#JapanWrestling

Kawai makes stunning move to 68kg in bid for Olympic repeat

Friday, May 19, 2023 - 06:19 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (May 16) -- In her bid for a second straight Olympic title, Yukako KAWAI has made a surprising and sudden move up two weight classes to the next Olympic division.

Kawai, who won the Tokyo Olympic gold at 62kg in women's wrestling, is entered at 68kg for next month's Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships, the Japan Wrestling Federation announced Wednesday.

The Meiji Cup on June 15-18 at Tokyo Metropolitan Gym is the second of Japan's two domestic qualifiers for this year's World Championships, which will provide the first opportunity for qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The first domestic qualifier was the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships held last December.

Kawai's older sister Risako (who now goes by her married name KINJO) has moved back down to 57kg, the weight class in which she won her second straight Olympic gold at the 2021 Tokyo Games. Risako had returned to competition at 59kg last fall after giving birth to her first child.

And the match-up that the wrestling world has been longing to see could finally become a reality at 53kg, where teen phenom and 2021 world champion Akari FUJINAMI and Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Mayu SHIDOCHI are both entered.

Any wrestler who wins titles at both the Emperor's Cup and Meiji Cup automatically earns a ticket to Belgrade. If the champions in the Olympic weights are different, a playoff will be held between the two in July. In non-Olympic weights, the two champions and any wrestlers who finish second in an Olympic division are eligible to enter the playoff.

The competition to get to Belgrade in the Olympic weights is particularly fierce, given that the Japan federation has decreed that a wrestler who wins a medal there will automatically fill the Olympic berth that comes with it.

While no medal is a sure thing, it is worth noting that Japan's women medaled in five of the six Olympic weights at the 2019 World Championships, the first qualifier for Tokyo 2021. As such, the top wrestlers have funneled into the Olympic weights for the Meiji Cup, pitting current and past world and Olympic champions and medalists against each other.

Kawai failed to win the 62kg title at the Emperor's Cup, revealing later she had not fully recovered from a back injury. While there have been no reports of her reason, it appears she figured her best chance for getting to Paris would be take a chance at 68kg.

It will be no easy task. While the weight class has seen the retirement of 2016 Rio Olympic champion Sara DOSHO, the field includes world silver medalist Ami ISHII, world 65kg champion Miwa MORIKAWA, world 72kg bronze medalist Masako FURUCHI and 2021 world silver medalist Rin MIYAJI.

Ishii, coming off a gold-medal run at the Asian Championships last month in Astana, has the upper hand, having defeated Morikawa 5-2 in the Emperor's Cup final. Miyaji gave Ishii a tough fight in the second round when she come out on the short end of a 6-4 decision.

Kinjo won the Emperor's Cup title at 59kg, so for her to make it to Belgrade at 57kg, she needs to beat in-form Emperor's Cup champion Sae NANJO in the Meiji Cup and/or a playoff. Nanjo was also one of Japan's five women's champions in Astana.

Not to be counted out is two-time world champion Tsugumi SAKURAI, who suffered a last-second 5-4 loss to Nanjo in the Emperor's Cup final and will be gunning for revenge.

Fujinami heads into the Meiji Cup on a 119-match winning streak dating back to her junior high school days, which she extened by winning three international titles in three months -- Zagreb in February, Sofia in March and Astana in April.

The streak currently ties her with legendary three-time Olympic champion and fellow Mie Prefecture native Saori YOSHIDA. But she has long said the streak is secondnary to winning a gold in Paris. Fujinami moved closer by cruising to victory at the Emperor's Cup, where Shidochi was in the other bracket but failed to make the final.

Shidochi had taken time off after the Tokyo Olympics to get married, returning to action last year to win her third world title at 55kg. But moving back to 53kg at the Emperor's Cup, she lost in the semifinals to former two-time world champion Haruna OKUNO, whom she had beaten in nine previous matches.

Also entered at 53kg is Moe KIYOOKA, the Emperor's Cup champion at 55kg who captured a world U20-U23 double in 2022 and won this year's Zagreb Open.

The most intense final could come at 62kg, where world 59kg bronze medalist Sakura MOTOKI will look to repeat her stunning triumph at the Emperor's Cup over world champion Nonoka OZAKI. That loss left Ozaki in tears and she will certainly be out for revenge.

Motoki, looking to join her father as an Olympian (Yasutoshi finished ninth at Greco 63kg at the 2000 Sydney Olympics), preceded her 4-2 victory in the final over Ozaki by crushing Kawai 9-2 in the semifinals. That gave the 21-year-old consecutive wins over the reigning Olympic and world champions.

At 50kg, standing in reigning world champion Yui SUSAKI's path to a possible second straight Olympic gold is longtime rival and 2021 world gold medalist Remina YOSHIMOTO. Susaki defeated Yoshimoto 8-0 in the Emperor's Cup final for her fourth win in four career meetings, but Yoshimoto always poses a threat for an upset.

The remaining Olympic weight class, 76kg, also presents a intriguing potential match-up. World U20 champion Ayano MORO, who just started her freshman year at Yamanashi Gakuin University, won the Emperor's Cup title when world bronze medalist Yuka KAGAMI wrestled injured and failed to make the final. It looks like a toss-up between those two.

Higuchi, Otoguro look to punch tickets to Belgrade

In men's freestyle, world 61kg champion Rei HIGUCHI will look to negotiate a tough field and earn the ticket to the worlds at 57kg, while Tokyo Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO should have little problem locking up the spot at 65kg.

Higuchi, the 2016 Rio Olympic silver medalist at 57kg who failed to make Japan's team for the Tokyo Games, has been in sizzling form of late. Last year, he won Asian and world golds at 61kg before taking the Emperor's Cup title at 57kg to put him halfway to Belgrade.

Trying to keep him from making that trip will be Asian bronze medalist Rikuto ARAI, 2021 world 61kg bronze medalist Toshihiro HASEGAWA, 2019 Asian bronze medalist Yudai FUJITA and 2019 world junior champion Toshiya ABE.

Otoguro, the 2018 world champion, has only competed once since his Olympic triumph, and that ended with his third Emperor's Cup title and first in three years. His main competition will likely be Asian bronze medalist Ryoma ANRAKU, whom he beat 4-0 in the Emperor's Cup final.

The most intriguing freestyle weight class is 86kg, with veteran Sohsuke TAKATANI returning in an attempt to qualify for his fourth Olympics. The 34-year-old Takatani has spent the past two years at 92kg, where last year he won his 12th consecutive national title over four weight classes, while becoming the head coach at his alma mater Takushoku University.

Looking to stop him will be Emperor's Cup champion and Asian bronze medalist Hayato ISHIGURO and world U23 champion Tatsuya SHIRAI, who sat out of the Emperor's Cup.

In Greco-Roman, the weight class to watch is 67kg and Taishi NARIKUNI's quest to become a world champion in both styles. Narikuni won the freestyle 70kg crown last year in Belgrade.

Narikuni, who prefers weight training to typical wrestling practice, entered both freestyle and Greco at the Emperor's Cup (a title double hasn't been done in 49 years), but had to withdraw because of a broken rib suffered in practice. This time, he is entered only in Greco.

As for the reason for his unusual crusade, Narikuni's mother was a two-time world champion, and instead of just matching her, he feels his accomplishment will stand out more if he also wins two titles but in different styles.

Standing in his way are Emperor's Cup champion and Asian silver medalist Kyotaro SOGABE, 2022 Asian bronze medalist Katsuaki ENDO and Taishi HORIE, the Emperor's Cup winner at 72kg who has moved down to the Olympic weight.

At 77kg, Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Shohei YABIKU has a steep climb to get back to Paris, having lost in the second round at the Emperor's Cup to world U23 bronze medalist Nao KUSAKA. Kodai SAKURABA, a bronze medalist at the recent Asian Championships, beat Kusaka in the Emperor's Cup final, and the title battle looks to be between these three.

For Olympic 60kg silver medalist and former world champion Kenichi FUMITA, the ticket to Belgrade is his to lose. He is the favorite to follow up his Emperor's Cup triumph.

#WrestleBelgrade

World Championships GR 60kg, 72kg, 97kg semis set

Friday, September 22, 2023 - 06:51 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

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BELGRADE, Serbia (September 22) -- With only three weight classes on Friday, the World Championships is entering its final days. Greco-Roman stars in 60kg, 72kg and 97kg will take the mats with 60kg and 97kg being the Olympic weight classes.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER | DAY 6 RESULTS

The semifinals for the evening session:

72kg
Robert FRITSCH (HUN) vs. Shingo HARADA (JPN)
Selcuk CAN (TUR) vs. Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA)

60kg
Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) vs. Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM)
Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) vs. Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ)

97kg
Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) vs. Mindaugas VENCKAITIS (LTU)
Gabriel ROSILLO (CUB) vs. Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI)

14:50: Gabriel ROSILLO (CUB) overpowers U20 world champion Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN) 8-5 in the 97kg quarterfinal. Both exchanged four-pointers before Khaslakhanau was awarded a point for Rosillo's foul. But the Cuban hit another four and was close to a fall but ultimately won 8-5

14:47: Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) returns to the semifinals at 97kg as he beats Felix BALDAUF (NOR) 4-1. Saravi got a turn from par terre to lead 3-0. Baldauf got two passivity advantages in the second period but failed to score. During the second par terre, Saravi stopped him mid-turn and scored a reversal. 

14:42: Once again, Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) was put on top of par terre first and never gave his opponent a chance to be on offense again. Aleksanyan reeled off four rolls against Artur OMAROV (CZE) to end their 97kg semifinal 9-0 in just under two minutes. Later today, Aleksanyan, who last year won his fifth career title, will attempt to make his eighth world final against Mindaugas VENCKATITIS (LTU), who ended the gold-medal hopes of local favorite Mihail KAJAIA (SRB) with an 8-0 technical fall.

14:35: Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) jumps out to a 7-0 lead in the first period against Christopher KRAEMER (GER), and that's how it ends as he advances to the 60kg semifinal and a shot a defending world champion Sharshenbekov.

14:34: Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) got a turn from par terre and then defended his par terre position against Liguo CAO (CHN) to complete a 3-1 victory and set up a semifinal against  Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM)

14:31: A 9-0 shutout victory for world champion Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) as he gets two four-pointers using underhooks against Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB). The world champion will take on Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) in the semifinals.

14:26: Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) has dominated today! He now moves into the semifinals at 72kg after a 9-0 domination of Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ).

14:24: In a wild match with a bizarre finish, European champion Robert FRITSCH (HUN) is through to the 72kg semifinals by beating local favorite and defending champion Ali ARSELAN (SRB). It was ended by fall, but the Serb seemed to give up from exhaustion. He had taken a 9-5 lead with a pair of front headlock turns in the first period, but became a limp body when Fritcsh scored a takedown and easily turned him over.

14:20: Japan continues its incredible run at this World Championships as Shingo HARADA (JPN) beats returning silver medalist Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE) 6-4 after being 3-1 down. He will take on Robert FRITSCH (HUN) who pinned world champion Ali ARSALAN (SRB)

Quarterfinal action now in 72kg, 60kg and 97kg

14:10: Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) executes three powerful gut wrenches from par terre and he advances at 97kg with a 7-1 win over Gerard KURNICZAK (POL). That was the final match before the start of the quarterfinals, which will begin simultaneously on the four mats starting with 72kg.

13:59: Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) gets put on top in par terre against Josef RAU (USA), and that only spells trouble for the American. Aleksanyan easily turns him over with a series of tilts and rolls for a 9-0 win in just over two minutes to advance to the 97kg quarterfinals.

13:55: The literally gray-beard Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) jumps out to a 4-0 lead against Gabriel ROSSILLO (CUB) at 97kg, but the 39-year-old two-time world medalist gives up a takedown and a 4-point throw to lose 6-4.

13:47: Mihail KAJAIA (SRB) continues to get it done at 97kg, forging a 7-5 victory over Tamas LEVAI (HUN), a bronze medalist a year ago at 82kg. Kajaia gets three gut-wrench rolls from par terre, while limiting Levai to two front headlock turns, and that was the difference.

13:34: Ali ARSALAN (SRB) would love nothing more than to win his second straight 72kg title before the home crowd, and he cut it close in his opening match. Arsalan reeled off three gut wrenches from par terre to take a 7-0 lead into the second period against Danial SOHRABI (IRI). But the Iranian gradually came back and even scored the tying takedown with two seconds, but Arselan took the win 7-7 on big-point criteria.

13:12: Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI), the 2021 champion and a bronze medalist last year, gets a pair of stepouts in the first period and he's through with a 3-1 win over Markus RAGGINGER (AUT) at 97kg.

12:52: Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN), two months after winning the world U20 gold at 97kg, starts his senior debut by rallying to beat Mathias BAK (DEN) 11-5. Khaslakhanau has to fight off his back in the first period, and goes ahead to stay with a 4-point takedown and 2-point throw in the second.

12:43: Mega-superstar Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) gets a wake-up call when Nicu OJOG (ROU) hits him with a 4-point arm throw to start their 97kg first-round match. But the multi-world and Olympic champion quickly rebounds, scoring a reversal and two gut wrenches, then adds a 4-point takedown to go into the break up 9-4. Aleksanyan adds a stepout for a 10-4 win.

12:41: Mihail KAJAIA (SRB) gets two gut wrenches from par terre, much to the joy of the home crowd, and he advances at 97kg with a 5-1 victory over Serhii OMELIN (UKR).

12:34: Returning bronze medalist Arif NIFTULLAYEV (AZE) has pulled out of his bout against Mindaugas VENCKAITIS (LTU) after he expressed pain in his heavily strapped elbow. On Mat D, Artur SARGASIAN (AIN) also suffers an elbow injury in the bout against Gabriel ROSILLO (CUB).

12:30: Who would have thought that a 97kg Greco-Roman bout would turn into a slugfest? Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) comes back from 6-0 to beat Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED) via fall after leading 10-7

12:15: World champion Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) had to work a little but he got the job done with a 10-2 victory over Justas PETRAVICIUS (LTU) at 60kg. Big day for the Kyrgyz world champ. He faces Pridon ABULADZE (GEO) next

12:05: Two-time former world champion Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) has a worry-free second match, scoring two tilts from par terre to defeat Helary MAEGISALU (EST) 5-1 and advance to the round-of-16 at 60kg.

12:00: Young gun Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) opens his World Championships with a 6-2 win over Kevin DE ARMAS (CUB) in 60kg, a weight class that is nothing less than a minefield.

11:56: Returning 60kg silver medalist Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) has fallen at the first hurdle, and fallen hard. Former European champion Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM) dominates the match and finishes off a 9-0 win with go-behind takedown.

11:50: Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (AIN), the 2021 world U23 champion at 60kg, beats the 2022 champion Kerem KAMAL (TUR) 11-5. Allakhiarov is trailing when he hits a 4-point front body lock throw, which gets a 2-point leg penalty tacked on, with 21 seconds to go.

11:38: Mihail KAJAIA (SRB) thrills the home crowd by holding off two-time former world champion Metehan BASAR (TUR) 2-1 at 97kg. Kajaia, a bronze medalist in 2018, gets a steput in the first period and that proves the difference.

11:19: Never give up. Patrick SMITH (USA) falls behind 7-2 at 72kg against European bronze medalist Kamil CZARNECKI (POL), but chips away at the lead against his tiring opponent. He cuts the lead to 2 before slamming him down for a fall with just under two minutes left.

11:17: Veteran Heiki NABI (EST) won't be going for his sixth career world medal after losing his 130kg repechage match to Abdellatif MOHAMED (EGY), who gets both passivity points for a 2-0 win. The 38-year-old Nabi, the 2012 London Olympic silver medalist has won his five world medals over a 14-year span from 2006 to 2019.

10:57: What a way to get the session started! In a clash between former world champions that, in another place at another time could have been for the gold medal, Olympic silver medalist Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) dodges a bullet and beats Victor CIOBANU (MDA) 3-1 at 60kg. As Fumita tries for the turn from par terre, Ciobanu reverses for 2, then scores an apparent 4 at the edge. But on challenge, Ciobanu is assessed a 2-point leg infraction penalty and his points are wiped out. Fumita holds on for the win. The two also met in the quarterfinals at the 2019 worlds, with Fumita notching a wild 12-5 win en route to his second career gold.

10:30: Welcome to day seven of the World Championships. All Greco-Roman day with 60kg, 72kg and 97kg wrestlers wrestling for the world title. 60kg and 97kg are the Olympic weight classes.