Motoki moves up to stun Ozaki; Otoguro, Fujinami, Fumita all prevail

Sunday, December 25, 2022 - 14:42 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (December 25) -- In a tournament that had its share of shocks, none was as stunning as the one pulled off in the finale by Sakura MOTOKI, who followed up her upset of the Olympic champion at women's 62kg by taking down the reigning world champion.

Motoki, moving up to the Olympic weight class from 59kg, handed world champion Nonoka OZAKI her first domestic loss in four years with a come-from-behind 4-2 victory in the final at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships on Sunday at Tokyo.

"Since losing at the World Championships, I've thought for the last three months of winning here and I'm happy I was able to pull it off," said Motoki, who won a world bronze medal at 59kg in Belgrade in September a month after winning the world U20 gold.

The other featured finals went according to form, with Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO and former world champions Akari FUJINAMI and Kenichiro FUMITA all emerging victorious on the last day of the four-day tournament that is also serving as the first domestic qualifier for next year's World Championships, to also be held in Belgrade.

Otoguro, appearing in his first competition since winning the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics at freestyle 65kg, finished up an unscored-upon run to his third national title and first since 2019 with a 4-0 victory over world U23 bronze medalist Ryoma ANRAKU.

Teen phenom Fujinami, returning from a spate of injuries that cause her to withdraw from both the senior and U20 worlds, captured her third straight title at women's 53kg with a 5-0 victory over a rejuvenated Haruna OKUNO that also extended her current winning streak to 106.

Okuno had pulled off one of the tournament's upsets by knocking off Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI in the semifinals on Saturday.

Olympic silver medalist Fumita continued an unusual pattern of winning in even-numbered years, defeating Maito KAWANA in the Greco 60kg final to add to the titles he won in 2016, 2018 and 2020.

The victorious wrestlers moved halfway to securing spots on the world team to Belgrade, where, for those in the Olympic weight classes, the first qualifying berths for the 2024 Paris Olympics will be at stake.

The losers will get another chance at the second domestic qualifier, the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships in June, where a victory will set up a playoff with the Emperor's Cup champions.

Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) Sakura MOTOKI became the first Japanese to beat Nonoka OZAKI in four years with a victory in the women's 62kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki/Japan Wrestling Federation)

The Japan federation has sweetened the pot for making the team to the Belgrade worlds, as a medal there in an Olympic weight means an automatic ticket for that wrestler to Paris. For women, in particular, the sense of urgency for getting to Belgrade is high.

Motoki has her own incentive for getting to the Olympics. Since she started wrestling at age 3, the Ikuei University student has been aiming to follow in the footsteps of her father, Yasutoshi, who competed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where he placed ninth at Greco 63kg.

"My father had a tough road leading up to the Olympics, with injuries and losses along the way," the 20-year-old Motoki said. "I expected to have the same hard road. So like my father, I will never give up until the end so I can get to the Olympics."

Such conviction was on full display against Ozaki when Motoki trailed 2-0 in the second period, having given up a pair of activity points. Motoki cut the lead with a stepout, then clinched the win with a duck-under takedown with :24 left.

Ozaki made a desperate attempt for the winning takedown when she tried to spin behind in the final seconds, but Motoki managed to hold on for the victory. An unsuccessful challenge added the final point.

"In the three months after the World Championships, I feel I've made progress technique-wise and mentally," Motoki said. "I wasn't confident of being the strongest at 62kg, but I was confident that I was stronger compared to where I was at the World Championships."

It was in Belgrade that Motoki suffered a disappointing loss that, upon reflection, indirectly laid the groundwork for her win over Ozaki.

In the semifinals, Motoki had taken the lead against Anastasia NICHITA (MDA), only to be reversed to her back late in the match and eventually lose 7-5. Motoki had tried desperately to score at the end, which she later realized was a losing strategy.

"In the last 30 seconds, I was haphazardly trying anything and I couldn't win, which I later regretted," Motoki said. "I practiced a lot looking at how much time was left and thinking about what to do, and I think that paid off today."

The victory came in the wake of her 9-2 victory in the semifinals over Olympic champion Yukako KAWAI, who later revealed she had not fully recovered from a back injury that had forced her to withdraw from a domestic tournament in October.

"Looking just at results, Kawai and Ozaki are above me," Motoki said. "I finished third at the World Championships in a non-Olympic weight class. They have the gold medals from the Olympics and World Championships that I am aiming for. I saw myself as the challenger."

The 19-year-old Ozaki was left in tears, having come into the tournament on an amazing roll that included a win over Kawai at the Meiji Cup last May. In a three-month span this fall, she picked up in succession the world U20, senior and U23 golds.

"I always try to be aggressive in my wrestling, and when I try to think about what was lacking today, I don't know," said Ozaki, whose last loss to a fellow Japanese was in the semifinals of the inter-high school championships in August 2018 to Yuzuka INAGAKI.

Looking ahead to the Meiji Cup, Ozaki said, "There is nothing beyond that. I have to change gears and make next year mine."

Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) Takuto OTOGURO works to score a takedown against Ryoma ANRAKU in the freestyle 65kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki/Japan Wrestling Federation)

Otoguro, the 2018 world champion, showed no rust from the 14 months he had been away from competition, as he wrestled a solid match against a formidable opponent in Anraku.

After gaining an activity point, Otoguro showed one of his best traits of quickly transitioning to score a takedown off a single-leg attack that Anraku fiercely resisted. In a tense second period with few attacks, Otoguro added a stepout at the buzzer.

"Today and yesterday, I had three matches in my first tournament in a while," Otoguro said. "As it went on, it got more enjoyable. I was able to beat strong opponents, so I think it was a good performance."

Otoguro said that he considered his time away from the mat as a positive. "There were no real drawbacks," he said. "Instead, I was able to focus on this tournament. There were only good aspects."

In Otoguro's absence, a new young champion has emerged in Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI). Otoguro said he did not watch this year's World Championships, but is aware of the Iranian. As for a possible meeting at this year's Asian Championships, Otoguro, who won back-to-back Asian titles in 2020 and 2021, would not commit.

"I'll talk it over with my coach," he said. "If I have the chance, I want to get started on having international matches."

Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) Akari FUJINAMI shoots for a takedown in the women's 53kg final against Haruna OKUNO. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki/Japan Wrestling Federation)

Fujinami's absence from the competition was not her choice, as a foot injury kept her from defending her senior world title in Belgrade and a knee injury forced her out of the world U20.

That meant she had not had a match since the national collegiate championships in August, where she won the 55kg title.

"Even though I was confident," Fujinami said. "I had had a series of injuries and there was a time I couldn't compete, so there was also uncertainty as well as pressure. I'm glad I could still come out with the win."

In the final, Fujinami used her low single attack to score takedowns in both periods and fend off all attacks to defeat Okuno for the fourth time in four career meetings, most recently a 4-0 win in the Meiji Cup final.

"I expected her to come up with a strategy, but I'm confident of my training and I put it all out on the mat," Fujinami said.

Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) Kenichi FUMITA positions himself for a throw in the Greco 60kg final against Maito KAWANA. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki/Japan Wrestling Federation)

For Fumita, winning the Greco 60kg gold for his fourth career title and first since 2020 helped restore the good name of the Nippon Sports Science University (NSSU) alumni in Greco, which was dealt a number of setbacks earlier in the tournament.

Olympic bronze medalist Shohei YABIKU lost in the third-place match at 77kg, while Katsuaki ENDO failed to defend his title at 67kg with a loss in the final.

"Overall, it hadn't been a good tournament for the alumni from Nittaidai, for Shohei and Katsuaki," Fumita said, using the familiar term for NSSU. "In Greco, we have wrestled poorly."

Fumita, the 2017 and 2019 world champion who had to settle for a bronze this year, scored three points in each period for a 6-0 victory over Maito KAWANA to restore NSSU to good standing. He had a gut wrench from par terre in the first period and a takedown and stepout in the second.

It was far better than his opening match when he got thrown for 4 in a 7-4 victory over Kaito INABA, a current student at NSSU.

"In my first match yesterday, the bad side of me came out," Fumita said. "After that, I thought I had to turn it around and stop the bad flow so I aimed to get a good result. And I won and took a step closer to Paris."

ShotaTANOKURA (JPN) In-laws Shota TANOKURA and Mayu SHIDOCHI indicate the place each took in the tournament. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki/Japan Wrestling Federation)

Tanokura takes bronze in return pushed by in-law

One of the more interesting stories of the tournament culminated with former Asian champion Shota TANOKURA taking third place at Greco 55kg in his return from a four-year absence.

The 32-year-old Tanokura, currently the coach at Tokyo's Jiyugaoka Gakuen High School, was urged to give it another whirl by a family member, who just happens to be Shidochi. Tanokura's wife is the younger sister of Shidochi's husband and coach, Shota SHIDOCHI -- a classmate of Tanokura's at NSSU.

"'Let's go to [the] Paris [Olympics] together,'" Tanokura said was the line that Mayu used to pester him into returning to competition. "'Do it one more time.'"

Tanokura agreed, not so much over his own desire to make the Olympics but to assuage Mayu. "I wasn't thinking of Paris, but Mayu wanted to us to go together," he said. "If I went, she said it would give her mental strength."

He qualified for the Emperor's Cup by winning the title at the All-Japan Non-Student Championships in October. That was his first competition since placing eighth at 55kg at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest.

Tanokura won the Asian gold earlier that year in Bishkek, beating local favorite Zholoman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) in the final. He also came away with the gold in his most recent Emperor's Cup appearance in 2017, adding to the titles he won in 2012 and 2013.

In Sunday's bronze-medal match, Tanokura showed some of his old magic with a majestic five-point throw in a 7-4 victory over collegian Yuto GOMI.

"I'm really happy," Tanokura said of coming away with a bronze, which qualifies him for the Meiji Cup. He is still undecided whether he will enter that tournament. "If I enter, I'll give it my all. Right now I'm torn. If my family pushes it, I might do it."

In the quarterfinals, Tanokura executed a nifty duck-under-and-lift that sent Kawana sailing head over heels and onto his back for 4 points, but he still came out on the short end of a 7-4 decision.

"That's the level I am at now," Tanokura said. "I didn't practice and you can't take matches lightly."

Tanokura's lone regret was that he didn't get to face either Fumita or Yu SHIOTANI, his former team member at Jiyugaoka Gakuen and a world 55kg bronze medalist, who had moved up to the Olympic weight class but lost to Gomi in his opening match.

Mayu SHIDOCHI (JPN) Mayu SHIDOCHI records a fall over Yumi SHIMONO in a women's 53kg bronze-medal match. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki/Japan Wrestling Federation)

As it turned out, bronze became the family color of the day as Shidochi bounced back from her stunning loss to Okuno to finish third at women's 53kg with a victory by fall over collegiate champion Yumi SHIMONO.

"Finishing up with a win is good leading up to the Meiji Cup," Shidochi said. "I'm glad I was able to turn it around. In the past, I wasn't able to do that."

Shidochi led 2-0 after receiving activity points in both the first and second periods, then fought off a Shimono takedown attempt that would have put her behind. When Shimono shot again, Shidochi straightened her up and pancaked her to her back, notching the fall at 4:59.

"The new generation of wrestlers are getting stronger," the 25-year-old Shidochi said. "They are providing the motivation for me to train hard to beat them. The Tokyo Olympics are in the past."

Shidochi knows that to have any chance of defending her Olympic gold, she will first have to face and defeat Fujinami.

"She's a really strong athlete, with a long reach and good speed," Shidochi said. "She's at the top of the world. To get to Paris, I have to beat her. Even for Fujinami, the 53kg class is deep."

Day 4 Results

Freestyle

61kg (14 entries)
Gold - Kodai OGAWA df. Hayato FUJITA, 7-0

Bronze - Kaito MORITA df. Kazuya KOYANAGI by TF, 11-0, 2:21
Bronze - Taichi YAMAGUCHI df. Kosei KANEKO, 10-8

Semifinal - Kodai OGAWA df. Kazuya KOYANAGI, 10-4
Semifinal - Hayato FUJITA df. Kosei KANEKO by TF, 14-4, 4:25

65kg (14 entries)
Gold - Takuto OTOGURO df. Ryoma ANRAKU, 4-0

Bronze - Kaiji OGINO df. Kenho UTO by TF, 11-0, 6:00
Bronze - Kotaro KIYOOKA df. Yujiro UENO, 14-6

Greco-Roman

60kg (11 entries)
Gold - Kenichiro FUMITA df. Maito KAWANA, 6-0

Bronze - Kaito INABA df. Kosei TAKESHITA by TF, 11-1, 4:22
Bronze - Shota TANOKURA df. Yuto GOMI, 7-4

72kg (11 entries)
Gold - Taishi HORIE df. Shoki NAKADA by TF, 9-0, 3:32

Bronze - Daigo KOBAYASHI df. Seiya TERADA by Fall, 4:03 (7-3)
Bronze - Tetsuto KANUKA df. Yuga KASUGAI, 9-5

Semifinal - Taishi HORIE df. Daigo KOBAYASHI, 3-1
Semifinal - Shoki NAKADA df. Tetsuto KANUKA, 7-1

Women

53kg (9 entries)
Gold - Akari FUJINAMI df. Haruna OKUNO, 5-0

Bronze - Mako ONO df. Nagisa HARADA, 6-0
Bronze - Mayu SHIDOCHI df. Yumi SHIMONO by Fall, 4:59 (6-0)

62kg (11 entries)
Gold - Sakura MOTOKI df. Nonoka OZAKI, 4-2

Bronze - Naomi RUIKE df. Nayu UCHIDA by Fall, 5:58 (10-0)
Bronze - Kiwa IWASAWA df. Yukako KAWAI by Def.

#wrestlebishkek

Vinesh makes successful drop to 50kg, earns shot at 3rd Olympics

Saturday, April 20, 2024 - 17:33 By Ken Marantz

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 20) -- Two-time Olympian VINESH (IND) took the best remaining path available to her to the Paris Olympics and did her best impression of the storming of the Bastille.

Vinesh dropped down to 50kg for the first time since 2018 and rolled to three consecutive technical falls, the last over Laura GANIKYZY (KAZ), to secure one of India's three tickets to Paris in women's wrestling at the Asian Olympic Qualifier on Saturday in Bishkek.

"It was difficult," said Vinesh, a two-time world bronze medalist at 53kg who will be looking to make up for past disappointments at the 2016 Rio and 2021 Tokyo Olympics. "But when you win, everything becomes worth it. I will say that I will be at peace for four to five days, but my main target is the Olympics. I will try to do what I couldn’t do in the last two Olympics. I can do better at this Olympics."

It was also a good night for China and the DPR Korea, which secured three Paris berths each, as well as Uzbekistan, which earned the first-ever Olympic quota in women's wrestling in its history. Host Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia captured one each as the teams did not have to contend with the powerful Japanese, who had already gained spots in all six weight classes.

"Competition is competition," the 29-year-old Vinesh said. "It is not that only if China and Japan are competing alongside you that it becomes a competition. Everyone becomes strong on the mat."

Combined with the quotas won at the World Championships last year in Belgrade, China and India have four each, and Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and DPR Korea have three apiece.

Two medalists from Tokyo, 53kg silver medalist Qianyu PANG (CHN) and 68kg bronze medalist Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ), were among the victors, as those who came up short will have a final chance at the World Olympic Qualifier in Istanbul on May 9-12.

Vinesh PHOGAT (IND) VINESH (IND) controls Laura GANIKYZY (KAZ) in their 53kg Paris Olympic qualification bout. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Vinesh, long one of the top wrestlers in the world at 53kg, put principles ahead of personal gain when she skipped the Indian trials for last year's World Championships to join in protests against the nation's wrestling federation, which had been suspended by the UWW (since lifted) for failing to address harassment allegations against a top official.

In her place, ANTIM (IND) won the bronze medal at 53kg to earn one of the five Paris quotas in the weight class. For Vinesh to ensure a trip to a third Olympics, she needed to either go up to 57kg or drop to 50kg. She briefly considered the former before opting for the latter. In her last appearance at 50kg, she won the 2018 Asian Games gold, then made the jump up to 53kg.

"I did the weight switch because I didn’t have any option, not out of happiness," said Vinesh, who underwent surgery last August on her left knee. "But I won a quota for my country in the 50kg category. I am happy that I can go to the Olympics. Whether I go in the 50kg category or in the 53kg category, that will be decided in the trials but whatever it is, I won a quota for my country."

Her accomplishments are remarkable and put her among the greats in the sport -- in addition to world bronzes from 2019 and 2022, she has seven Asian medals, including a gold from 2021. All that is missing is a medal from the Olympics, where she has experienced much pain, both physical and emotional.

In 2016, she left the mat in Rio on a stretcher after suffering a broken knee in the quarterfinals against Sun YANAN (CHN). At Tokyo, she was ranked No. 1 but was ousted in the quarterfinals by Vanessa KALADZINSKAYA (AIN). "My body is not broken, but truly I am," she told the Indian Express of her mental fatigue.

Vinesh competed sparingly after that, winning the gold at the Commonwealth Games and bronze at the World Championships in 2022.

"It’s taken so much hard work and struggle," Vinesh said. "I have been away from the mat for 1 1/2 years. I have come back after an operation. Many people have suggested that I should not go in the 50kg category because I could get re-injured.

"But I did not have any option. It was a do-or-die situation. I chose the die option."

On Sunday, she looked like she had never been away from the mat. Against Ganikyzy, who was making her senior international debut, Vinesh opened the scoring with a 2-point counter lift while on the activity clock, then added a double-leg takedown for a 4-0 lead at the break.

In the second period, Vinesh spun behind on a takedown attempt, then reeled off a pair of gut wrenches to end the match at 4:18.

Looking ahead to Paris, Vinesh knows what she needs to do to be prepared and avoid the pitfalls of the previous Olympics.

"Firstly, I will have to manage my weight a lot better," she said. "I have brought myself down to 50kg after so long so I will try and maintain this as much as I can. It’s not easy for me not to put on weight because my muscle mass is very high. Because of that, I gain weight easily. It doesn’t matter how fit I am, I still gain weight because I have a lot of muscle mass. I just want to control my weight. I have four months left, and every day is very important.

"I just want to try my best. It's been 20 years since I've been wrestling. I just want an Olympic medal. Everyone is working for that."

Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB) celebrates after making history by becoming the first woman from Uzbekistan to clinch a spot in the Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Historic win for Uzbekistan

In the preceding 50kg bout, Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB) made history by becoming the first woman from Uzbekistan to clinch a spot in the Olympics when she hung on desperately for a 4-2 victory over Meng Hsuan HSIEH (TPE). Keunimjaeva said she knew she was on the precipice of history going into the match.

"I knew that and I tried hard to achieve it," she said. "We’ve been training hard for three years now, we never had an Olympic spot and we wanted it so much. We worked so hard together with the coaches, together with the whole wrestling federation of Uzbekistan."

Keunimjaeva took a 3-0 lead with a single-leg takedown while Hsieh was on the activity clock. But her late shot for another was countered, and Hsieh slipped behind for 2 with five seconds left in the first period.

Keunimjaeva, who took a timeout for treatment on her knee, kept shooting in the second period, and although she could not finish one off, she ate away at the clock. In the final seconds, Keumjaeva clung onto Hsieh's toes for dear life to keep her from getting behind on a counter.

A challenge was unsuccessful, and Keunimjaeva reversed their meeting at the 2021 Asian Olympic Qualifier at 53kg which was won 16-8 by Hsieh, although neither wrestler ended up qualifying.

Like Vinesh, Keunimjaeva had moved down from 53kg and found success at the lower weight.

"I used to wrestle at 53kg," she said. "However, I wanted to compete at this Olympics so much, so I went down to 50kg. I know that this weight class is very competitive. There are many good wrestlers: the world and Olympic champion from Japan, there is a very strong Mongolian wrestler, also a Chinese one. I think they are the toughest opponents."

Hyogyong CHOE (PRK) and Qianyu PANG (CHN) qualified the DPR Korea and China for the Paris Olympics at 53kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

The DPR Korea will be back in the Olympics for the first time since 2016, having opted not to participate in the qualifying for the Tokyo Games. The country returned to the post-pandemic international stage for the first time in four years at last October's Asian Games in China, and its three victors on Saturday had all won medals there.

Hyogyong CHOE (PRK) got the ball rolling at 53kg with a 4-0 victory over ageless Zhuldyz ESHIMOVA (KAZ), an eight-time Asian medalist dating back to 2007 who was attempting to qualify for her third Olympics and first since 2016.

Choe, an Asian Games bronze medalist, gained an activity point in the first period, then scored a stepout in the second period while she was on the clock. She clinched the victory with a single-leg takedown.

In the other bout at 53kg, China's Pang cruised to a 10-0 victory over Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB) to deny Uzbekistan a second berth on its historic night.

Pang, the Zagreb Open champion and Asian Games silver medalist, forced her way behind for an opening takedown, then got a 2-point tilt and a pair of gut wrenches for an 8-0 lead. In the second period, Pang eluded a single-leg attempt and spun behind for the clinching takedown.

"I feel like my performance was much better than in previous tournaments," Pang said. "My goal never changed, I still want to be an Olympic champion. I still need to work hard enough. Every step is difficult, and I hope I can improve step by step."

Asked about the 53kg division, topped by current world champion Akari FUJINAMI (JPN), Pang replied, "They [opponents] are very good, but I think the charm of competitive sports lies in this -- no matter how good they are, you still have a chance to win. I must believe that I can succeed."

Kexin HONG (CHN) pins In Sun JONG (PRK) to win at 57kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Pang's compatriot and fellow Zagreb Open champion Kexin HONG (CHN) followed by securing a Paris ticket at 57kg, but she needed a miracle victory over In Sun JONG (PRK) which also avenged a loss at the Asian Games. Hong managed to not only come back from an eight-point deficit to tie the match, but she secured a fall.

Jong opened the match with a single-leg takedown, then put on a fine display of counter wrestling with back-to-back counter-lifts to make it 6-0, then added another to take an 8-0 lead into the break.

But when Jong shot right off the whistle in the second period, Hong got behind for a takedown and added a lace-lock roll to cut the gap to 8-4. Hong then worked out of a deep single for a takedown, flipped Jong onto her back and secured the fall at 4:36, getting payback for a 4-2 loss to Hong in the Asian Games semifinals.

ANSHU (IND) confirmed a Paris Olympic quota for India at 57kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Tokyo Olympian ANSHU (IND), the 2021 world silver medalist at 57kg, earned a likely trip back to the Olympics with an 11-0 rout of Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB).

The three-time Asian medalist gained an opening takedown and added a pair of gut wrenches for a quick 6-0 lead. After that, she spun behind for a takedown, and just barely gained a 2-point tilt at the edge to end the match. An unsuccessful challenge of the exposure added the final point.

Anshu downplayed the fact that she was in the opposite bracket from Jong and Hong. "It feels great to have qualified for the Olympics," she said. "How the brackets are is not in my hands. My mindset was only that I have to qualify irrespective of who my opponent is. My bouts were good. If the wrestlers from China and the DPR Korea were on my side, I would have gone with the same mindset that I have to qualify."

Anshu prepared for the competition by traveling to Japan, where she trained with Fujinami and the rest of the team at the powerful Nippon Sports Science University.

"I did benefit by training there [with Fujinami at NSSU]," Anshu said. "I worked a lot on the mistakes I was making. There is always a mindset about Japanese wrestlers about how to wrestle them or tackle them. So if you are training with the top wrestlers and legends there and competing well, then you get a lot of confidence for your competitions."

Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL), right, and Hyon Gyong MUN (PRK) after winning the 62kg quotas for Mongolia and the DPR Korea. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At 62kg, former world champion Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) proved too much for unheralded Hanbit LEE (KOR), scoring a fall to earn a ticket to the Olympics for the first time since 2016.

Purevdorj, who won her lone Asian gold in Bishkek in 2018, used a single for a takedown, then applied an arm bar and plied her opponent over for the fall in 1:56.

Asian Games champion Hyon Gyong MUN (PRK) captured the other 62kg ticket by scraping out a 6-0 victory over 2022 world bronze medalist MANSI (IND).

Mun used a 2-on-1 arm drag for a takedown and a 2-0 first-period lead. In the second period, she got creative in countering a single-leg attempt, spinning over the back and getting behind before clinching the win with a spin-behind takedown.

Mun had advanced to the qualifying match with an impressive win over Tokyo Olympian Jia LONG (CHN), the 2023 Asian gold medalist at 65kg, taking a 4-0 lead before sending Long to her back with a headlock and winning by fall.

At the Asian Games, Mun famously defeated 2022 world champion Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) in the final to establish her credentials after placing fifth at the 2019 Asian Championships.

Both the 68kg and 76kg divisions had just seven entries, meaning the wrestlers were split into round-robin groups and some had to get through three matches before the final.

Sol Gum PAK (PRK) stopped this last-ditch attempt from Feng ZHOU (CHN) to win at 68kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At 68kg, Sol Gum PAK (PRK) gave the DPR Korea its third win in four matches with a thrilling 7-4 victory over three-time Asian Games champion and two-time Olympian Feng ZHOU (CHN).

Pak, who needed to beat Zhumanazarova in her final round-robin group match to pip NISHA (IND) for second place, opened with a takedown, but the lanky Zhou came back with a counter lift from a front body lock to lead 2-2 on criteria at the break.

In the second period, Pak went ahead with a single-leg takedown from an underhook. As the clock was ticking down, Zhou secured a front headlock and tried to muscle Pak over. Pak stopped the throw long enough to get a 2-point exposure before Zhou completed the roll, putting Pak up 6-4. An unsuccessful challenge upheld Pak's exposure.

Zhumanazarova, the 2021 world champion who is somewhat overshadowed by the exploits of popular compatriots Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) and Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ), lived up to the expectations of the home crowd, scoring five quick points late in the final seconds of the first period and easing to a 7-2 win over two-time Asian medalist Nabira ESENBAEVA (UZB).

REETIKA (IND) gave India its third Paris 2024 quota with an untroubled 7-0 victory over Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

At 76kg, world U23 champion REETIKA (IND) gave India its third win of the night with an untroubled 7-0 victory over Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE).

Reetika scored a pair of takedowns by spinning to the side off a front headlock, then added a stepout for a 5-0 lead. She used the same tactic to add another takedown in the second period, then kept Chang at bay to run out the clock in her fourth match of the day.

Asian Games bronze medalist Juan WANG (CHN) became the third Chinese winner with a 6-1 victory over Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), the losing finalist at the Asian Games where both lost to Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ).

Wang went ahead 1-1 on criteria with an activity point in the second period, then put the match away in the final seconds when she got behind Bakbergenova in the standing position, and fell backwards to roll her over her for 4. An unsuccessful challenge added the final point.

Paris 2024 Qualification Matches

Women's Wrestling

50kg
Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB) df. Meng Hsuan HSIEH (TPE), 4-2
VINESH (IND) df. Laura GANIKYZY (KAZ) by TF, 10-0, 4:18

53kg
Qianyu PANG (CHN) df. Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB) by TF, 10-0, 4:03
Hyogyong CHOE (PRK) df. Zhuldyz ESHIMOVA (KAZ), 4-0

57kg
Kexin HONG (CHN) df. In Sun JONG (PRK) by Fall, 4:35 (8-6)
ANSHU (IND) df. Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB) by TF, 11-0, 2:48

62kg
Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) df. Hanbit LEE (KOR) by Fall, 1:56 (4-0)
Hyon Gyong MUN (PRK) df. MANSI (IND), 6-0

68kg
Sol Gum PAK (PRK) df. Feng ZHOU (CHN), 7-4
Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) df. Nabira ESENBAEVA (UZB), 7-2

76kg
REETIKA (IND) df. Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE), 7-0
Juan WANG (CHN) df. Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), 6-1

Motoki moves up to stun Ozaki; Otoguro, Fujinami, Fumita all prevail

Comments

Vinesh makes successful drop to 50kg, earns shot at 3rd Olympics