Russian Men, Japanese Women Dominate the Decade

Friday, December 27, 2019 - 14:39 By Ken Marantz

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December __ ) -- At this year's World Championships in Nur-Sultan, both Kyrgyzstan and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea came away with their first-ever world gold medals in women's wrestling. France earned its first medal of any kind in freestyle with a bronze. And the tiny enclave of San Marino, while not winning a medal, qualified a wrestler for the Olympics for the first time.

While the family of champion-producing and medal-winning nations continues to expand, there are still a select number of countries that remain dominant. In looking at the decade from 2010 to 2019, Russia in both freestyle and Greco-Roman and Japan's women wrestlers soared high above all others.

The numbers speak for themselves, and show just how much of a gap there was during the 10-year span.

In freestyle during that period, Russia captured a total of 25 gold medals at the worlds, more than double the 12 of the nearest competitor, the United States. By comparison, Georgia was next highest with six golds, while Iran and Azerbaijan had five each.

The Russians also had the most silvers (9) and bronzes (18) for an overall total of 52. Iran was next highest with 29 (6 gold-9 silver-14 bronze), followed by the United States with 26 (12-3-11), Georgia with 21 (6-3-12) and Azerbaijan with 20 (5-7-8).

As medal tallies and team standings go hand-in-hand, it is no surprise that Russia took home six of the eight team titles up for grabs. Only runner-up finishes to Iran in 2013 and the United States in 2017--the latter by a one-point difference--denied Russia a perfect record.

The Olympics, with the reduced number of weight classes, narrowed the gap, but Russia still was either at or among the top of the heap, depending on how one crunches the numbers. Russia compiled three golds and seven medals overall at London 2012 and Rio 2016; Azerbaijan had more medals overall with eight, but one less gold with two. The United States tied Russia with three golds, to which it added two bronzes. Both Iran and Georgia had one gold and six medals overall.

Still only 23, Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) made a large contribution to the Russian tally. Winning the gold at 97kg in Nur-Sultan gave the "Russian Tank" his fourth world title dating back to 2014, adding to his gold from Rio 2016 and a world silver from 2018.

Sadulaev hails from the wrestling hot spot of Dagestan, the mountainous republic in southwestern Russia on the Caspian Sea that has produced an inordinate amount of global champions, and supplies the national team with an unending line of top talent. At Rio 2016, there were six medalists in wrestling from that area alone.

"Wrestling is in our blood," Sadulaev said in an interview with the Olympic Channel. "That's why the Dagestanis are the best in the world."

The team standings at the World Championships determine the field for the ensuing World Cup, but while that team tournament can produce exciting matches, it doesn't always accurately reflect the strength of the nations, as rosters are often filled with second-string talent. As such, Russia won the freestyle World Cup just three times, while Iran had a run of six straight titles from 2012 to 2017. The United States won its lone title as host in 2018.

Roman VLASOV (RUS) celebrates after winning his second Olympic title. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

In Greco, Russia was only slightly less dominant, heading the pack that saw the spoils more widespread. Over the decade, Russia claimed 14 world golds and 37 medals overall (9 silvers, 14 bronzes), well ahead of the closest competitor, Turkey, which accumulated eight golds and 26 medals in total. Roman VLASOV (RUS) won two world and two Olympic golds at 74-75kg during the span, while Musa EVLOEV (RUS) chipped in with two golds at 97kg.

Russia took the team title every year except 2014, when it was edged by Iran, which piled up six golds and 19 medals overall in the decade. Armenia also put on a strong showing with 16 overall medals (5-4-7), while Azerbaijan and Hungary had identical results in claiming 17 medals each (4-4-9).

In the two Olympics, Russia captured four golds and eight medals overall, which Cuba and Iran had three golds apiece. For what it's worth, Russia won the World Cup twice, the same number as Azerbaijan, while Iran took home the trophy four times, including three in a row from 2010 to 2012.

Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) celebrates after winning the 2015 world title in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

When it comes to women's wrestling, Japan got the jump on the rest of the world by putting resources into the sport during its infancy in the late 1980s, and everyone has been trying to catch up since. Adding it to the Olympic program at Athens 2004 provided incentive to the other nations to get in gear, but also served to motivate the Japanese even more.

From 2010 to 2019, Japan captured a whopping 26 gold medals at the World Championships, over 2 1/2 times that of its nearest rival, the United States, which had 10. It also represents more than one-third of the golds available (74). The golds were won by 20 different wrestlers, including Saori YOSHIDA (JPN), who won the last of her 13 world titles in 2015, the same year that Kaori ICHO (JPN) added her 10th and last world gold.

Japan also pocketed nine silvers (the most) and 12 bronzes for a total haul of 48 medals. The U.S. had the next biggest with 28 (10-6-12), while China and Ukraine each earned six golds, and Mongolia, Canada and Russia had four apiece. It was also a Bronze Age for the Chinese, who had 18 third-place finishes.

At the Olympics, the Japanese were in another stratosphere. Of the 10 gold medals awarded (four in London, six in Rio), seven were taken back to the Land of the Rising Sun, including two by Icho. Japan also had one silver medalist--the result of Yoshida's stunning loss to Helen MAROULIS (USA) at 53kg in Rio.

After finishing behind China in three of the first four World Cups of the decade, Japan started fielding stronger teams and last month won its fifth straight title. Three of the five wins came as host, including the most recent in Narita in November.

Like Dagestan for the Russians, there is a hotbed of wrestling in Japan that seems to churn out an inexhaustible flow of women wrestlers ready to challenge the upper echelon and make their own marks. It is not so much a place as an institution, Shigakkan University in central Japan and its affiliated high school.

Yoshida, Icho, Kawai and fellow Rio 2016 champion Sara DOSHO (JPN) are among the countless medal-winning wrestlers produced by Shigakkan, which was formerly known as Chukyo Women's University. One recent notable exception is two-time world champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN), who opted for Tokyo's Waseda University

While success in the age-group divisions does not always translate on the senior level, the numbers put up by the Japanese juggernaut over the decade have been nothing short of mind-numbing: 45 golds in the world juniors, 48 in the cadets, and 18 in the U-23, which has only been held since 2017.

Haruna OKUNO (JPN), as one of Japan's seven gold medalists at this year's world U-23, also became the lone wrestler to complete a "grand slam" of cadet, junior, U-23 and senior titles.

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Ono entered at 57kg, Susaki at 50kg for All-Japan Championships

Thursday, December 4, 2025 - 15:34 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (December 4) -- After winning both the U20 and senior world titles at freestyle 61kg within a two-month span in the autumn of 2024, Masanosuke ONO all but disappeared from the Japanese wrestling scene.

That culminated with his announcement in March this year that, having left Yamanashi Gakuin University, he had committed to wrestle at U.S. collegiate powerhouse Penn State. He has not been seen on the mats of Japan since.

Ono will compete once again in his home country, dropping down from 61kg to 57kg for the upcoming Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym, according to the entry list announced Thursday by the Japan Wrestling Federation.

The tournament, to be held December 18-21, will also serve as the domestic qualifier for next year's Asian Championships, and the first of two qualifiers for the Asian Games and World Championships in 2026.

Yui SUSAKI (JPN) will compete at 50kg at the Emperor's Cup. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Among other notable recent absentees appearing on the entry list is Yui SUSAKI, the 2021 Tokyo Olympic champion at 50kg who had to settle for a bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She will compete at 50kg, putting to bed speculation that she might move up to the 53kg division.

"This will be a tournament to start me anew on the road to the Los Angeles Olympics," Susaki said in an online press conference with the Japanese media, as reported by Wrestling-Spirits.jp.

"In order to reclaim the gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics, as a challenger starting from scratch, I want to win in a Yui Susaki-esque way of wrestling."

The 21-year-old Ono had been a question mark with the tournament falling in the middle of the Penn State season. But the decision to redshirt Ono -- the system of allowing him to train with the team while withholding him from competition to maintain an extra year of eligibility -- opened the door for him to make the trip back to Japan.

Assuming he does not have trouble making weight, he should be the class of the 57kg field, with his toughest competition most likely coming from two-time Asian bronze medalist Rikuto ARAI.

One opponent he won't have to contend with is Paris Olympic champion Rei HIGUCHI, who decided to continue delaying his return to action. Also missing is defending champion Rin SAKAMOTO, who was injured at the World Championships. With Sakamoto also across the Pacific at Oklahoma State University, it prevents a rare clash of U.S.-based wrestlers.

Susaki only returned to action in September, and both of her forays were at 53kg. That, and the well-publicized move up to 57kg by Akari FUJINAMI, the 53kg champion in Paris, fueled conjecture that Susaki might also move up.

Susaki started at the National Sports Festival, where she competed at 53kg if for no other reason that it was one of only two women's weight classes in the competition. She lost a defensive-oriented 2-1 decision to 2024 world 55kg champion Moe KIYOOKA in the quarterfinals, marking her first loss to a Japanese opponent in six years.

"Losing at the National Sports Festival gave me the chance to look inside myself," Susaki said. "The result was really disappointing, but I'm glad I took part and was grateful for the opportunity."

Now 26, the four-time world champion is firmly determined to regain the Olympic gold that eluded her in Paris with a heart-breaking last-second loss to Vinesh PHOGAT (IND) in the opening round.

"I truly was shown just how difficult and challenging it was to win at the Paris Olympics. It also gave me a chance to reflect on the preparation process leading up to the competition and what was needed mentally for the Olympics. I will work hard to use that experience to make sure I win the gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics."

Susaki's top challengers at the Emperor's Cup appear to be world U23 bronze medalist Umi ITO and Haruna MORIKAWA, the world U23 champion at 53kg.

Meanwhile the presence of Fujinami, who added the world U23 title in October to her burgeoning resume, has been immediately felt at 57kg. Despite being an Olympic weight class, the division drew just nine others who will look to end the 21-year-old superstar's 147-match winning streak.

Her most potentially dangerous opponent could be Asian champion Sara NATAMI. At the National Sports Festival, she was losing 8-1 at 62kg to world 59kg champion Sakura ONISHI when she countered a takedown attempt by slamming her to her back for a fall.

Paris Olympic and 2025 world champion Sakura MOTOKI (JPN). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Golden trio at women's 62kg; returns of Paris champs Fumita, Kagami

As with any Japan competition that has world or Olympic berths at stake, a number of weight classes could see clashes between multiple wrestlers with global successes as they jockey for position in the run-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

And in one case, there are three at once, while two other weight classes could have direct clashes of champions from this year's worlds in Zagreb, Croatia.

At women's 62kg, Paris and 2025 world gold medalist Sakura MOTOKI will renew her rivalry with two-time former world champion Nonoka OZAKI, while Onishi moves up from 59kg to join the mix and can't be overlooked.

At women’s 68kg, reigning world champion Ami ISHII could lock horns with Miwa MORIKAWA, the gold medalist at 65kg, while at freestyle 74kg, we could see a battle between Zagreb winner Kota TAKAHASHI and 70kg titlist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI.

Like Susaki, all of Japan's large group of Paris medalists took some time off to bask in the spotlight before gradually returning to the mat over the past two years.

Two of the remaining gold medalist holdouts -- Kenichiro FUMITA and Yuka KAGAMI -- will both take the mat for the first time since their Paris victories at the Emperor's Cup.

Fumita, who won an elusive gold medal in Paris at Greco 60kg after taking the silver at Tokyo 2021, is entered at 63kg, where he will aim for a fifth national title and first since 2022. Kagami is entered at her gold medal-winning weight of women's 76kg. Their own rustiness may be more of a factor then the opponents.

While away from competition, Fumita spent the ensuing time experimenting with different methods as he looks to expand his reportoire.

"I have some anxiety, but I'm also looking forward to it," Fumita told Wrestling-Spirits.jp. "I achieved my goal in Paris, and on top of that, I've been taking a good look at wrestling. it. It was a year and four months full of new experiences. This will be a battlefield to reveal my new wrestling. I want to show wrestling that is free and unrestrained."

Fumita said he observed the nerves shown by fellow Paris gold medalists Nao KUSAKA (Greco 77kg) and Kotaro KIYOOKA (freestyle 65kg) when they returned to mat ahead of him at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships last spring.

"Before their matches, both of them looked pale," Fumita said. "I want to focus on fighting without putting too much pressure on myself. For better or worse, I want to fight thinking of myself as a different person than I was in Paris."

Other intriguing weight classes include freestyle 65kg, where Kiyooka may have to contend with Asian champion Kaisei TANABE, Asian 61kg champion Takara SUDA and two-time world U20 champion Yuto NISHIUCHI.

Two gold medalists from Tokyo who took time off for marriage and childbirth are back, with Mayu SHIDOCHI (nee MUKAIDA) challenging Moe Kiyooka at women's 55kg and Yukako INAMURA (nee KAWAI) entered at 59kg.

In Greco, rising star Taizo YOSHIDA, a bronze medalist at both the U20 and senior worlds this year at 82kg, has moved up to 87kg, where he will challenge two-time defending champion So SAKABE.

Russian Men, Japanese Women Dominate the Decade

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Ono entered at 57kg, Susaki at 50kg for All-Japan Championships