All Japan Championships

Rio Silver Medalists Ota, Higuchi Take Drastic Measures in Quest to Make Tokyo 2020

Monday, December 2, 2019 - 13:13 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (Dec. 2) --- A pair of Japanese silver medalists from the Rio 2016 Olympics, denied during their preferred routes to Tokyo 2020, will be trying desperate measures in last-ditch efforts to make Games in their host country---which presents a weighty problem for both.

Shinobu OTA, the Rio 2016 silver medalist at Greco-Roman 60kg, has moved up to two divisions to 67kg for the upcoming All Japan Championships, which will serve as the final qualifier for either filling an Olympic berth that Japan has already secured, or earning the chance to win a spot at the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament in March.

Conversely, Rei HIGUCHI, who failed to gain an Olympic ticket at freestyle 65kg, has gone the other way, dropping two weight classes down to 57kg, the division in which he won the silver in Rio, according to the list of entries recently released by the Japan federation for the tournament to be held Dec. 19-22 in Tokyo.

At the World Championships in Nur-Sultan in September, Japan clinched eight Olympic berths in the 18 weight classes --- two in freestyle, one in Greco-Roman and five in women's wrestling. As incentive, the Japan federation decreed that any wrestler who won a medal in the Kazakh capital would automatically fill the Olympic spot themselves.

That resulted in five wrestlers clinching Olympic spots: Mayu MUKAIDA (53kg), Risako KAWAI (57kg), Yukako KAWAI (62kg) and Hiroe MINAGAWA (76kg) among the women, and Kenichiro FUMITA (60kg) in Greco-Roman. None of the five are entered in the All Japan tournament.

When Fumita won the gold to regain the world title he had won in 2017, it also closed the door on Ota in that weight class. Having been beaten by Fumita for the 60kg place on the team to Nur-Sultan, Ota moved up to 63kg --- and won his first world title. But that being a non-Olympic weight class, he knew he had to take drastic measures to get to Tokyo 2020.

Shinobu OTA, the reigning 63kg world champion, will be moving up to 67kg with hopes of improving his silver medal from the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

So he has moved up further to 67kg, where he will challenge defending national champion Shogo TAKAHASHI. Takahashi was eliminated in the third round in Nur-Sultan, leaving Japan without an Olympic spot at this point.  Others who Ota might have to deal with are Katsuaki ENDO, the 2018 world U-23 champion at 63kg, and Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA, a former world team member who was second to Takahashi last year.

Ota, who won two international tournaments in Hungary and Belarus this year at 63kg, had planned to get a test run at 67kg at the World Cup in Iran, but the tournament was postponed due to unrest in that country.

After winning a silver in Rio, Higuchi moved up to 61kg, where he won the 2016 All Japan title and a bronze medal at the Asian Championships. But with eyes on Tokyo 2020, in late 2017 he made the jump up to 65kg, but, at just 1.62 meters, found the size difference difficult to overcome.

Still, he won the world U-23 gold in 2018, then pulled off a surprising victory over world champion Takuto OTOGURO at the All Japan Invitational Championships, the second of the two qualifiers for the world team. That set up a playoff between the two, but Otoguro, having recovered from a recent knee injury, totally dominated the encounter.

Assuming he can successfully get down to 57kg, Higuchi will challenge former world champion Yuki TAKAHASHI, who has had a domestic stranglehold on the lightest division for the past three years. Takahashi kept the door open to the Olympics when he fell in the fourth round in Nur-Sultan. Also in the mix will be a pair of world junior champions, Toshiya ABE and Kaiki YAMAGUCHI, the latter dropping from 61kg.

Otoguro still has some unfinished business himself. He secured the 65kg berth for Japan in Nur-Sultan, but by losing in the bronze-medal match, left himself needing a win at the All Japan (also referred to as the Emperor's Cup) to seal the deal. His biggest concern looks to make sure he is healthy for the competition.

Rio Olympic champion Sara DOSHO will be challenged by U23 world champions Masako FURUICHI and Yuka KAGAMI at 68kg. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Rio Olympic champion Sara DOSHO is in the same boat at Otoguro. Her fifth-place finish at 68kg left her short of the Olympics and raised doubts about whether she had fully recovered from the shoulder surgery she underwent earlier in the year. She will have some tough company in her bid to secure the Tokyo ticket.

World U-23 champion Masako FURUICHI gave Dosho a run for her money in the final at the All Japan Invitational last June, losing 4-3 on a last-second takedown. After that loss, Furuichi moved up to 72kg for the senior World Championships, where she took home a bronze medal.

Another notable entry at 68kg is high schooler Yuka KAGAMI, who this year added world junior and U-23 titles to the two cadet golds she had previously won. While she mostly competed at 72kg, the weight in which she won the junior title, she also moved up to 76kg to challenge Minagawa for the world team spot, but was unsuccessful (her U-23 title came in that division). Dropping to 68kg will mark her first competition under 72kg since she won the Klippan Lady cadet at 65kg in February 2018.

The Olympic spot at freestyle 74kg that was secured by Mao OKUI's fifth-place in Nur-Sultan will also be up for grabs, and there is no shortage of scavengers looking to come away with the spoils.  Yuhi FUJINAMI, a 2017 world bronze medalist at 70kg who was not at 100 percent when he lost a world team playoff to Okui, will be looking for revenge, and will be joined in the hunt by world junior silver medalist Jintaro MOTOYAMA and Asian silver medalist Kojiro SHIGA, who placed seventh at 70kg in Nur-Sultan.

Kaori ICHO did not enter the All Japan Championships, which ends her quest for a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

End of the road for Icho
Meanwhile, living legend Kaori ICHO officially ended her quest for an unprecedented fifth straight Olympic gold when she decided not to enter the tournament.

Icho had lost out for the women's 57kg spot to fellow Rio Olympic champion Risako Kawai, who punched her ticket to Tokyo 2020 with a gold in Nur-Sultan. When Mukaida and Yukako Kawai also secured their spots at the weight classes immediately above and below, the only avenues left were at 50kg and 68kg --- and Icho didn't see much hope in either choice.

It was at women's 50kg that Japan suffered one of its bigger shocks in Nur-Sultan, as Yuki IRIE suffered a heartbreaking 13-12 quarterfinal loss to SUN Yanan (CHN) and failed to clinch an Olympic berth.

That opened the door for two-time world champion Yui SUSAKI, who had lost a world team playoff to Irie. Those two will be joined at the Emperor's Cup by Rio 2016 champion Eri TOSAKA in the latest round of the trio's battle royale.

There was speculation that former world champion Haruna OKUNO, who lost out to Mukaida for the 53kg spot, might drop down to 50kg in a bid to keep her Olympic dream alive. But that ended when she was entered at 53kg.

That could result in an intriguing rematch with Nanami IRIE, Yuki's younger sister. When Okuno failed to knock off Mukaida, she entered the world team playoff at 55kg, only to lose to Irie, who went on to win the silver medal in Nur-Sultan.

#WrestleParis

Paris 2024: Tazhudinov strikes gold; Japan finish with eight

Sunday, August 11, 2024 - 17:21 By Ken Marantz

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PARIS (August 11) -- A little less than a year ago in Belgrade, Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) announced himself to the world by knocking off two of the sport's biggest giants -- both literally and figuratively. On Sunday, he accomplished the one feat that makes a name live on forever.

Tazhudinov added the Olympic gold to the one he won at last year's World Championships, scoring an opportunistic fall over Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) in the freestyle 97kg final on the last day of competition at the Paris Olympics.

"This is the Olympic Games, all of the fights are difficult. I just did it," said the Russian-born Tazhudinov, who became Bahrain's first-ever Olympic champion in a sport outside of athletics. "I trained hard. My family, brothers and [training] partners helped me become what I am today."

Japan capped a spectacular showing in Paris by grabbing the two other gold medals at stake, with world champion Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) prevailing at women's 76kg to become the country's first-ever champion in the heaviest weight class, and unheralded Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) taking the freestyle 65kg title to join a childhood wrestling club teammate as Olympic champion in Paris.

Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN)

The 21-year-old Tazhudinov turned the wrestling world upside down in Belgrade last September when he swept aside in succession both Kyle SNYDER (USA) and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN), who between them had won every world or Olympic 97kg title dating back to 2015, en route to the gold.

Few had been aware of Tazhudinov up to that point, although he did give a hint of things to come by winning the Asian Championships earlier that year. The native of the wrestling hotbed of Dagestan had changed his nationality to Bahrain in the autumn of 2022.

A month after his triumph in Belgrade, Tazhudinov added the Asian Games gold, then prepped for Paris this year by winning the Antalya international tournament and successfully defending his Asian title in Bishkek.

On Sunday, Tazhudinov shone brightest on the biggest stage of all, beating Snyder in the semifinals before securing the gold before another packed crowd at the Champs de Mars Arena.

In the final, two-time reigning European champion Matcharashvili threw caution to the wind at the start and attempted a bold arm throw. It would be a fateful decision, as Tazhudinov stopped the move and Matcharashvili left on his back. That provided the opening for him to pounce on top, securing the fall at 1:52 for his seventh straight major tournament title.

"It was a counterattack, and I caught him on this move," said Tazhudinov, who has not lost since falling 6-4 to Vladislav BAITCAEV (HUN) in the quarterfinals of the Alexandria Ranking Series tournament in February 2023.

Kagami doesn't put up the big numbers like Tazhudinov, but she steadily wears down opponents and gains enough openings to score with her deceptive speed.

Yuka KAGAMI (JPN)Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) after winning the 76kg final against Kennedy BLADES (USA) in Paris. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

In the women's 76kg final against Kennedy BLADES (USA), Kagami trailed 1-1 on criteria when she connected with a double-leg tackle, driving the American out of bounds for a takedown that was originally scored a stepout to lead 3-1.

After that Kagami never let the taller Blades, who defeated six-time world champion Adeline GRAY (USA) at the U.S. Olympic trials to get to Paris, get even a whiff of her legs as she secured the historic victory for Japan.

“She was definitely strong, and her positioning was great," said the 20-year-old Blades, last year's world U23 silver medalist. "I knew going into the match that Japan is very disciplined on positioning, so I think that’s what made it a little tough. I’m just going to go back to the drawing board and start working on my stuff again.

“She was ready for what I was going to do, and I was ready for what she was going to do. It was definitely a scramble. It was a fun match. Of course, I do want to be on top, always. But honestly, at the end of the day, it was a battlefield."

Blades had advanced to the final by knocking off world silver medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) 8-6 in the semifinals Saturday.

That Japan is the dominant power in women's wrestling is beyond dispute -- the country won four of the six golds in Paris, with two bronzes -- but until Sunday, it had always come up short in the heaviest weight at the Olympics.

The last time a Japanese heavyweight even medaled was in Beijing 2008, when Kyoko HAMAGUCHI (JPN) won a second straight bronze at 72kg. Kagami was determined to rectify the situation.

"It is something that I have always been aiming for," Kagami said. "It's really a thrill to be able to accomplish something that no one else has. What I did today resulted from what I have done up to now and the choices that I have made."

After the victory, Kagami lifted up and twirled around coach Shogo MAEDA, who is not only a national team coach but was her coach at Toyo University, which she chose to attend instead of one of the established powerhouses.

Kagami is a product of the JOC Academy that also produced Tokyo Olympic champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) and Nonoka OZAKI (JPN), who both won bronzes in Paris. Her effervescence and outgoing nature make her a favorite on the national team.

"To see everyone with tears of joy for me makes me the happiest," said Kagami, a two-time Asian champion and world bronze medalist in 2022.

"I had always aimed to be standing here. I thought to enjoy each and every match, each and every second. I was smiling, and I was nervous. But I spent this Olympics even enjoying the nervousness."

Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN)Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) laces Amouzad KHALILI (IRI) during the 65kg final at the Paris Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

At 65kg, Kiyooka was never considered a favorite in a stacked weight class, although he did earn some street cred by defeating Tokyo Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) en route to qualifying for Paris.

“There was a certain degree of pressure to perform as well as my rival, but I was able to defeat the champion of the Tokyo Games," said Kiyooka, who finished ninth at the 2023 World U23 Championships. "I felt like there was an element of fate there having defeated a prior gold medalist."

His lightning-quick reflexes and solid techniques propelled him to the pinnacle of the sport, capped by a 10-3 victory over reigning Asian champion and 2022 world 61kg gold medalist Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI).

Amouzad got on the scoreboard first with a driving stepout while on the activity clock. Kiyooka responded with a single-leg takedown, then executed a lace-lock variant in which he puts his head between the legs while securing the thighs or ankles, a move often used by Japanese wrestlers.

Kiyooka reeled off a series of rolls, but a fourth that would have ended the match came after time expired, leaving him with a still-formidable 10-1 lead.

"That is my pet move, and if I can get into position, I'm confident I can get the turns," the 23-year-old Kiyooka said. "I had intended to end it right there, but time ran out.

"When I looked up it was 10-1. I was aiming to attack from the beginning in the second period to win by technical superiority, but he is not so easy of an opponent, so I couldn't finish it off."

It was Amouzad who would score the lone points of the second period, a 2-point exposure off a counter, but he never found a way through Kiyooka's defenses to close the gap any further.

“In this 65kg weight class, any athlete could have won gold," Kiyooka said. "It’s a very difficult and challenging weight class, and winning gold in this weight class is particularly important for me. That’s why I felt like the hero of my own novel."

Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN)Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) celebrates with his childhood friend and fellow Olympic champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Kiyooka started wrestling at age 3 at a kids wrestling club in Kochi City on the central island of Shikoku. It was there he first met the 2-year-old daughter of the club's coach. Her name is Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN), and she won the women's 57kg gold the previous day.

"I had to find a way to win," Kiyooka said. "Before the tournament, we knew that she would wrestle before me, so I told her to put pressure on me by winning. I converted that into motivation.

"We've had a great relationship leading up to this point and both of us won gold medals. We made each other stronger and had dreams of the Olympics together, and we could both win by encouraging each other. It's really incredible that we won titles at the same Olympics."

Asked about standing at the top of the medal podium, Kiyooka replied, "It's the most beautiful view in the world."

Japan finished its best-ever tournament with a total of eight golds, one silver and two bronzes from the 13 weight classes in which the country had qualified. With Kiyooka's victory, Nippon Sports Science University students and alumni combined for five golds, more than double any other country.

Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI)Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) denied Kyle SNYDER (USA) in the 97kg bronze-medal bout. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Snyder denied bronze; Albania wins 2nd

Snyder, who came to Paris looking to regain the Olympic title after taking silver in Tokyo, will leave empty-handed after being dealt a 4-1 defeat by 2022 world U23 champion Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI).

Azarpira scored a takedown in the first period and two stepouts in the second, then fended off everything Snyder threw his way to earn a bronze medal and repeat his 6-3 victory over Snyder in the final at the Zagreb Open in January.

The other 97kg bronze went to Russian-born world silver medalist Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE), who scored two takedowns in each period of a 10-0 victory over Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR).

Prior to the Paris Olympics, Albania had never won an Olympic medal in any sport. European champion Islam DUDAEV (ALB) gave the tiny European nation a second in wrestling in two nights.

The Russian-born Dudaev had just been tagged for a 4-point throw when he scored a reversal with :04 left, giving him a thrilling 13-12 victory over reigning world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) in a freestyle 65kg bronze-medal match.

“The match was very difficult," Dudaev said. "It was not the first bout I had with Muszukajev. We have already met several times, so I knew him quite well, and I knew what I was supposed to do to win against him.”

Dudaev started off the clash with a bang, getting 4 with a marvelous inner crotch throw and 2 more with an exposure. Musukaev cut the lead to 8-4 off a scramble, and a takedown whittled it further to 8-6 at the break.

Dudaev spread the gap again to six points with a takedown and roll, but Musukaev struck back again with a takedown, then used a front headlock to throw Dudaev to the mat for 4 to go ahead 12-12 on criteria.

But Dudaev squirmed out of the hold and got behind in time to secure a dramatic win and join compatriot Cherman VALIEV (ALB), also a native Russian, as a bronze medalist.

Sebastian RIVERA (PUR)Sebastian RIVERA (PUR) scores the winning takedown against Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

There was also drama in the preceding 65kg bronze-medal match, as Sebastian RIVERA (PUR) scored a takedown in the final seconds to upend Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) 10-9, giving Puerto Rico just its second-ever Olympic wrestling medal.

"It was tough," Rivera said. "Everybody in the weight class was really tough. To get a medal, that’s what I expected and what I came here to do, so I’m happy I could fulfill my dreams."

Rivera prevailed in a back-and-forth match when Tumur Ochir, trying to clinch the victory, went for a headlock throw, but the Puerto Rican slipped out and got behind with eight seconds left.

Tumur Ochir appeared to have remained on all fours to avoid the takedown -- but a challenge revealed his knee hit down, giving Rivera the winning points.

Rivera had spotted Tumur Ochir a 4-0 lead in the first period, then went ahead himself 8-4 with a takedown and three exposures from an arm trap. Tumur Ochir took back the advantage 9-8 on a 4-point leg sweep and a lost challenge.

Rivera, who was born in the U.S. state of New Jersey and competed collegiately at Northwestern and Rutgers universities, joins Jaime ESPINAL (PUR), a silver medalist at freestyle 84kg at London 2012 as the only wrestling medalist in their nation's history.

At women's 76kg, world silver medalist Medet Kyzy was relegated to her second straight fifth-place Olympic finish when she was dealt a 6-0 defeat by Milaimy MARIN (CUB) in their bronze-medal match.

Marin fired out of the blocks with a big 4-point double-leg takedown, then went behind for a takedown in the second to deny the Asian champion.

In a rare Olympic medal match between South Americans, Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) gave Colombia its second-ever Olympic wrestling medal, defeating Genesis REASCO (ECU) 2-1 for the other women's 76kg bronze in a bout decided solely on activity points.

Day 7 Results

Freestyle

65kg
GOLD: Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) df. Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI), 10-3

BRONZE: Sebastian RIVERA (PUR) df. Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) 10-9
BRONZE: Islam DUDAEV (ALB) df. Ismail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), 13-12

97kg
GOLD: Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) df. Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) by Fall, 1:52 (2-0)

BRONZE: Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) df. Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR) by TF, 10-0, 4:29
BRONZE: Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) df. Kyle SNYDER (USA), 4-1

Women's Wrestling

76kg
GOLD: Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) df. Kennedy BLADES (USA), 3-1

BRONZE: Milaimy MARIN (CUB) df. Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), 6-0
BRONZE: Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) df. Genesis REASCO (ECU), 2-1