Japanese Women Close Out Junior Worlds with Eight Golds

Friday, August 16, 2019 - 19:15 By Eric Olanowski

TALLINN, Estonia (August 16) --- Japan jabbed the competition on Thursday night by winning three junior world titles, then threw the knock out punch on Friday night -- closing out the women’s wrestling portion of the Junior World Championships with five additional gold medals. In total, Japan went eight-for-eight in gold-medal bouts and stockpiled medals in all ten weights.

Haruna OKUNO (JPN) kicked off the day for the Japanese women by winning her fifth overall world gold medal.

Okuno said she keeps all of her world title belts at her parent's house. Well, their house gained an additional world championship belt after their daughter claimed her fifth world gold in as many tries. The reigning two-time senior-level world champion added her first junior world title to her long list of accomplishments after expelling Anudari NANDINTSETSEG (MGL), 7-2 in the 53kg gold-medal bout.

By watching Okuno’s four matches, where she outscored her opponents 35-2, you would've never guessed that she was dealing with extreme neck pain on her right side throughout the entire competition. After her finals match, she talked about having to work through her counter-offensive attacks because of her pain, saying “Now I feel neck pain, so I didn’t try to attack. In this tournament, the counterattack was very nice for me.”

In her finals match, the always stoic Okuno shot a low-level attack and picked up the early two-point lead. Her counter offense came into play later in the period when she stopped a Nandintsetseg attack and used a fluid arm-drag to a head outside single leg to pick up four points – improving her lead to 6-0. She surrendered an inactivity point and a stepout in the closing period but was awarded a brutality point after her Mongolian opponent was warned several times for hands-to-the-face. Okuno closed out her run to her first junior world title with a 7-2 victory.

When asked if there’s a difference between winning a junior world title and a senior world title, Okuno said, “There isn’t a difference between junior and senior because it means the same. It's a world championship. I’m always feeling very happy to (wrestle) against the world’s best wrestlers.”

Akie HANAI (JPN) picked up a 9-0 win over Alina AKOBIIA (UKR) in the 57kg finals. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Akie HANAI (JPN) was Japan’s second wrestler who won a gold medal on Friday night.

Hanai, last year’s U23 world runner-up, scored four points from two open double legs in the first period and tacked on a four-point double leg and a failed challenge point in the second period to slide past Alina AKOBIIA (UKR), 9-0 for her first career world title.

Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) scored an 8-2 win over China’s WU Yaru in the 62kg finals. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

The third Japanese Friday night gold-medal winner was Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN).

Inagaki came to Estonia with an unblemished resume, and that's how she’s leaving. She won her second career world title and first since winning the 2017 cadet world title in Athens, Greece, with an 8-2 win over China’s WU Yaru. In the gold-medal bout, Inagaki struck first with a takedown, but gave up a judo-esk whip over and went into the second period trailing 2-2 on criteria. In the second period, the lack of defensive adjustment from Wu allowed Inagaki to pick up back-to-back sweep singles to the left leg of her Chinese opponent. When Wu finally adjusted, Inagaki switched up her tactics and shot a double -- picking up her third takedown of the match to win her second age-group world title, 8-2.

Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) celebrates after winning her first world title. She defeated 2018 cadet world champion Macey KILTY (USA), 2-1. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

The fourth wrestler to stand atop of the podium while listening to the Japanese national anthem was Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN).

Morikawa, who was wrestling in her third world-title bout, won her first world gold with a hard-fought 2-1 win over 2018 cadet world champion Macey KILTY (USA). The match deciding points came in the second period when Morikawa shot five seconds into the period and drove Kilty out of bounds for the stepout point. Shortly after, the Japanese wrestler snuck behind Kilty, but the American tried to get away, but in the process of doing so, fled the hold and was dinged one point – giving Morikawa the outright lead, 2-1, and ultimately the 65kg gold medal.

Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) won Japan's eighth gold medal of the Junior World Championships with a 10-6 win over Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS). (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) closed out the day with Japan’s fifth gold medal.

The two-time cadet world champion came out on top of the high-entertaining 72kg finals against Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS) with a 10-6 victory. The pair traded blows the entire match, but it was Kagami who trailed 6-4 with 30 seconds left in the second period. The Japanese wrestler jolted to a takedown, then quickly jumped into a pair of leg laces and scored the four-point victory over last year’s junior world runner-up.

Japan closed out the Junior World Championships with the team title. They had 230 points, which was double the amount of points that second-place Russia had. Ukraine rounded out the top-three with 91 points.

The last full day of wrestling kicks off tomorrow morning at 10:30 (local time) and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS
Final Women’s Wrestling Team Scores
GOLD – Japan (230 points)
SILVER – Russia (115 points)
BRONZE – Ukraine (91 points)
Fourth – Poland (86 points)
Fifth – China (85 points)

53kg
GOLD - Haruna OKUNO (JPN) df. Anudari NANDINTSETSEG (MGL), 7-2
BRONZE - Mariia TIUMEREKOVA (RUS) df. Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB), 7-2
BRONZE - Meiduolaji MEIDUOLAJI (CHN) df. Assylzat SAGYMBAY (KAZ), via fall

57kg
GOLD - Akie HANAI (JPN) df. Alina AKOBIIA (UKR), 9-0
BRONZE - Nuraida ANARKULOVA (KGZ) df. Bharti BAGHEL (IND), 3-3
BRONZE - Magdalena Urszula GLODEK (POL) df. Youmei WU (CHN), 7-6

62kg
GOLD - Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) df. Yaru WU (CHN), 8-2
BRONZE - Magdalena Weronika KISIELINSKA (POL) df. Mariia LACHUGINA (RUS), 7-6
BRONZE - Ana Paula GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN) df. Irina RINGACI (MDA), 13-2

65kg
GOLD – Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Macey KILTY (USA), 2-1
BRONZE - Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) df. Hanna SADCHANKA (BLR), 2-0
BRONZE - Yue ZHANG (CHN) df. Oksana CHUDYK (UKR), 9-4

72kg
GOLD - Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) df. Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS), 10-6
BRONZE - Shuiyan CHENG (CHN) df. Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB), 3-1
BRONZE - Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) df. Alyvia Nicole FISKE (USA), 3-3

#UnitedWorldWrestling

UWW announces 2024 Hall of Fame inductees

Wednesday, July 31, 2024 - 10:07 By United World Wrestling Press

PARIS (July 31) -- In his earlier life, Steeve GUENOT (FRA) was a railwayman. He juggled his day job with his passion, wrestling, which led him to the Olympics.

There, on the biggest stage of all in Beijing 16 years ago, the Frenchman scripted history—winning a gold medal to end his country's 80-plus-year drought of producing an Olympic champion wrestler. That moment changed his life, and Guenot went on to inspire a generation of wrestlers.

For his path-breaking achievements on the mat and his restoration of belief in an entire nation, the French hero was inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame days before the Paris Olympics were declared open.

The Beijing Games gold medallist, who also won a bronze at London 2012 and a bronze medal in the 2007 World Championship, was among the three wrestlers included in this year's list. The other two were freestyle legend Mavlet BATIROV (RUS) and Canadian trailblazer Tonya VERBEEK (CAN).

Additionally, referee Vassilis PAGONIS (GRE) and legendary Armenian coach Levon JULFALAKYAN (ARM), too, were accorded the prestigious honor this year.

The Hall of Famers are permanently recognized on UWW's website, at the organization's headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, and in the international wing of the USA Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Mavlet BATIROV (RUS) is a two-time Olympic champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

A 66kg category Greco-Roman champion, Guenot was born to a family of wrestlers in 1985. Both his parents were involved in the sport, and his siblings were, too. Like him, Guenot’s brother Christophe is an Olympic medallist. But no one scaled the heights that Guenot did.

France hadn't won an Olympic gold medal in wrestling since the 1936 Games when Emile Poilve finished on top of the podium.

Guenot broke that hoodoo and went on to win a lot more. After a highly successful playing career, he moved to coaching and was involved in grooming young wrestlers at his club in Dijon, something he has done to date.

Joining him on the list of honors is a Russian legend whose name is synonymous with excellence. One of the true greats of the sport, Batirov won admirers all over the world with his gritty wrestling style. He was one of the most dominant wrestlers in the noughts, particularly in the 55kg men's freestyle category, before he moved to 60 kg due to weight class adjustment.

Born in 1983, Batirov’s first big moment came in 2004, when he won the gold medal in the 55 kg category at the Athens Olympics. He went on to win his second Olympic gold medal four years later while competing in the 60 kg category and during that four-year cycle, he won the world title as well as a world championship bronze at 60kg.

These results, combined with multiple European championship medals, sealed his status as one of the finest wrestlers to ever step on the mat. After he retired from the sport, Batirov gave back to it by mentoring and coaching young wrestlers and sharing his deep insights into the game with them.

Tonya VERBEEK (CAN) was the head coach of the Canadian national team. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

Like Guenot and Batirov, Verbeek too has had an outsized influence on the sport, especially in her country.

After the Ontario native picked the sport as a schoolgirl at age 11, Verbeek reportedly remained undefeated throughout her career as a school-level wrestler. She nearly mirrored that level of success as a senior in international wrestling.

Despite the total dominance of Japanese wrestlers, Verbeek carved out a niche for herself with her fearless style of play. She was the first Canadian woman to win a wrestling medal at the Athens Games, a silver, went on to add a bronze to her collection four years later in Beijing and completed the hattrick of medals by clinching the silver medal at the London Olympics. Apart from these, she has multiple worlds, Pan-Am and Commonwealth Games medals.

After retiring, Veerbek would break more barriers, becoming the head coach of both the men's and women's Canada teams. She currently coaches the women's program at the University of Iowa.

Armenia coach Levon JULFALAKYAN (ARM) inducted into UWW Hall of Fame. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

While all these wrestlers across the three events are legends in their own right, few actually come close to doing what Julfalakyan did.

As a wrestler, he has won it all -- Olympic gold, World Championship gold, and European Championship gold. His Olympic title in 1988 was a great exhibition of his art, as he won all his bouts in a one-sided manner to romp through the field and win the gold.

After he hung his boots, Julfalakyan turned to coaching. The academy where he coached turned into a conveyor belt of talented wrestlers. He has produced an Olympic champion, and multiple Olympic silver bronze medallists, as well as seven world and 14 European champions.

His elder son, Arsen, went on to win a silver medal at the London Olympics. In 2011, Julfalakyan was also feted at home after the country's government released postage stamps in his honor.

Vassolos PAGONIS, referee. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Last but not least, referee Pagonis has also been included in the Hall of Fame. The Greek referee has officiated in five Olympics, 20 World Championships, and 25 European Championships. At the 1996 Olympics, Pagonis was feted with a Golden Whistle award.

Japanese Women Close Out Junior Worlds with Eight Golds

Comments

UWW announces 2024 Hall of Fame inductees