokona TAKADA by TF, 10-0, 5:58
Semifinal -- Mei SHINDO df. Yuka FUJIKURA, 2-2

#WrestleParis

Japan gold medalists meet fans, looking to inspire their successors

Thursday, August 29, 2024 - 14:15 By Ken Marantz

Share this article

TOKYO (August 29) -- It may not compare to the punishing six minutes on the mat in an Olympic final, but standing for over two hours shaking hands, taking photos and signing autographs can take its toll -- and be rewarding in its own way.

Rei HIGUCHI was among five of Japan's eight gold medalists at the Paris Olympics who participated in a meet-and-greet on Sunday in Tokyo, where over 500 people turned out to see this new group of heroes.

"I don't want this to be the last event, so we can help make wrestling more popular," Higuchi said at a press conference following the session. "That's one of the responsibilities of the top athletes. I want to do all that I can."

Higuchi, the freestyle 57kg champion, was joined by fellow freestyle gold medalist Kotaro KIYOOKA (65kg), Greco winner Nao KUSAKA (77kg) and women's champions Tsugumi SAKURAI (57kg) and Sakura MOTOKI (62kg), as well as freestyle 74kg silver medalist Daichi TAKATANI.

The adoring fans came in all ages and sizes, from parents with toddlers to schoolkids sporting their wrestling club t-shirts to senior citizens, all waiting patiently in line for the chance to get up close and personal with a handful of the stars who had brought glory to their country.

For the wrestlers themselves, it was a way to express their thanks for the support they received, and to help inspire the next generation that can hopefully someday match or exceed the wrestling squad's outsized performance in Paris, where it won 11 medals in the 13 weight classes in which it had entries.

"It's amazing, more people showed up than I thought would," Sakurai said. "It really shows the value of the Olympics. I get a sense of how it gives the children dreams to shoot for.

"When I was little, I saw an Olympic gold medal and it really inspired me to work hard in wrestling. In the same way, it makes me happy if it inspires others by seeing my medal."

The event was held in the entranceway at the Komazawa Indoor Ball Sports Arena (Komazawa Gym is being renovated) in conjunction with the third day of the national collegiate championships. Many of the collegians came out for a peek at the medalists, some of whom are still, or until recently were, their teammates.

With the six lined up against a backdrop of posters of the Olympic squad, each person or group would hand their phone to a volunteer, who would snap photos as they were surrounded by the wrestlers.

The wrestlers flashed a smile and held up their medal for each shot, and sometimes one would put their medal around a young fan's neck. They all had no qualms about letting the fans touch the medal and feel its weight (and it's heavy, alright).

"I'm really happy to have so many people come to this and get a chance to touch the medal," Higuchi said. "Kids who are wrestling also came, and I am happy if this helps nurture those who will follow us. It seems that a lot of people watched the Olympics. I wanted to put [the medal] around the neck of every one, and I felt bad that there was a problem with time.

After the photos, they all took a few steps over to a table, where the wrestlers would sign autographs on t-shirts, notebooks or "shikishi," the traditional white cardboard used for such occasions. In some cases, they signed their names directly on a t-shirt that the fan was wearing.

Keito Ota, a 12-year-old from Tokyo whose mother allowed him to stay up and watch the Olympic finals that started at 4 a.m. Japan time, came to meet his favorite wrestler, Kiyooka.

"Kiyooka-san is so cool, so that's why I came to this autograph session," said Ota, a national schoolboy fifth-grade champion who was wearing his Figure Four Club t-shirt. "I was really glad [they are here], I'll work hard to become an athlete like them. The team that will be made up from my generation, we'll try to get more than eight medals."

The six medalists, from left, Rei HIGUCHI, Kotaro KIYOOKA, Tsugumi SAKURAI, Sakura MOTOKI, Nao KUSAKA and Daichi TAKATANI, pose together after the event. The six medalists, from left, Rei HIGUCHI, Kotaro KIYOOKA, Tsugumi SAKURAI, Sakura MOTOKI, Nao KUSAKA and Daichi TAKATANI, pose together after the event.

Needing to spread the word

It some ways, the event could be considered a case of preaching to the choir. There is no way of knowing how many came who had no interest in wrestling prior to the Olympics, but the Japan federation does have a problem when it comes to raising the popularity of the sport to match the country's achievements in it.

Overall, Japan won 20 gold medals in Paris, which means that nearly half were won in wrestling. But the media leans toward highlighting Gen-X favorites like skateboarding and rock-climbing, or gymnastics and table tennis in which the top competitors have become household names.

Going into Paris, the main focus when it came to wrestling was on women's 50kg star Yui SUSAKI, mainly because she was the only Japanese champion from the Tokyo Olympics who was defending her crown in Paris.

The national championships have not been regularly televised since the years when three-time Olympic champion Saori YOSHIDA was a media darling back in the early 2000s. In recent years, the only time it made the airwaves was when Rio Olympic champions Kaori ICHO and Risako KAWAI squared off to make the team to Tokyo.

"We wrestlers won eight of the 20 gold medals [won by Japan in Paris], and overall, we had 13 wrestlers and 11 won medals," the 28-year-old Higuchi said. "But it's not just about that result. From now, we have to use opportunities like this to make more people aware of the sport of wrestling.

"If wrestling stays unknown and is just a sport that comes up once every four years, there will be nobody coming up to follow us. We need to do activities that spread the word.

"It's because of those who support these events and tournaments that we were able to become wrestlers. We appreciate them, which includes the media, as we continue to do everything in our power to promote the sport."

Higuchi pointed out the vast difference between the crowd at the Japan college championships, which was maybe in the hundreds, and those at the U.S. NCAA tournament, which draws in the tens of thousands. "The intensity is completely different," he said.

During and after the Olympics, the wrestlers got valuable chances to publicize the sport on news programs and variety shows, which were only too happy to capitalize on the Olympic enthusiasm by booking appearances from the Paris medalists.

In one segment, Greco 60kg gold medalist Kenichiro FUMITA demonstrated to an unsuspecting host just how tight the waist hold of a gut wrench can be. He also got on the bottom of par terre to show how he resisted his opponents in Paris and kept from being turned. The host could barely budge him.

"The way we are treated, they are so nice, it's like we've become a celebrity," Takatani said. "Even if I made an unusual request, they listened to it. It showed just how highly regarded the Olympics is. It's like I saw a whole new world."

Sakurai, who had won a third straight world title heading to Paris (at 55kg in 2021 and conseeutive titles at 57kg in 2022 and 2023), said she had never gained much attention from the general public for her previous exploits.

"It was very different from the World Championships," Sakurai said. "The responses and the excitement from everyone after the World Championships and after the Olympics are different.

"The Olympics were broadcast on television and everyone knows the results. People [at this event] were so happy, like they were meeting their idols, even just to shake hands...I'm not the talkative type and it's hard for me to respond, but I'll do what I can to make them happy again."

With the abundance of golds, Kiyooka fell under the radar and lamented that he had not been invited onto any TV shows. But he still got some well-deserved recognition back in his hometown, where he was honored with a Citizen's Certificate of Honor from both Kochi Prefecture and Kochi City.

"They even came to greet me at the airport," Kiyooka said, adding that there is a parade planned for him and fellow Kochi native Sakurai -- they both started wrestling in the kids club coached by her father -- in September.

Kiyooka appears to have the fine makings for an ambassador for the sport. Asked what he attributed the success of Japan's team in Paris to, Kiyooka replied, "On the wrestling team of Team Japan, every one of us loves wrestling from the bottom of our hearts. We all want to have an influence and uplift others, and in doing so, it produced this result."

What lies ahead

So what will the champions do for an encore? For the moment, they are content to relish the adulation and take some time for a well-deserved rest.

It looks like Kiyooka and Kusaka will be the first ones to get back on the mat in earnest, as both plan to participate in the German Bundesliga in October.

"It's a place I've always wanted to go and give me a new dream," Kiyooka said. "Then I will get down to the job of defending my title in four years."

Kusaka had prepared for the Paris Olympics by traveling solo using his own money to train in Germany and Hungary. He also took part in the Bundesliga, where now he will have more name recognition as an Olympic champion.

Higuchi said that at 28, he does not feel his age is a barrier at all. He is undecided on trying next year to add to the world gold that he won last year at 61kg, but would like to arrange visits to top U.S. colleges like Iowa in the winter.

More than the World Championships, he said his focus is on the 2026 Asian Games, which remains the only major laurel missing from his collection. Adding to the incentive is that the Games will be held in the central Japan city of Nagoya.

"The one thing that is still missing is the Asian Games title, so I will aim to qualify for that," Higuchi said.

Motoki will be taking a break for awhile, but has her sights on someday completing the Grand Slam of age-group world titles.

She won the world U17 in 2018 and U20 in 2022, but has come up just short on the senior level, winning a bronze in 2022 and silver in 2023. She has yet to enter the world U23, and will still be eligible to enter next year's tournament.

"I went through a tough year up to the Olympics and I like wrestling, so I will take a break," Motoki said. "I don't want to train for records or to win consecutive titles or things like that, but I do want to take a stab at completing the Grand Slam. That gives me a new challenge and it will be nice if I can get it."

Higuchi calls for weight allowance

Higuchi also talked from first-hand experience about the sad saga of Vinesh PHOGAT (IND), and called for some kind of weight allowance for second-day weigh-ins.

Phogat had handed Susaki her first-ever international loss en route to the women's 50kg final, only to be disqualified for failing to make weight on the second day.

Higuchi can certainly sympathize. Looking to make up for his loss in the final at the 2016 Rio Olympics, he infamously failed to make weight for the Asian Qualifier for the Tokyo Games, which indirectly led to him missing out.

"I certainly understand her feelings of despair," Higuchi said. "But we are competing under rules, and you can't reverse a decision that has been made. The second day weigh-in is more difficult than the first, and it's something I would like to have changed."

Higuchi said that giving the wrestlers an allowance of one or two kilograms would make a huge difference, both physically and mentally.

"After the matches are over on the first day, you have to lose two or three kilograms," Higuchi said. "It's tough after the matches, and if you lose in the first or second round, you have to prepare without knowing if you will have a match or not. It's really grueling. I'd really like them to do even a little to help us out.

"But that's something for UWW to decide. All I can do is go along with [the rules]."