#WrestleAlmaty

LIVE BLOG: Asian Olympic Qualifier, Day Two

By United World Wrestling Press

Big day for Mongolia as they qualify four wrestlers while Kyrgyzstan, China and India get two each. Japan and Kazakhstan have one each for Tokyo

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

1930 hrs: GOLD MEDAL! Burmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) has done it! She will be going to her third Olympics. 

1910 hrs: Feng ZHOU (CHN) completes the day with a 8-0 win over Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ). She takes home the gold

1900 hrs: Bronze medal for NISHA (IND) after she pins  Hyeonyeong PARK (KOR). Excellent stuff from the Indian

1850 hrs: Another walkover! The 62kg gold medal will go to Jia LONG (CHN) after SONAM (IND) pulls out injured

1850 hrs: Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) with the bronze medal win! She beats Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ) 4-2

1840 hrs: Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL) pulls off a close final against Anshu ANSHU (IND). Trailing 0-4, Anshu did mount a comeback and was able to make it 4-4. The Mongolian led on criteria before coming out on top after a series of scramble. She wins 7-4

1830 hrs: Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB) is the bronze medalist at 57kg as she wins via fall against Jieun UM (KOR)

1820 hrs: Meng Hsuan HSIEH (TPE) will win the bronze medal at 53kg as Hyungjoo KIM (KOR) pulls out injured. The fate of the final will also be the same as Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) wins the gold after Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ) pulls out injured

 1815 hrs: There was no other way she was winning! A technical superiority 10-0 win for Yui SUSAKI (JPN) against Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL) to clinch the gold medal.

1810 hrs: Seema clinches the bronze medal with 13-2 rout of CHEON (KOR). Now for the 50kg gold medal bout between Yui SUSAKI (JPN) and Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL)

1800 hrs: We are back for the medal bouts in women's wrestling. All the action will take place on Mat B. First up in the bronze medal bout, SEEMA (IND) is wrestling Miran CHEON (KOR)

1415 hrs: We have 10 wrestlers going to the Olympics

50kg: Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL) and Yui SUSAKI (JPN)
53kg: Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ) and Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL)
57kg: ANSHU (IND) and Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL)
62kg: Jia LONG (CHN) and SONAM (IND)
68kg: Feng ZHOU (CHN) and Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
 

For 76kg, we will have to wait for the Round 5 bouts in the evening session.

1300 hrs: YUI SUSAKI (JPN) is going to the Tokyo Olympics! The Japan wrestlers wins against SEEMA (IND) to qualify for the home Games 

1240 hrs: Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ) pulls off a stunner! She drops a four in the final three seconds to beat Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) 4-4

1227 hrs: Yui SUSAKI (JPN) steps closer to the Olympic dream. She gets another 10-0 win at 50kg

1220 hrs: Asian champion Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ) rallies back to beat Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) 10-9 to claim victory at 53kg

Day 2 of the Olympic Asian Qualifiers is underway! #wrestlealmaty2021 #uww #womenswrestling pic.twitter.com/mh2nztQSlL

— United World Wrestling (@wrestling) April 10, 2021

1200 hrs: Feng ZHOU (CHN) is up against Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), the Asian champion at 72kg. ANSHU (IND) is also looking for her second win of the mat on Mat B

1150 hrs: Yui SUSAKI (JPN) gets her day underway with a 51-second technical superiority 10-0 win over Dauletbike YAKHSHIMURATOVA (UZB)

1130 hrs: Clutch from Feng ZHOU (CHN)! Trailing 5-1 with 30 seconds left, the Chinese wrestler gets two stepouts and two front headlocks to win 7-5. 

1110 hrs: Tsogt Ochir, Ochirbat and Yakhshimuratova begin their day with easy wins.

1100 hrs: Whistles on all three mats! We are underway on day two here in Almaty. On Mat A, Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL) is wrestling SEEMA (IND) at 50kg Round 1. Mat B has Burmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) wrestling POOJA (IND) at 76kg and on Mat C Dauletbike YAKHSHIMURATOVA (UZB) is up against Miran CHEON (KOR)

Here is the match order for the morning session of women's wrestling at the #WrestleAlmaty Asian Olympic Qualifier.

EVENT PAGE: https://t.co/7DMR849G5e pic.twitter.com/irdJisiKqn

— United World Wrestling (@wrestling) April 10, 2021

#WrestleBudapest

Budapest Ranking Series golds for Higuchi, Kiyooka, Parris

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (June 6) -- For Rei HIGUCHI (JPN), the Ranking Series in Budapest was a chance to assess his preparation for the Olympics. Things were going on track, but Higuchi caught a fever on the day he was to wrestle.

Struggling with a temperature of 38.2 degrees on a hot day in Budapest, Higuchi struggled on the mat but manager to win the gold medal at 57kg in Budapest with some top-class wrestling. He defeated AMAN (IND) 11-1 in the final.

The run to the gold medal also included an incredible comeback in the semifinal against Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE). The Azerbaijan wrestler scored a takedown and hit a high gut to lead 8-0. Higuchi somehow managed to stop the final turn and give himself a chance to stay in the bout.

Higuchi used a gut wrench of his own and scored 18 points to beat Rzazade 18-8 and enter the final. Rzazade later complained of a shoulder dislocation which may rule him out of the Paris Olympics in August as well.

With the win, Higuchi is now second in the rankings below Stevan MICIC (SRB). Aman, for his silver, jumped to the sixth spot.

Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN)Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) defeated Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) in the group stages of the 65kg bracket. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Another Japanese wrestler who had to come back from an 8-0 deficit was Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) as he won the 65kg gold medal. The field at 65kg included Haji ALIYEV (AZE), world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) and Austin GOMEZ (MEX) among others. But it was Kiyooka who came out on top in the round robin and then clinched the gold medal over Abbas EBRAHIMZADEH (IRI), 12-8.

Like Higuchi, Kiyooka also fell behind 8-0 against Ebrahimzadeh but stopped the final turn. Kiyooka then mounted the comeback and tired Ebrahimzadeh, winning the bout 12-8 in six minutes.

Mason PARRIS (USA)Mason PARRIS (USA) celebrates after pinning Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) in the 125kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At 125kg, world bronze medalist Mason PARRIS (USA) had a stunning campaign, winning the gold medal with ease. While a Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) and Parris rematch was expected, the Georgian got pinned in the semifinal by Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ). Parris pinned BAtirmurzaev in the final.

Petriashvili returned to win the bronze medal and keep his second spot in the rankings at 125kg that he would have lost to Parris if he had not finished on the podium.

df

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) df. AMAN (IND), 11-1

BRONZE: Aryan TSIUTRYN (AIN) df. Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO), 10-0
BRONZE: Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ) df. Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE), via inj. def.

61kg
GOLD: Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) df. Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ), 4-1

BRONZE: Shahdad KHOSRAVI MARDAKHEH (IRI) df. Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO), 8-0
BRONZE: Nahshon GARRETT (USA) df. Nika ZAKASHVILI (GEO), 11-3

65kg
GOLD: Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) df. Abbas EBRAHIMZADEH (IRI), 12-8

BRONZE: Haji ALIYEV (AZE) df. Austin Klee GOMEZ (MEX), 12-3

70kg
GOLD: Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) df. Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ) df. Edemi BOLKVADZE (GEO), 3-3
BRONZE: Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO) df. Evan HENDERSON (USA), 14-4

79kg
GOLD: Otari BAGAURI (GEO) df. Adel PANAEIAN (IRI), 6-5

BRONZE: Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) df. Chems FETAIRIA (ALG), via inj. def.

97kg
GOLD: Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) df. Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) df. Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK), 4-2
BRONZE: Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR) df. Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI), 4-3

125kg
GOLD: Mason PARRIS (USA) df. Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ), via fall

BRONZE: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY), 10-0
BRONZE: Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) df. Jonovan SMITH (PUR), 11-0