#WrestleAlmaty

Olympic Veteran Orchirbat Nabs Mongolia Ticket to Tokyo in Day’s Final Match

By Ken Marantz

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (April 10) --- Unlike everyone else who secured an Olympic berth in the women's competition at the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament, ageless Burmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) had to wait until the evening session to clinch hers. And in the final bout of the day no less.

The veteran  -- who appeared at the inaugural Olympic women's wrestling competition at Athens 2004 and will turn 39 in May -- gave Mongolia a fourth Olympic berth from the tournament in Almaty when she finished second at 76kg.

Needing a victory to clinch the silver medal in the five-woman round-robin group, Ochirbat came through with a flurry of second-period points to build up a 10-1 lead before securing a fall at 5:27 over Shakhribonu ELLIEVA (UZB).

"This will be my third Olympics," said Ochirbat, who placed 10th in Athens and eighth at the 2012 London Games. "I am 39. This is very good and I am happy going back to Mongolia."

Ochirbat finished second with a 3-1 record behind 2020 Asian silver medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), who completed all four of her matches in the afternoon and had already clinched the gold by going undefeated.

The pressure was on Ochirbat when Pooja POOJA (IND) scored a victory by fall over Seoyeon JEONG (KOR) in the preceding match to finish 2-2. Had Ochirbat lost to Ellieva and also finished 2-2, Pooja would have finished second because of her head-to-head victory over Ochirbat.

Ochirbat took nearly four years off after missing out on the Rio 2016 Olympics and had a baby, before returning to competition in April 2019. The three-time world medalist showed she still has it by finishing second at the 2020 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix.

"I missed the Rio Olympics and even before that, I had stopped wrestling," she said. "I didn't know what to do but wrestle, so after a four-year break, I decided to come back, and now I qualified.

"I had a baby and after that, I was at home for a long time. But then I thought I should try for the Tokyo Olympics. Very recently I started training again."

It was a good day overall for the Mongolians, who now have five places at the Tokyo Olympics. The nation had previously secured a spot at 68kg at the 2019 World Championships in Nursultan.

Susaki adds to gold collection
Meanwhile, two-time world champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN), having achieved her primary goal of securing a place at the Olympics in her home country, added a bonus with another gold medal for her sprawling collection when she captured the 50kg title.

That weight class also had five entries and was conducted as a single round-robin group. In a showdown of wrestlers who had gone unbeaten in the afternoon session -- which had clinched Olympic spots for both -- Susaki had little trouble in dominating Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL).

Susaki rolled to a 10-0 technical fall in 1:49, giving her a combined time of 7:59 on the mat in four matches -- all technical falls, and without surrendering a point. While she finished off the final win with her trademark lace lock, she also scored with something a bit different for her, a front headlock roll.

"I was absolutely determined to seize this chance to qualify on my own," Susaki said of her performance. "I had the courage to be aggressive and go on the attack first, and the matches went as I wanted."

As for tossing all shutouts, Susaki said, "No matter what match it is, it was part of going for the Olympics and I stayed focused, so that was good."

For the 21-year-old from Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo where the wrestling venue for the Tokyo Olympics is located, the victory caps a long, delayed road to achieving of dream of qualifying for the chance of an Olympic gold.

"I'm really happy that I can now get down to the business of preparing for the Tokyo Olympics," she said. "Heading toward August, I will train even harder so I can win the gold medal."

In other finals, 2018 world bronze medalist Feng ZHOU (CHN) put together the kind of match that was missing in the afternoon to dominate 2019 world junior silver medalist Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) with an 8-0 victory for the 68kg gold.

Zhou, who will head to Tokyo looking to vastly improve on a 12th-place finish at the Rio 2016 Olympics, had had to come from behind to eke out a 7-5 win over Zhumanazarova in the preliminary group match.

But in the rematch, the tall Chinese came out far more aggressively and scored early with a front headlock roll to take a 2-0 lead into the second period. She padded the lead with a spin-behind takedown and gut wrench, then added an 2-point exposure off a counter.

In the 57kg final, Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL) held on for a 7-4 win over Anshu ANSHU (IND) that went down to the wire.

Boldsaikhan, who scored a takedown and roll for a 4-1 lead early in the second period, had the advantage on criteria when Anshu tied the score at 4-all. In the final seconds, the Mongolian scored a takedown that was unsuccessfully challenged to clinch the victory.

The two other finals went uncontested due to injury defaults. Jia LONG (CHN) took the 62kg gold over rising star Sonam SONAM (IND), while Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) was awarded the 53kg gold over Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ).

Both Sonam and Akhmetova Amanzhol suffered knee injuries in their semifinal matches, and noticably limped onto the mat to concede in the finals.

Women's wrestling results

50kg 
GOLD -  Yui SUSAKI (JPN) 4-0
SILVER  - Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL) 3-1
BRONZE -  Dauletbike YAKHSHIMURATOVA (UZB) 2-2
Key Match: Yui SUSAKI (JPN) df. Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL) by TF, 10-0, 1:49, in Round 5

53kg
GOLD - Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) df. Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ) by Default
BRONZE - Meng Hsuan HSIEH (TPE) df. Hyungjoo KIM (KOR) by Default

57kg
GOLD - Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL) df. Anshu ANSHU (IND), 7-4
BRONZE - Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB) df. Jieun UM (KOR) by Fall, 1:28 (4-0)

62kg
GOLD - Jia LONG (CHN) df. Sonam SONAM (IND) by Default
BRONZE - Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) df. Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ), 4-2

68kg
GOLD - Feng ZHOU (CHN) df. Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ), 8-0
BRONZE - Nisha NISHA (IND) df.  Hyeonyeong PARK (KOR) by Fall, :44 (8-0)

76kg
GOLD -  Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) 4-0
SILVER  - Burmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) 3-1
BRONZE - Pooja POOJA (IND) 2-2|
Key match: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Burmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) by TF, 10-0, 1:41, in Round 4

#WrestleAlmaty

Bolat Turlykhanov Cup day three finals set

By Vinay Siwach

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (June 4) -- Freestyle begins at the Bolat Turlykhanov Cup Ranking Series event in Almaty along with the remaining six weight classes of women's wrestling.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

13:00: The finals for the night.

WW 50kg: Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL) vs Jasmina IMMAEVA (UZB)
WW 53kg: Zhuldyz ESHIMOVA (KAZ) vs Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL)
FS 97kg: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) vs Batyrbek TCAKULOV (SVK)
WW 55kg: Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) vs Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB)
WW 59kg: Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) vs Sarita MOR (IND)
FS 125kg: Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) vs Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ)
WW 65kg: Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) vs MANISHA (IND)
WW 72kg: BIPASHA (IND) vs Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)

12:50: At 97kg, Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) and Batyrbek TCAKULOV (SVK) fighting for a spot in the semifinal. Tcakulov with a quick takedown and two exposures. He then gets a cradle and secures the fall. Tcakulov is a U23 World silver medalist and even a senior Russian champion at 92kg. He switched to Slovakia and won a bronze at the European Championships this year.

12:45: Olympic bronze medalist Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) gave up four points in the first period against Leyla GURBANOVA (AZE) but she works her way back to pick a fall at 53kg and enter the final.

12:30: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) worked his way to a big win over Mukhammadrasul RAKHIMOV (UZB). He did give up two takedowns but continued working with pressure and won 15-4.

12:20: World champion Amir ZARE (IRI) against world bronze medalist Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL). Slow start to the bout as Munkhtur is called passive. Zare leads 1-0. Munkhtur is called for a second passive in the second period. He trails 2-0 now. Zare tries to get his takedown but only manages a stepout. He leads 3-0 and wins with the same scoreline.

12:00: We are beginning with the semifinals in a short while. Big matches all around.

11:45: World bronze medalist Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) had a tough time navigating Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) at 125kg. He led 3-0 but Yergali scored a takedown and almost had another point for the win. But Munkhtur holds on.

11:30: Sarita MOR (IND) looks in top form. She wins 11-0 against Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ) to book her spot in the semifinals at 59kg. She will be looking to move on from her bronze medal finish at the Asian Championships

11:25: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) and Akezhan AITBEKOV (KAZ) were involved in a fierce battle. Firouzpour is moving up to 97kg from 92kg for the first time. Aitbekov had a 3-1 lead but Firouzpour manages to crawl back and win 8-3. Not the perfect bout for him but he will take it.

11:10: Tokyo Olympian Elis MANALOVA (AZE) is in top form here. She has leg laced her way to the semifinals. She first defeated MANISHA (IND) and then Dinora RUSTAMOVA (UZB) in the same fashion

11:00: Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) begins her quest at the home Ranking Series event with a 10-0 win against Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB) at 72kg.

10:50: Amir ZARE (IRI) led 6-0 but Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ) comes up with a takedown and then a four-point move to tie it 6-6. A reversal and takedown gave Zare a 9-7 win.

10:30: Welcome to the third day of the Ranking Series here in Almaty. With a sudden change of weather, it's windy and rainy here.