#JapanWrestling

Inagaki deals Ozaki shocking loss; Kawai solid at 68kg

By Ken Marantz

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

#JapanWrestling

Nanjo, Ozaki deny Kawai sisters tickets to Belgrade

By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (July 17) -- When sisters Risako and Yukako KAWAI won gold medals together at the Tokyo Olympics, they were the toast of the nation, appearing on countless TV shows and being treated as celebrities.

That was then and this is now, and two years after their triumph, neither sibling was able to make Japan's team to this year's World Championships, even after taking a shot at a non-Olympic weight class.

Risako, who now goes by her married name of KINJO, suffered a stunning last-second loss to Sae NANJO at 59kg, while Yukako was outdueled by Nonoka OZAKI at 65kg in playoffs for Japan's world team in non-Olympic divisions on Monday at Tokyo's National Training Center.

"Even if it's not [to qualify] for the Olympics, I wanted to go to the World Championships as sisters with Yukako," said Kinjo, the two-time Olympic champion and three-time world gold medalist. "It's very hard to take that I lost, but I felt I was better than at the Meiji Cup."

Both Nanjo and Ozaki went on to win their respective weight class in the ladder-style format to secure their tickets to Belgrade, along with Haruna OKUNO at 55kg and Miwa MORIKAWA at 72kg.

In Greco-Roman, Shohei YABIKU, a Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist at 77kg, claimed the spot at 82kg, while teenage Asian champion Arash YOSHIDA triumphed at freestyle at 92kg to earn his first trip to a World Championships on any level.

Under the criteria set by the Japan federation, any wrestler who finished in the top two in an Olympic weight class at the two domestic qualifiers for the World Championships -- the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships held last December and the Meiji Cup All-Japan Championships held in June -- but failed to make the world team in that division, either outright or in a playoff, could challenge for a spot at a non-Olympic weight.

The competition to qualify in the Olympic weights was fierce, as the federation proclaimed that any wrestler winning a medal in Belgrade will automatically fill the spot at the Paris Olympics that comes with it.

In Monday's playoffs, the winner of the Meiji Cup in each non-Olympic weight class was placed at the top of the ladder. But the real competition came in the earlier rungs, when those who failed to make an Olympic weight class clashed in pairings equivalent to a global championship.

Sae NANJOSae NANJO scores two points over Risako KINJO during their 59kg bout. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation)

Nanjo, who had lost out at 57kg to world champion Tsugumi SAKURAI, set up her clash with Kinjo by defeating Sara NATAMI by an 11-1 technical fall.

Kinjo, who had lost to Sakurai in the semifinals at the Meiji Cup to end her quest at 57kg, was eligible for the playoffs because she won the 59kg title at the Emperor's Cup, her first major competition after returning from childbirth.

Kinjo looked to be well on her way toward gaining a shot at a fourth world title when she stormed to a 6-0 lead over Nanjo, scoring a first-period takedown, then adding another early in the second period that she topped off with a lace-lock roll.

Nanjo knows something about losing last-second decisions -- Sakurai has done it to her three times, including at the Olympic weight class playoffs on July 1 -- so she was not yet ready to concede to her elder fellow Shigakkan University alum.

"When she turned me with the ankle hold and made it a six-point lead, I thought it might be over," Nanjo said.

Nanjo got on the scoreboard with a single-leg takedown, then levered Kinjo over for another two while very nearly ending the match with a fall. Kinjo manages to squirm out for a tenuous two-point lead.

In the final 10 seconds, Nanjo went for broke and secured a headlock, then desperately tried to twist Kinjo over at the edge. With just a couple of ticks on the clock remaining, she managed to expose Kinjo's back for a dramatic 6-6 victory.

Nanjo said she found strength in the woman in her corner, fellow Japan Olympic Academy product and former world champion Masako FURUICHI, who has always been there to encourage her when times are rough. "Whenever she is there, it gets me looking forward," Nanjo said.

Nanjo, a two-time world U23 champion who finished third in her lone appearance at a senior worlds in 2021, secured her ticket to Belgrade with a 10-0 technical fall over Sena NAGAMOTO in less than a minute.

"After I lost the 57kg playoff, it was tough to get back in the right frame of mind," said Nanjo, who graduated from Shigakkan in March and joined Toshin Construction company, which sponsors several elite wrestlers. "But I regained the desire to fight, more for all the people who support me than myself."

Kinjo knows that the path to a third Olympic gold is all but closed, and she says she will not be rooting for Sakurai to slip up in Belgrade and reopen it. But neither does she say we have seen the last of her.

"If I am asked if I will retire because this time I wasn't able to make it to the World Championships, I will say I'm not going out that easy," the 28-year-old said. "I've been given a job by my company because of wrestling, so we'll have to talk it over, but I won't be easily saying 'sayonara.'"

Nonoka OZAKINonoka OZAKI controls Yukako KAWAI after a takedown at 65kg. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation)

Earlier, younger sister Yukako's fate was decided by Ozaki, the world champion at 62kg who lost out to Sakura MOTOKI in that weight class.

Ozaki scored a takedown in each period for a 4-0 victory that left Kawai empty-handed in her attempts to make it to Belgrade in three different weight classes during the process.

Kawai had lost to Motoki in the 62kg semifinal at the Emperor's Cup, then came up short again when she moved up to 68kg at the Meiji Cup, losing to Morikawa in the final.

It was the second career meeting between the Ozaki and Kawai. Ozaki took the first clash, a 3-1 win in the 2022 Meiji Cup final at 62kg that clinched her place on the team to last year's worlds, where she won her first senior title.

Ozaki punched her ticket to Belgrade by overwhelming Meiji Cup champ Mahiro YOSHITAKE by fall in 51 seconds after building a 10-0 lead.

"I failed in the Olympic weight class, that was heartbreaking because that was what I was aiming for," Ozaki said. "To decide to go up a weight class to 65kg was a big deal. It was not easy to turn the switch back on. But it was important that I decided to do it."

Haruna OKUNOHaruna OKUNO will be aiming for her third world title in Belgrade. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation)

At 55kg, two-time former world champion Okuno scored all of her points in the second period to chalk up a 7-2 victory over 2021 world U20 and U23 champion Moe KIYOOKA in the preliminary round. She then forged a 4-1 victory over Rina KATAOKA to secure the world team spot.

"Today, my goal was to decisively win out," Okuno said. "After the Meiji Cup was over, I tested some different things and I was able to use some of it on the mat. It really hit me that there's a big difference between practice and actual matches."

Okuno was the first of the five wrestlers in history who have completed the grand slam of all four age-group titles -- Yui SUSAKI made it a "golden" slam by adding an Olympic title. Furuichi is another, and Ozaki and Amit Elor (USA) joined the club last year. Okuno won world golds as a cadet in 2016, a junior in 2019, at U23 in 2017, 2019 and 2022, and on the senior level in 2017 and 2018.

Since that last appearance at the senior worlds in 2018, Okuno's path to global glory at 53kg was first shut off by Tokyo Olympic champion Mayu MUKAIDA, and in recent years by the phenomenal 2021 world champion Akari FUJINAMI.

Even at 55kg, Okuno has to be considered a title favorite this year in Belgrade, having suffered just two losses to non-Japanese opponents in her entire career. The first was a 6-4 loss in the third round at the 2014 world cadets to Alina Kazymova (RUS), and the second a 7-7 nail-biter to Yong-Mi PAK (PRK) in the semifinals at the 2018 Asian Games.

Miwa MORIKAWA65kg world champion Miwa MORIKAWA will be competing at 72kg in Belgrade. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation)

Morikawa, the world champion at 65kg who lost out to Ami ISHII in an attempt to make it to Belgrade at 68kg, had her hands full with the extra weight at 72kg but made it through with a 4-1 victory over Sumire NIIKURA and a 4-2 win over fellow Nippon Sports Science University alum Mei SHINDO.

"Yesterday we practiced together," Morikawa said of Shindo. "We have made each other stronger, but in a match, we both go out with the aim of beating the other."

Having moved up two weight classes, Morikawa said she feels the added weight of her opponents but looks forward to the challenge, particularly a possible meeting with defending champion Elor.

"I can't compare it with last year," Morikawa said. "The opponents, it may be rude to say, are monsters two weight classes up. I know that you can't take the World Championships lightly. But no matter the weight class, I want to show I can be the champion. As long as I'm entered, I'm there to win."

YABIKUShohei YABIKU, Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist at 77kg, claimed the spot at 82kg. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation)

In Greco, Yabiku earned a trip to a fifth World Championships -- he has never placed higher than 13th -- by defeating Meiji Cup champion Yuya OKAJIMA by injury default.

Yabiku executed a throw from par terre that did not expose Okajima's back but was good for 2 points and a 3-1 lead. But Okajima landed awkwardly on his left foot and was unable to continue the match.

In freestyle, Yoshida scored a pair of stepouts and a takedown before holding on for a 5-3 victory at 92kg over Yudai TAKAHASHI.

Yoshida, whose father is Iranian and runs the kids wrestling club where he started the sport, had won the Meiji Cup title after capturing an impressive gold at the Asian Championships. He represents Japanese hope for future glory in the upper weights.

Among other weight classes, Kodai OGAWA denied high schooler and Meiji Cup champion Rin SAKAMOTO a trip to the senior worlds at freestyle 61kg by breaking open a close match in the second period and rolling to an 11-4 victory.

Japan's World Championships team

Freestyle
57kg: Rei HIGUCHI
61kg: Kodai OGAWA
65kg: Takuto OTOGURO
70kg: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI
74kg: Daichi TAKATANI
79kg: Yuto MIWA
86kg: Hayato ISHIGURO
92kg: Arash YOSHIDA
97kg: Takashi ISHIGURO
125kg: Daiki YAMAMOTO

Greco-Roman
55kg: Taiga ONISHI
60kg: Kenichiro FUMITA
63kg: Ryuto IKEDA
67kg: Kyotaro SOGABE
72kg: Shingo HARADA
77kg: Nao KUSAKA
82kg: Shohei YABIKU
87kg: Masato SUMI
97kg: Yuta NARA
130kg: Sota OKUMURA

Women
50kg: Yui SUSAKI
53kg: Akari FUJINAMI
55kg: Haruna OKUNO
57kg: Tsugumi SAKURAI
59kg: Sae NANJO
62kg: Sakura MOTOKI
65kg: Nonoka OZAKI
68kg: Ami ISHII
72kg: Miwa MORIKAWA
76kg: Yuka KAGAMI