COVID-19

KYODO News: Japanese wrestler using lockdown to lock in mental fortitude

Friday, April 17, 2020 - 13:17 By United World Wrestling Press

Share this article

Wrestlers around the world are stuck in their homes hoping to do their part to flatten the curve. In an article today in the Kyodo News, defending Olympic champion Risako Kawai says she is taking this break from the mats to train her mind. 

"I can't do, but I can watch," she said, explaining how she has been spending time watching videos of her opponents, researching techniques and mentally rehearsing match scenarios.

The 25-year-old, who competes in the 57-kilogram weight class, says she has never spent so much time away from the sport.

Kawai has not been able to spar with her training partner since Shigakkan University, her alma mater and training base in the central Japan city of Obu, Aichi Prefecture, suspended all club activities in late March.

"All I do is take in one day at a time," she says.

Four years ago, Kawai wrestled the 63-kg event to avoid having to go up against 10-time world champion and four-time Olympic women's wrestling champion Kaori Icho at 58 kg, and claimed the gold medal in her Olympic debut in Rio.

But for Tokyo 2020, Kawai made the bold move of stepping down a weight division and coming face-to-face with Icho in order to leave the pathway open for her sister to make it to the Olympics with her.

Read more on the Kyodo News site ... here

Jamalov undergoes shoulder surgery, faces six-month recovery timeline

Wednesday, December 11, 2024 - 14:37 By Eric Olanowski

Share this article

MUNICH, Germany (December 11) — Razambek JAMALOV (UZB) underwent surgery on his right shoulder yesterday in Munich, Germany, and will miss the first half of the 2025 season.

Jamalov, the 26-year-old native Russian who garnered Uzbekistan citizenship before the 2024 season, ran through a gauntlet of four former Russians -- Magomedkhabib KADIMAGOMEDOV (AIN), Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), Chermen VALIEV (ALB) and Viktor RASSADIN (TJK) -- before pinning Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) in the 74kg Paris 2024 finals, becoming Uzbekistan's first freestyle Olympic champion since Athens 2004.

Jamalov is in good spirits after the operation and is healing well in Munich. "[My shoulder] doesn't feel too bad, but I'm mentally exhausted from the surgery," said Jamalov. "The support of my family is giving me strength."

He reinjured his shoulder before the Olympics but adapted his style to put less stress on that shoulder.

"I [reinjured] my right shoulder before the Olympics, which was already unstable that it would dislocate. But I tried to put less strain on that shoulder during competitions," he said.

Looking at the 2025 calendar, and with this being Jamalov's second surgery on the same shoulder since May 2023, he expects to be out until at least June.

"Yes, this is my second surgery on this shoulder so the rehabilitation will take 5-6 months," he said. "I do think about returning to sports and want to come back, but for now, I'm not sure which competitions I'll be able to participate in." 

With the six-month timetable that Jamalov provided, he's expected to miss the Asian Championships, Zagreb Open, Muhamet Malo, and Mongolian Ranking Series events. However, he has the potential to come back for the Hungarian Ranking Series event in July.

If not in Budapest, we could see Jamalov back for the Senior World Championships on September 13-21 in Zagreb, Croatia, nine months post-op.

While we won't have the chance to see Zhamalov on the mat for a while, here are nearly ten minutes of his highlights.