All Japan Championships

Left Behind in the Run to Tokyo 2020, Okuno Plods into 53kg Final at All Japan

Friday, December 20, 2019 - 16:00 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (Dec. 20) — Throughout her career on the global stage, Haruna OKUNO has blown away all in her path, a trend she continued this year by winning both the world junior and U-23 titles over a two-month span. 

Back home in Japan, however, missing out on the senior World Championships and subsequently a place at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics seemed to take the wind out of her sails.

Okuno put together two underwhelming victories to advance to the final of the women’s 53kg class on the second day of the All Japan Championships in Tokyo, setting up a rematch of a recent disappointing loss to world silver medalist Nanami IRIE.

Okuno could manage only two activity-clock points in fending off Asian junior champion Umi IMAI 2-0 in the quarterfinals, then rode a lone first-period takedown to beat unheralded Yuka YAGO 3-1 in the semifinals.

“After the World Cup [in November], I didn’t get in enough practice,” said Okuno, who won two matches in helping host Japan win a fifth straight World Cup. “Without practice, this is what happens. As I wanted focus on tying up, I think overall that went well. I’m not injured, but I’m not in good condition.”

Okuno, whose only international losses came at the world cadet in 2014 and Asian Games in 2018 (she finished third at both), picked up a second senior world gold in 2018 when she won the 53kg title in Budapest. 

But both she and Irie lost out for the place in that weight class for the team to the World Championships in Nur-Sultan to Mayu MUKAIDA, the 55kg world champion who dropped down to the Olympic weight. 

Okuno and Irie both entered the wrestle-off for the 55kg spot, and Irie pulled off a surprising 3-1 win to earn the ticket to Nur-Sultan, where she captured the silver medal in her senior world debut. Okuno, who had won two previous meetings between the two, never seemed to have her heart in the match.

“In the playoff for the World Championships, 55kg was the only weight class open [for us],” Okuno said. “Before the playoff, I hardly practiced for two months. I only trained for two days. This year was the least I’ve practiced in my life.”

There was speculation that Okuno might drop down to 50kg—the only women’s weight class in which Japan did not clinch an Olympic berth at Nur-Sultan—and enter the fray for the coveted ticket to the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament with Yui SUSAKI, Yuki IRIE (Nanami’s older sister) and Eri TOSAKA.   

But she said Friday she never thought of going down to 50kg, citing the example of gold medalist Hitomi Obara’s struggle to get down to 48kg for the London 2012 Olympics. 

“Obara cut weight for London, when the weigh-in was held the day before, and she spent two years to get down to the weight,” Okuno said. “Now, with the same-day weigh-in, it’s not so easy to just go out and win.”

Nanami Irie made the final with a 10-0 technical fall in the semifinals over Yumi SHIMONO. 

Mukaida and the other world medalists in Olympic weights at Nur-Sultan automatically clinched Tokyo 2020 spots, and are sitting out the All-Japan tournament, also referred to as the Emperor’s Cup. 

In the few weight classes in which Japan clinched an Olympic spot but did not medal, the winner at Komazawa Olympic Park Gym will fill the berth. In the remaining divisions, the winners will represent Japan at the Asian qualifier in Xi’an, China, in March. 

Of the three wrestlers who failed to secure Olympic spots in Nur-Sultan and were involved in finals contested on Friday, two earned tickets to Xi’an and another shot. 

Naoya AKAGUMA gained a point in each period with Takeshi YAMAGUCHI on the activity clock for a 2-0 victory to capture his second straight national freestyle 97kg title and third overall.  

At Greco 97kg, Yuta NARA made it four national titles in a row with a 2-2 win over Yuri NAKAZATO. In Nur-Sultan, outside of the three medalists in the lightest weight classes, Nara was Japan’s only Greco wrestler to post a victory.

Nobuyoshi ARAKIDA’s two-year reign at freestyle 125kg ended when he had to default during the final to Tetsuya TANAKA due to a right elbow tendon injury that he originally suffered in Nur-Sultan.

“It’s disappointing to lose, but I knew going into the final I would put priority on the injury,” he said. “I knew that defaulting would be the best option.”

Meanwhile, there was high anticipation that the Emperor’s Cup would get its first-ever high school Greco champion and first in freestyle in 30 years—a direct result of all the maneuvering into Olympic weight classes that thinned out the non-Olympic divisions.

But all three high schoolers in men’s finals on Friday were taught a harsh lesson by collegiate opponents on just how intense the senior level can be. 

Hikaru TAKADA came closest, falling 5-3 to Shin HARAGUCHI at freestyle 70kg. But the two Greco finals turned into routs, as Asian silver medalist Hiromu KATAGIRI needed just over a minute to crush Yu SHIOTANI with a 12-0 technical fall that he ended with a 5-point throw, and Ayata SUZUKI followed suit with a 9-0 technical fall of Kosei TAKESHITA.

“The opponent was a high school student, so I thought there is no way I’m going to lose,” Katagiri declared. 

Sara NATAMI upset Yuzuka INAGAKI, 2-2, in the 59kg finals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

One of Japan’s top female high schoolers, Yuzuka INAGAKI, was not immune from the carnage. She was stunned by collegian Sara NATAMI, who pancaked her for 2 points in the second period of the 59kg final for a 2-2 win on big-point criteria. 

Inagaki, the world junior and U-23 champion at 62kg, had beaten Natami 5-0 in their Nordic group the day before. 

“Yesterday was under the Nordic system, so I knew I would have another chance,” said Natami, a 2018 Asian silver medalist. “I just had to build off [the loss].”

While the high schoolers came up short, Nao KUSAKA became the youngest-ever national Greco champion when, at 19 years and 22 days, he defeated Takuya TOMIZUKA 5-4 for the 72kg title.

Satoki MUKAI joined his father as a national champion with a 2-1 victory over Yoji KAWAMURA in the Greco 82kg final. His father Takahiro, a two-time Olympian, won eight straight titles at 74-82kg from 1982 to 1988.

In weight classes that ran through the semifinals on Friday, former world silver medalist Sosuke TAKATANI advanced to the final at freestyle 86kg as he pursues a berth in a third career Olympics.

Fellow world team member Yudai TAKAHASHI could give the tournament a male high school champion just yet after securing a spot in the freestyle 79kg final. 

Former two-time world champion Yui SUSAKI and Rio 2016 Olympic champion Eri TOSAKA could square off in the 50kg semifinals on Satruday. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Susaki, Tosaka drawn in same bracket
Former two-time world champion Yui SUSAKI and Rio 2016 Olympic champion Eri TOSAKA could meet in the women’s 50kg semifinals following the draw for Saturday, when the action starts for the marquee weight classes. 

Yuki IRIE, who defeated Susaki in a playoff for a place on the team to Nur-Sultan, is the top seed in the other bracket of the high-profile division.

Susaki defeated Tosaka by technical fall in the final at the All-Japan Invitational Championships last June, which put her in the playoff with Irie.

In the women’s 68kg class, Rio champion Sara DOSHO, who finished fifth at Nur-Sultan, was handed a tough test to start out with, as she was drawn with highly touted high schooler Yuka KAGAMI.

Kagami, the world 72kg junior champion, had tried to make Tokyo 2020 at 76kg, but could not unseat world silver medalist Hiroe MINAGAWA. Now she has gone the other way, dropping down to 68kg.  

At Greco 67kg, world 63kg champion Shinobu OTA could face defending national champion Shogo TAKAHASHI in the quarterfinals, which would be the second match for both.

Ota was the Rio 2016 silver medalist at 59kg, but failed to beat eventual world champion Kenichiro FUMITA for the place on the team to Nur-Sultan at 60kg. He moved up to 63kg and came away with his first world title, and has now jumped another division in a bid to return to the Olympics.

At freestyle 57kg, former world champion Yuki TAKAHASHI and Rio 2016 silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI were drawn in separate brackets, meaning they would not meet until Sunday’s final. 

Day 2 results

Freestyle

61kg (19 entries)
Final - Ryuto SAKAGI df. Keita SHIMIZU, 5-3
3rd Place - Kodai OGAWA df. Raimu MAEDA by TF, 10-0, 3:22 
3rd Place - Ryutaro HAYAMA df. Takumi YOSHIMURA, 7-1

70kg (16 entries)
Final - Shin HARAGUCHI df. Hikaru TAKADA, 5-3
3rd Place - Ryo YONEZAWA df. Tsuyoshi NAKAMURA, 10-8 
3rd Place - Hidetaka SAKANO df. Shinnosuke SUWAMA by Def. 

79kg (11 entries)
Semifinals
Yudai TAKAHASHI df. Taro UMEBAYASHI, 9-2
Shinkichi OKUI df. Yuta ABE, 5-2

86kg (11 entries)
Semifinals
Sosuke TAKATANI df. Shutaro YAMADA, 8-0
Hayato ISHIGURO df. Shota SHIRAI, 2-1

92kg (9 entries)
Semifinals
Takuma OTSU df. Yudai YOKOTA by TF, 12-1, 4:33
Ryoichi YAMANAKA df. Takumi TANIZAKI, 4-1

97kg (14 entries)
Final - Naoya AKAGUMA df. Takeshi YAMAGUCHI, 2-0 
3rd Place - Taira SONODA df. Keiwan YOSHIDA, 6-2 
3rd Place - Takashi ISHIGURO df. Atsushi MATSUMOTO by TF, 10-0, 3:42

125kg (14 entries)
Final - Tetsuya TANAKA df. Nobuyoshi ARAKIDA by Inj. Def., 3:00 (2-0) 
3rd Place - Yasuhiro YAMAMOTO df. Takuto YASUDA by TF, 14-3, 4:55
3rd Place - Katsutoshi KANAZAWA df. Taiki YAMAMOTO, 5-4

Greco-Roman

55kg (23 entries)
Final - Hiromu KATAGIRI df. Yu SHIOTANI by TF, 12-0, 1:07 
3rd Place - Takumi HOSHINO df. Kagetora OKAMOTO by TF, 8-0, 2:07 
3rd Place - Hirokazu ONO df. Mizuki ARAKI, 9-3

60kg (12 entries)
Final - Ayata SUZUKI df. Kosei TAKESHITA by TF, 9-0, 3:16 
3rd Place - Kaito INABA df. Tatsuto OSHIRO by TF, 9-0, 2:17 
3rd Place - Kensuke SHIMIZU df. Maito KAWANA, 8-3 

63kg (15 entries)
Semifinals
Yoshiki YAMADA df. Harushi SHIMAYA, 7-1
Masaki ISHIKAWA df. Ichito TOKUHIGA by TF, 10-0, 1:44

72kg (22 entries)
Final - Nao KUSAKA df. Takuya TOMIZUKA, 5-4
3rd Place - Minto MAEDA df. Ibuki KATSUURA by TF, 9-1, 5:13
3rd Place - Takahiro YAMAMOTO df. Masaki KONDO by Fall, 1:53 (4-0)

82kg (15 entries)
Final - Satoki MUKAI df. Yoji KAWAMURA, 2-1 
3rd Place - Yuto MATSUZAKI df. Masao TANAKA, 5-3
3rd Place - Rai HAYASHI df. Shoma YAMASAKI by Fall, 4:44 (7-0) 

87kg (12 entries)
Semifinals
Masato SUMI df. Kanta SHIOKAWA, 5-1
Takahiro TSURUDA df. Kaito MIYAMOTO, 7-0 

97kg (14 entries)
Final - Yuta NARA df. Yuri NAKAZATO, 2-2
3rd Place - Suguru KINOSHITA df. Masayuki AMANO, 2-1
3rd Place - Masaaki SHIKIYA df. Sanjuro TAKAHASHI by TF, 10-0, 2:06

130kg (10 entries)
Semifinals
Arata SONODA df. Shoma SUZUKI by TF, 8-0, 1:12
Ryota KONO df. Keita BANCHI by Fall, 1:58 (5-0)

Women’s Wrestling

53kg (14 entries)
Semifinals
Haruna OKUNO df. Yuka YAGO, 3-1
Nanami IRIE df. Yumi SHIMONO by TF, 10-0, 3:26 

55kg (10 entries)
Final - Kana HIGASHIKAWA df. Tsugumi SAKURAI by Fall, 1:02 (2-0)
3rd Place - Tomoha UCHIJO df. Saki IGARASHI by Def.
3rd Place - Michika OHASHI df. Hikari HIGUCHI, 6-3 

57kg (8 entries)
Semifinals
Akie HANAI df. Chiho HAMADA, 3-1
Sae NANJO df. Hanako SAWA by TF, 10-0, 2:06

59kg (6 entries)
Final - Sara NATAMI df. Yuzuka INAGAKI, 2-2 
3rd Place - Yumi KON df. Ayami SUGIMOTO, 5-2 

62kg (11 entries)
Semifinals
Atena KODAMA df. Suzu YABIKU, 7-0
Ami ISHII df. Kumi IRIE, 4-3 

65kg (7 entries)
Final - Naomi RUIKE df. Miyu IMAI, 7-2
3rd Place - Miki KAWAUCHI df. Rin TERAMOTO, 6-6

72kg (3 entries)
Round-Robin
(Standings after 2 rounds)
1. Mei SHINDO (2-0), 2. Kanon KOBAYASHI (0-1), Mai HAYAKAWA (0-1).

76kg (5 entries)
Round-Robin, Final Standings
1. Yasuha MATSUYUKI (4-0)
2. Rino ABE (3-1)
3. Mizuki NAGASHIMA (1-2)
Key match: Yasuha MATSUYUKI df. Rino ABE, 10-1

#WrestleParis

Paris 2024 Day 5 Wrestling Preview: FS 74kg and 125kg; WW 62kg

Friday, July 26, 2024 - 14:32 By Vinay Siwach

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PARIS (July 26) -- Kyrgyzstan is waiting for its first Olympic champion, in any sport. Two came close to ending that drought in Tokyo when Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) and Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) reached the final in Greco-Roman 77kg and women's wrestling 62kg. Both fell short.

Come Paris, Kyrgyzstan is banking on its wrestlers again. Three world champions are heading to Paris as the favorites in their weight classes to win the gold medal. One of them is Tynybekova, the legend who took wrestling to the pinnacle in the country.

PARIS 2024 SCHEDULE | PARIS 2024 NEWS

Makhmudov and Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) wrestle before Tynybekova at the Olympics. But if they don't win the gold, Tynybekova will have the chance to win the historic gold and be the first Olympic champion from Kyrgyzstan. It would only be apt.

Kyle DAKE (USA)Kyle DAKE (USA) lost to Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (AIN) at the Tokyo Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

Apart from Tynybekova, two more Tokyo silver medalists will look to win gold on August 9 when WW 62kg and Freestyle 74kg and 125kg weight classes take place at the Champ de Mars Arena in Paris.

Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (AIN) at 74kg and Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) at 125kg won't have it easy. Both fell in the finals at Tokyo, Petriashvili's loss being the more dramatic of the two.

Kadzimahamedau stunned the world when he tossed around Kyle DAKE (USA) in Tokyo and Petriashvili was left stunned when Gable STEVESON (USA) scored a last-second takedown to beat him in the 125kg final.

But to lay claim to gold in Paris, all three weight classes will be full of drama.

FS 74kg: Dake out to avenge Tokyo loss

Kyle DAKE (USA) was the favorite to win the 74kg gold medal in Paris. Then Uzbekistan announced Razambek JHAMALOV (UZB) as its entry, Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (AIN) got in after approval and suddenly, there is no clear favorite to win this weight class.

Kadzimahamedau's run in Tokyo saw him beat Dake and reach the final. Dake hasn't faced him after but is looking forward to that bout if it happens in Paris.

"I have been itching to get those matches back," Dake told FloWrestling. "Those are fun matches. You want to go out and compete against the best guys. All I know is there will be 16 guys trying to win an Olympic gold medal and perform at their best. My goal is just being better than them on that day."

Reflecting on his campaign in Tokyo and then in the 2023 World Championships, Dake said he was satisfied and has a different outlook towards results.

"I don't know if I would change anything," Dake said. "Given the circumstances, I competed the best I could. I went out and wrestled and did my best. My girls, last year [after the World Championships], asked me 'daddy you didn't win, what happened?' I tried my best and it didn't fall my way. That's okay. A lot of what I am focusing on is competing with gratitude, scoring points, be Kyle Dake the best way I can."

If the best Dake shows up in Paris, he will be unstoppable. But a few opponents have pushed him to the edge in the past. Frank CHAMIZO (ITA), Yones EMAMI (IRI), Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) and Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) are a few he has wrestled. Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE), Chermen VALIEV (ALB), Razambek JAMALOV (UZB), Viktor RASSADIN (TJK), Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) are a few others he has not wrestled and will be in Paris. Thanks to his top seed, Dake will avoid Kougioumtsidis, Salkazanov and Bayramov till the final.

Kadzimahamedau will be unseeded and can be drawn anywhere in the bracket. After Tokyo, his performance has seen him win a European Championships silver medal at 79kg in what was a rare appearance on the mat.

But Kougioumtsidis defeated him at the World Championships in a thrilling opening-round bout. The Greek wrestler was looking good to make the final but hit Dake in the semifinal, dropping the bout 4-1, a much closer semifinal than the scoreline indicates.

Takatani was another wrestler who troubled Dake in the quarterfinals. Though Dake won 6-4, Takatani seemed to have figured out Dake's style and controlled the bout. Dake, however, was just too good.

The entries of Valiev and Jamalov has spiced up things. Valiev was entered in the World Olympic Qualifier after he completed his transfer from Albania. His style of frustrating his opponents by having a sitting position with no aim to score will be on test in Paris.

 

Jamalov is replacing Bekzod ABDURAKHAMANOV (UZB) in the line-up and the former U23 world champion can upset any wrestler in Paris. Jamalov's defense is among one of the many exceptional skills he possesses and once he thwarts the attacks of his opponents, they crumble due to disappointment.

Making his debut for Uzbekistan, Jamalov won the Budapest Ranking Series and won gold, announcing himself just before the Games and it should not surprise the wrestling world if he goes all the way in Paris.

Wait, maybe Geandry GARZON (CUB) will get his prized Olympic medal in Paris? The 41-year-old finished fifth in the 2008 Beijing Games and returned to the Olympics in Tokyo. Now he is going for his third Olympics in Paris.

WW 62kg: Tynybekova and history

Yukako KAWAI (JPN) denied Tynybekova the gold in Tokyo. A for Tynybekova would have grown her legend in Kyrgyzstan. The fans still love and adore her. They cheer for her in every country she wrestles. All they want is for her to become the country's first Olympic champion. Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) threatened her to disallow that for significant time before she moved categories after losing domestically.

Going into Paris, one thing Tynybekova can take confidence in is her record against Sakura MOTOKI (JPN), the Japan entry for the Olympics. The two met in the World Championships final which Tynybekova survived and won. Then at the Zagreb Open and again at the Asian Championships. Tynybekova used her counter lifts to win both times.

But Tynybekova knows that it's not just the Japanese opponent at the Olympics she has to be prepared for. The 62kg weight has seen the rise of Grace BULLEN (NOR), Hyon Gyong MUN (PRK) and Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL), return of Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL). Tokyo bronze medalist Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) is also looking for her second Olympic medal.

"I would like to say that there are no easy or tough opponents," Tynybekova said after the Asian Championships. "It all depends on my physical condition on that exact day. That’s why me and my coaches will prepare to wrestle every single wrestler in my weight class."

Motoki may well be at the top of that list. Motoki isn't one with the natural gift of wrestling. She believes in going back to the drawing board after every loss and aiming for perfection through repetitions.

"I don't have confidence and think negatively. That's why I can practice and research. Those are my weapons," she told Yomiuri recently.

Sakura MOTOKI (JPN)Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) will be one of the contenders for gold at the Paris Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

One of her lethal attacks is the single-leg, which she has perfected to hit deep and score most of the time. If she fails to finish it, Motoki throws herself back to defend. The Ikuei University student says she has 30 variations to hit it.

"It's like a mathematical formula. If you know it, you can apply it," she said.

Those weapons have worked well against most but Tynybekova. She ran close in Zagreb but could not finish. At the Asian Championships, she got countered by Tynybekova so often that the bout was never in balance. A sobbing Motoki failed to make sense of the loss and said she believed she could win. She cried, thought about it, and realized a win was close.

It's like her junior high school all over again. At one point, she could not get past a wrestler and lost "about seven times." Then she finally beat her after years in a different division. 

"There was a sense of accomplishment and joy that people who keep winning don't get," she said. "No other athlete has ever experienced such setbacks. That's my strength. I want to win the gold medal and get revenge."

Hyon Gyong MUN (PRK)Hyon Gyong MUN (PRK) is an Asian Games champion at 62kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Gyong-Mun will be another wrestler who can surprise a few in Paris. She won the Asian Games after beating Ozaki in the final and with little known about her, wrestlers can find it tricky to face the DPR Korea wrestler.

Bullen will be at her first Olympics having transformed her style after getting a new team and moving to Georgia for training. She won bronze at the World Championships and will be a threat in Paris.

FS 125kg: Zare set to enter new territory

Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) has grown leaps and bounds after his bronze-medal finish at the Tokyo Olympics. He won the World Championships gold medal in Oslo, beating Taha AKGUL (TUR) and Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO). He suffered a loss to Akgul in 2022 but bounced back to win the gold in 2023. Going into Paris 2024, Zare is undoubtedly a heavy favorite.

Zare has not only grown in experience but has worked on his conditioning to a great extent. At the 2023 World Championships, his opponents found it difficult to score on him and he gave up only six points in five bouts.

Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL)Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) during the Asian Olympic Qualifier. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL), who won a silver medal at the 2022 World Championships, wrestled Zare at the Asian Games final in October 2023 but fell behind quickly.

"His conditioning is very high," Munkhtur said after the final. "The strength part is normal but it's his conditioning which keeps him going for six minutes."

Munkhtur had a disastrous World Championships, bowing out in the first round. But he came back to qualify for the Olympics from the Asian qualifiers.

Zare's biggest competitors will be Petriashvili, Akgul and Mason PARRIS (USA) who won the trials in the absence of Tokyo Olympic champion Gable STEVESON (USA).

Petriashvili was close to winning his first Olympic gold after bronze in Rio but in the final second of the final, Steveson scored a takedown to beat Petriashvili. The Georgian has not been able to win a gold at any championships since.

"I was very close to the gold medal," Petriashvili told UWW. "It was one of the hardest matches in my life. Steveson was very fast and strong. Every day I try to forget that moment. I am not saying I have forgotten it. It's very hard to do so.

"I don't know what happened there. Maybe I thought 'I have won, really!' I was talking to myself. My eyes went black because of happiness. I was counting - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 seconds and I lost. What happened? Every day I ask myself what happened and don't have an answer. It's wrestling. It's very hard for your emotions but you have to be quiet and have this feeling."

Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) after losing the 125kg final at the Tokyo Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

But Petriashvili will have to forget it and be ready for another spell of matches. He knows that well and is ready for Paris. 

"It will be hard and there will be good matches," he said. "I hope I will be ready. For 12 years, I have been standing on the mat at the senior level. I feel good here. Akgul and Zare are world-class wrestlers. Parris is also good. I am a good wrestler as well (laughs). Everyone wants to take a gold medal home. No one gives you the medal."

Akgul won the gold medal in Rio and bronze in Tokyo. But for a third Olympic medal, he will have to work hard. He is on the same side as Zare which makes it difficult to be in the final. Both will not collide before the semifinals.

Mason PARRIS (USA)Mason PARRIS (USA), red, will be the U.S. representative at 125kg in Paris. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Parris is on the other side, making him a potential opponent of Petriashvili in the semifinal. The Georgian defeated Parris in the semifinal of the World Championships. Parris, however, won the gold medal at the Budapest Ranking Series.

"Getting a world bronze medal last year was awesome for my confidence," Parris said. "I think I am being underestimated by a lot of people. I think I have one of the best chances to be an Olympic champion. My plan is to bring it home for the U.S."