Meiji Cup

Susaki Avenges Loss to Irie to Grab 50kg Title at Meiji Cup

Sunday, June 17, 2018 - 14:50 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO, Japan (June 17) —Yui SUSAKI got the revenge she sought and the second chance she needs in her continuing quest to defend her world title. 

For Rio 2016 Olympic champion Eri TOSAKA, the global stage remains a distant and currently unobtainable goal as she continues her comeback from a spate of injuries.

Susaki took a step closer to earning a place on Japan’s team to the world championships when she scored a stunning victory by fall over Yuki IRIE in the women’s 50kg final on the final day of the All-Japan Invitational Championships in Tokyo.

That avenged a devastating loss to Irie by technical fall in the semifinals of the All-Japan Championships, also known as the Emperor’s Cup, last December that left her in tears. The two will now face each other again in a winner-take-all playoff for the berth on the team to Budapest.

“My feeling at this moment is that I’m happy to win the title, and, as there is a playoff in three weeks and I earned a place in it, I will start working tomorrow so that I can win it and go to the world championships,” said the 18-year-old Susaki, a three-time world cadet champion who skipped the junior level and won the senior 48kg gold last year in Paris.

Under the Japan federation criteria, wrestlers who win their weight class at both the Emperor’s Cup and the invitational tournament, known as the Meiji Cup, automatically qualify for the world team. If the winners are different, then the two will face in a special playoff to be held July 7.  

“I lost at the Emperor’s Cup so I thought, I have nothing to lose, just put up a firm challenge and come out with the title,” Susaki said. “I was the aggressor and controlled the flow of the match, and I think that led to the victory.” 

In the final, Susaki, who posted technical fall victories in her first two matches, led 2-1 when she countered an Irie attack and pancaked her onto her back, securing the fall at 3:37 for her third straight Meiji Cup gold. 

For Susaki, now a freshman at Waseda University, the loss to Irie in December had even further ramifications, as it kept her off Japan’s team to the Asian Championships in February, the Women’s World Cup in March and the upcoming Asian Games in Jakarta.

“This time, I lost at the Emperor’s Cup and that kept me from being able to enter various tournaments,” Susaki said. “Seeing wrestlers other than me competing is very hard to take…So the only road open to me was to win here and get to the world championships. It became an obsession.”

She did not remain idle, winning the 50kg gold medal at the Klippan Lady Open in February with a victor in the final over Rio 2016 silver medalist Mariya STADNIK (AZE). 

“That win gave me confidence, but if I don’t win the national championships, I can’t go to overseas [championships]. I put everything into this tournament and I still have a ways to go, but to achieve one goal is great.”

Tosaka, competing in just her third tournament since winning the gold in Rio, was eliminated from the running for Budapest when she was dealt a 6-2 defeat by Irie in the semifinals. 

Tosaka scored the lone point of the first period when Irie was on the activity clock. But Irie roared back by scoring all of her points in the second period with a pair of takedowns and a roll. 

“Purely speaking, it was a match where I lacked strength,” said Tosaka, who beat Irie 4-0 in the Meiji Cup final in 2015, the year she won the last of three straight world titles. 

“At 1-0, I did well to get in on a tackle, but not being able to clearly finish it off, that was the turning point of the match. My physical preparation and current condition were not bad. My opponent had a stronger desire to win and that was why I lost.”

Tosaka underwent foot surgery after the Rio Olympics and returned to action in September 2017 at the lower level Japan Women’s Open. That prepared her for the Emperor’s Cup, but she suffered knee and ankle injuries just before the event and ended up defaulting her semifinal match.

“There is a gap between the expectations of those around me and my actual physical ability right now,” Tosaka said. “There are expectations as the Olympic champion and everyone thinks I will win. But my level has not yet caught up.”

Kawai, Okuno, Takahashi to defend world titles

In other action, Paris 2017 world champions Risako KAWAI, Haruna OKUNO and Yuki TAKAHASHI all completed the national double to secure their tickets to Budapest and earn a chance to defend their titles.

Meanwhile, Rio 2016 silver medalist Shinobu OTA took advantage of his main rival’s absence in the Greco-Roman 60kg class to clinch his first trip to a world championships, while another Rio silver medalist, Rei HIGUCHI, saw his bid for a place in the freestyle 65kg playoff foiled by rising star Takuto OTOGURO.


Kawai, the Rio 2016 gold medalist at 63kg, will aim for a second straight world title, this time at 59kg after crushing Yuzuru KUMANO by 10-0 technical fall in 5:28 of the final. 

Kawai scored all of her points on takedowns, and was less than enthusiastic about the quality of her performance in winning for the second straight year and third time overall.

“I switched weight classes with my sister, but I didn’t have to cut weight and I felt I had prepared,” Kawai said. “I can’t say the way I wrestled was that good. I only had two matches and both were against junior teammates. I don’t feel that I gained anything from my matches. There’s still parts of my game that are lacking.”

Kawai had won the Emperor’s Cup at 62kg, but switched weight classes with younger sister Yukako, who had triumphed at 59kg. Yukako won the 62kg title on Saturday. Technically, that set up playoffs between the sisters in both weight classes, but they have decided that Risako will stay at 59kg and Yukako will seek her first world medal at 62kg.

Okuno repeated her victory from the Emperor’s Cup over Yu MIYAHARA in the women’s 53kg final, scoring the bulk of her points with a 4-point tackle in a 6-0 victory.

Okuno, who won her second straight title, did not look sharp in her two earlier matches. She won both by fall in the final seconds, but was trailing in both on last-point criteria going into the final minute.


Takahashi, in contrast, was a whirlwind of activity, showing the speed and power that has brought him to the pinnacle of the freestyle 57kg division.

Following a pair of 10-0 technical falls that took 90 seconds or less each, Takahashi gave up an early takedown in the final against Tomohiro HASEGAWA -- as has become his trademark -- before scoring three takedowns of his own in a solid 7-2 win. 

“I was able to score points off my attack,” the 24-year-old Takahashi said. “I’ve worked hard with the aim of going to the world championships and defending my title. Anyway, I have to forget this tournament and start preparing for the next.”

Takahashi, whose last loss came in January 2017 in the first round of the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix to Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS), knows it will be harder defending his world title than winning it the first time.

“I believe that suddenly winning out of the blue is not so difficult, but to win twice in a row, that’s the sign of true strength,” said Takahashi, who took home the Meiji Cup as the tournament’s most outstanding wrestler. 
 
In following up on his Emperor’s Cup victory, Ota did not have to contend this time with Paris 2017 champion Kenichiro FUMITA, who withdrew due to a knee injury. That opened the door for Ota to win his first Meiji Cup title and qualify for his first senior world championships. 

Ota, the gold medalist at the Asian Championships in Bishkek in February, did not have such an easy time, getting just two passivity points and giving up a point for fleeing in a 2-1 victory over Hayanobu SHIMIZU in the final.
 
“It’s very disappointing that I didn’t score any technical points,” Ota said. “At the end, I had no intention of fleeing, but I gave that impression and it gave him a point. That’s a sign of my immaturity and a lack of practice. I’ll work harder so I can always aim for a technical fall.”

Ota’s day nearly came to a premature end. In his opening match, recklessness on a throw attempt left him having to fight off his back before he came away with a 12-8 win over teenager Ayata SUZUKI. He was more focused in his semifinal, which he ended by 9-0 technical fall in 31 seconds.

The emergence of Otoguro at 65kg adds more depth to an already stacked weight class for Japan. The 19-year-old shut down Higuchi in posting a 6-0 win in the final and earning a place in the world team playoff against Emperor’s Cup champion Daichi TAKATANI. 


“There’s a feeling of relief to win the title, but I still have the qualifying match for the world championships,” said Otoguro, whose older brother Keisuke will take part in a playoff at 70kg. “I have to also win that. I’ll do what I need to be prepared.”

Higuchi was the runner-up in Rio at 57kg, but had since struggled to handle the extra size in moving up to the next Olympic weight of 65kg. Still, he held his own on Sunday, with his three wins en route to the final including an 8-5 decision over Takatani. 

Otoguro, the 2015 world cadet champion at 54kg, had faced Higuchi before, beating him 8-5 in the second round of the 2017 Emperor’s Cup. 

“Last year we faced each other, and it was a match that could have gone either way,” he said. “It looked like I would lose, but I ended up winning. That impression stuck with me and I won this time. Higuchi is strong and I’ll do what I can to keep him from catching me.”

Otoguro got a taste of global competition on the senior level in April as a member of the Japan team that won a bronze medal at the Freestyle World Cup in Iowa City. His two wins included a 10-5 victory over former world champion Logan Stieber of the United States.

“For the first time, I faced a former world champion,” he said. “I’m happy that I could win, but he’s not the champion now. The best thing is for me to go to the world championships and win the title. The World Cup was a good reference point and a good experience.”

Results from Day 4

Freestyle

57kg (15 entries)
Gold – Yuki TAKAHASHI df. Toshihiro HASEGAWA, 7-2
Bronze – Kanta OKADA and Rikuto ARAI
Semifinal – Yuki TAKAHASHI df. Kanta OKADA by TF, 10-0, 1:02
Semifinal – Toshihiro HASEGAWA df. Rikuto ARAI by Def.

65kg (15 entries)
Gold – Takuto OTOGURO df. Rei HIGUCHI, 6-0 
Bronze – Hirotaka ABE and Koki SHIMIZU
Semifinal – Rei HIGUCHI df. Hirotaka ABE, 10-6
Semifinal – Takuto OTOGURO df. Koki SHIMIZU by TF, 10-0, :41

Greco-Roman

60kg (10 entries)
Gold – Shinobu OTA df. Hayanobu SHIMIZU, 2-1
Bronze – Kiyoshi KAWAGUCHI and Ryotaro FUJINAMI
Semifinal – Shinobu OTA df. Kiyoshi KAWAGUCHI by TF, 9-0, :31
Semifinal – Hayanobu SHIMIZU df. Ryotaro FUJINAMI, 7-0 

Women’s Wrestling

50kg (9 entries)
Gold – Yui SUSAKI df. Yuki IRIE by Fall, 3:37 (4-1) 
Bronze – Eri TOSAKA and Miho IGARASHI 
Semifinal – Yuki IRIE df. Eri TOSAKA, 6-2
Semifinal – Yui SUSAKI df. Miho IGARASHI by TF, 10-0, 1:20

53kg (8 entries)
Gold – Haruna OKUNO df. Yu MIYAHARA, 6-0
Bronze – Yuka YAGO and Momoka KADOYA
Semifinal – Haruna OKUNO df. Yuka YAGO by Fall, 5:56 (8-2)
Semifinal – Yu MIYAHARA df. Momoka KADOYA, 6-2 

59kg (6 entries)
Gold – Risako KAWAI df. Yuzuru KUMANO by TF, 10-0, 5:28
Bronze – Kiwa IWASAWA and Yumeka TANABE
Semifinal – Risako KAWAI df. Kiwa IWASAWA by TF, 11-0, 1:44
Semifinal – Yuzuru KUMANO def. Yumeka TANABE by TF, 12-1, 3:35
 

#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