Japan Wrestling

Takahashi Tops Rio Silver Medalist Higuchi in Playoff for Olympic 57kg Ticket

Saturday, June 12, 2021 - 16:47 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO---The message from his wife on the handkerchief  tucked away in his singlet impelled Yuki TAKAHASHI to be confident and assured him "it was going to be a good day." How right she was.

Takahashi came up with the win he had waited for his entire life--the one that earned him an Olympic ticket--by defeating 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI 4-2 in a wrestle-off Saturday for Japan's freestyle 57kg spot at the Tokyo Games.

Takahashi, the 2017 world champion, filled the Olympic spot he himself had secured at the final world qualifying tournament just over a month ago after scoring a 2-point counter exposure with a minute to go to defeat Higuchi in the special match held at Tokyo's Ajinomoto National Training Center.

"He's the Rio silver medalist and I know he's a strong wrestler," the 27-year-old Takahashi said. "To me, I was the one who got the Olympic berth [for Japan] and making it mine was another step in the process. I didn't want to waste the chance."

Under strict coronavirus protocols with Tokyo still in a third state of emergency, only about 20 people were present at the match in the NTC wrestling room, not unlike the final gladiator fight scene between Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis in Spartacus. The match was livestreamed on Facebook, with a online press conference on Zoom held afterwards.

The match had originally been scheduled to be held on the final day of the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships in late May, but was pushed back as Takahashi had gone through a two-week quarantine upon returning from the final world qualifier in Sofia, Bulgaria.

"I'm more relieved than anything," Takahashi said. "After I got back from the world qualifying tournament, the date [of the playoff] wasn't decided and it made me anxious and things remained tense. I had to maintain my weight that I had just done [in Sofia].

"Anyway, there's only 1 1/2 months until the Olympics. I'll take a little rest, then change gears and do what I have to so I have no regrets."

In the match, Takahashi gained the only point of an action-less first period with an activity point, then added another in the second period for a 2-0 lead.

"In the first period, I was hoping to get a takedown, but I got an activity point with my aggressiveness," Takahashi said. "I was able to control the flow like I wanted."

As Takahashi was being awarded his second point, Higuchi got in on a single leg in the first true shot of the match, which he finished off with 1:43 to go to move ahead 2-2 on criteria.

"The first time he got my leg, and I could get a sense of his strength," Takahashi said. "That was at around two minutes [to go], but I didn't think I would lose. He went for a tackle and I thought, 'If I can turn him, I'll turn him, if I can't, I'll get points from standing.' I never thought I was in any danger."

 

Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) exposes Rei HIGUCHI for two points during Saturday's 57kg special wrestle-off. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation)

Higuchi remained the aggressor and again secured a single leg near the edge. But Takahashi was able to flatten out his opponent and, reaching over and grabbing a leg, levered him over for a 2-point exposure to go up 4-2 with 1:03 left. That's how it ended.

"Wrestling is six minutes and you never know what is going to happen, you can't let up from start to finish," said the 25-year-old Higuchi, who dropped to the mat in despair after the match. "I don't know what left me a step behind. I was able to do my attacking style of wrestling."

Following the match, Takahashi immediately called his wife, Sayaka, who was watching with Takahashi's parents and brother at their home in Yamanashi, a city 100 kilometers west of Tokyo where he is currently coach of his alma mater, Yamanashi Gakuin University.

"She was half-crying, half-ecstatic," said Takahashi, who credits her and his family for their moral support during the tough times when he thought his Olympic dream had been over.

"Seeing them happy makes me happy. Without them, I wouldn't be here. I wanted to thank them...although it's not over yet. There is the wall of getting to the Olympics, the wall of getting a medal and the wall of winning the gold medal. I am over the first wall."

Takahashi later showed the media a handkerchief that Sayaka had made for him bearing a drawing of him with the Olympic rings, and messages from her and the rest of his family such as "Do as you always do!" and "Go, go, go Yuki! Grab the future!"

"With the writing on it, I thought I might not be able to use it because it isn't white," Takahashi joked.

The victory came nearly two years after Takahashi, also a world bronze medalist in 2018, came up short in his first attempt at clinching an Olympic spot, which he could have done by winning a medal at the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan.

Instead, a 10th-place finish left the door open for others to enter the picture, which is what Higuchi did. After an unsuccessful attempt to wrest the 65kg spot from 2018 world champion Takuto OTOGURO---although he did win a world U-23 gold at that weight--- Higuchi went through the grueling process of dropping back down to 57kg, a struggle that cost him dearly at one point.

Higuchi took a huge step forward when he defeated Takahashi at the All-Japan Championships in December 2019, which earned him the right to enter the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament.

Then the global pandemic hit, and the saga took an unexpected twist. The one-year delay in the Tokyo Olympics and the qualifiers only made it harder for Higuchi, who had not wrestled at 57kg since the Rio Games and was constantly fighting a battle with the scale.

"That has always been the biggest issue for me," Higuchi said. "I'm a bit bigger than those in the world of 57kg. I did a lot of research into weight loss and hired a trainer, and talked with other wrestlers and friends. I would never have been able to do it on my own."

At the Asian qualifier in Almaty in April, disaster struck. Higuchi stunned Japan and the wrestling world when he failed to make weight as a prohibitive favorite at 57kg. It might not have been a slam dunk, but with just nine entries, the odds were certainly in his favor.

The Japan federation opted to dispatch Takahashi, the 2020 All-Japan champion, in Higuchi's place to the world qualifier. He lived up to the expectations, emerging from the field of 23 as one of the two finalists to clinch the berth for Japan and set up the playoff with Higuchi.

Before the Rio Olympics, the two went through almost the same scenario. Takahashi suffered a shocking third-round loss of the 2015 All-Japan to an unheralded wrestler, and Higuchi went on to take the title. He then won the Asian Olympic qualifier to earn the ticket to Rio, where he took the silver.

"That was a disappointment, but I was able to put it behind me," said Takahashi, who added he wants to lead by example as a coach. "If you don't give up, it will produce results. That is what I want to show."

As for Higuchi, he remains unsure what the future holds.

"The Tokyo Olympics are over for me," Higuchi said. "With all of the weight loss, I've been through a dark time. I will take some time to refresh myself mentally, get my thoughts in order and decide what to do."

#WrestleParis

Paris 2024 Preview: Day 1 -- GR 60kg, 130kg; WW 68kg

Monday, July 22, 2024 - 10:50 By Ken Marantz

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PARIS (July 22) -- On the opening day of wrestling at the Paris Olympics on August 5, fans will get a chance to see history possibly in the making. A day later, we could all be witness to a feat that has never been accomplished in the 128-year history of the Olympics -- in any sport.

The already-legendary Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) will attempt to establish an elite group of one as the first-ever athlete to win five gold medals in the same event, when he takes the mat in Greco-Roman 130kg, which will open the Paris program along with Greco 60kg and women's 68kg.

"I am doing something with great focus to be able to show the world that everything you have in mind, and want to achieve, can be achieved," Lopez said. "I know it's in my mind, and I believe the possibility of achieving that result is high."

PARIS 2024 SCHEDULE | PARIS 2024 NEWS

The 41-year-old Lopez will be competing for the first time since he struck gold at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, a victory that put him into the pantheon of four-time champions with fellow wrestler Kaori ICHO (JPN), who joined the group in 2016, sailing's Paul ELVSTROM (DEN), athletics' Al OERTER (USA) and Carl LEWIS (USA), and swimming's Michael PHELPS (USA).

The fellow man-mountain standing in his way in the heaviest weight class is reigning world champion Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI), who was just 10 years old when Lopez won his first gold medal at Beijing 2008. There could hardly be a more poignant changing of the guard should the Iranian prevail.

There will be no shortage of drama in the two other weight classes as well, with fans to see if the Asian dominance shown in Belgrade at Greco 60kg will carry over to Paris, and a "match-of-the-century"-level clash potentially on tap at women's 68kg, although not knowing which round it might occur only adds to the intrigue.

Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ)Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ), blue, defeated Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) to win the world title at 60kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Greco 60kg: Asian dominance on the line with Ciobanu as possible spoiler

In Belgrade, the only weight class in which one continent or region swept all of the Paris quotas was Greco 60kg, with Asia taking all five spots behind gold medalist Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ).

Sharshenbekov's successful defense of his world title helped make him the top seed in Paris in his bid to become Kyrgyzstan's first-ever Olympic gold medalist. But rival Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) is primed to avenge a loss in the Belgrade final and gain the gold medal that he missed out on at the Olympics on home soil.

Fumita, a two-time former world champion, set his sights on leaving Paris in triumph from the minute three years ago that he walked off the mat in Tokyo in tears after losing in the Olympic final to Luis ORTA (CUB). A victory would make him Japan's first Greco gold medalist since Atsuji MIYAHARA (JPN) in 1984.

Since Tokyo, Fumita has tried a number of changes of style to varying degrees of success, but believes he now hit on the right game plan -- just do what feels right at the moment.

"In the three years, my approach to wrestling, the way I attack, has changed several times," Fumita said at press conference with the Japanese media in June. "Now, my wrestling style and training really suit me. It might give me more confidence, but more than that, I feel like I have settled down."

Fumita made a name for himself with his arching back suplexes -- earning the nickname in Japan of the "Cat Wrestler" for his flexibility -- but now realizes that not every victory needs a
touch of flamboyance.

"Before Tokyo, my thing was big throws and I wanted everyone to see it," Fumita said. "After Tokyo, where that didn't work, I went to a defensive style. Now, I don't limit myself to anything. I don't think, I have to try a throw, or I have to be defensive. I do what I want to do.

"I had always thought that the appeal of Greco-Roman was throws, but it's not. It's everything. It's also the details of how a match develops. That's what I want everyone to see."

The championship match in Belgrade was among the most exciting in recent memory, with Sharshenbekov coming out on top of an 11-6 decision in which he fought off a continual series of big-throw attempts by Fumita. So lively was the action that neither wrestler received a passivity point, a total rarity these days in Greco.

The two had met once previously, with Fumita winning 4-0 in the final of the 2020 Asian Championships. With Sharshenbekov the top seed and Fumita at No. 4, a potential third career clash between them would come in the semifinals.

Who will fill the other spot in the final? Leading a formidable list of challengers is third seed Victor CIOBANU (MDA), who is looking to become Moldova's first-ever Olympic champion and just its second-ever wrestling medalist.

While past results are not indicative of future performance, Ciobanu holds a 3-0 record over Sharshenbekov in career meetings. The two met most recently twice in 2021, with Ciobanu winning 9-0 in the Tokyo Olympic quarterfinals and 9-3 in the World Championships final.

Fumita has beaten Ciobanu in their two career clashes, both coming in early rounds at the 2019 and 2023 World Championships.

The dark horse in the medal chase could be Se Ung RI (PRK), who like his compatriots, returned to international action last year after a four-year pandemic hiatus. Ri boasts a 5-3 victory over Fumita in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Asian Championships, where he lost in the final to Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB), who will also be in Paris.

In his first post-pandemic tournament, Ri lost to Ayata SUZUKI (JPN) in the quarterfinals at the 2023 Asian Games before coming back to take a bronze medal. Sharshenbekov beat Suzuki for
the gold.

Others to watch are European 63kg champion Murad MAMMADOV (AZE), three-time Asian medalist Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) and Kevin DE ARMAS (CUB). The latter does not boast the credentials of his counterparts, but has history on his side -- Cubans have won the last two golds in the lightest weight class.

 

Greco 130kg: Lopez aims for history with Mirzazadeh in his path

Lopez has compatriot Oscar PINO (CUB) to thank for making it to the sixth Olympics of his career, despite being out of action for the past three years. It was Pino who qualified Cuba in the weight class by winning a bronze medal in Belgrade, then stepped aside to let Lopez get his shot at history.

Notwithstanding his age, there will certainly be concerns about how honed Lopez's skills will be after not being battle-tested for three years. But you don't win an Olympic gold, much less four, by being unprepared, and Lopez says he will be ready.

"The preparation is done," Lopez says. "I feel in optimal condition and all wrestlers are motivated both in Cuba and internationally. It has been a very important time for me to keep the motivation to get to my sixth Olympic Games and fight for my fifth medal."

Lopez says his training has gone well. "My main training program has been well prepared. I have tried to avoid injuries, the main issue for wrestlers, and will be able to be at the Olympics with motivation, desire and impetus which I always had for the Olympics."

The biggest concern for his opponents is, who will face him first? With his prolonged absence, Lopez accumulated no ranking points and will be unseeded, meaning he could be drawn with anyone, even the top-seeded Mirzazadeh.

Lopez and Mirzazadeh, who also won a world title in 2021, have faced each other only once, with the Cuban scoring an 8-0 victory in the quarterfinals at the Tokyo Olympics en route to the gold.

But should they meet in Paris, he will encounter the 26-year-old Iranian in his prime. Mirzazedeh has not lost since the final of the 2022 World Championships, when he came out on the short side of a 1-1 decision to Riza KAYAALP (TUR). In addition to the 2023 world title, he has back-to-back golds at the Asian Championships in 2023-24.

Kayaalp, who will not be in Paris, is also the last man to have defeated Lopez, but you have to go all the way back to 2015 for that loss, which came in the final at the World Championships. In fact, since his first Olympic triumph in 2008, Lopez has just two losses -- the other was also to Kayaalp, in the 2011 world final.

Is there anyone who can prevent either of these two giants from ending up on the top of the medal podium? They are really in a class of their own, but those with the potential for pulling off a surprise would include 2016 Rio Olympic bronze medalist Sabah SHARIATI (AZE), two-time former world 97kg silver medalist Kiril MILOV (BUL), Cuban-born Tokyo Olympic fifth-place finisher Yasmani ACOSTA (CHI) and four-time Asian medalist Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ).

For Lopez, victory will not necessarily go to the most skilled. "[Wrestling is] a sport in which all the gladiators have to work hard and show who truly is the best in the world. I am happy to be able to be at the Olympic Games and to convey to the youth that come after us what a real wrestler is."

 

Women's 68kg: Elor, Ozaki launch pincer movement in weight class shifts

World champion Buse TOSUN (TUR) and the other world medalists at women's 68kg might be feeling they are under attack by a pincer movement from both above and below.

The gold medalists in Belgrade in both the non-Olympic weights that sandwich 68kg have qualified for Paris in that division, with 65kg champion Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) moving up and 72kg titlist Amit ELOR (USA) dropping down.

But these two are not your run-of-the-mill world champions. They represent a new generation of superstars already plush with a long list of accolades, and a possible clash between them is among the most anticipated matches of the Olympics. As neither is seeded, the luck of the draw will decide if and when they meet.

Both Ozaki and Elor have both achieved the "grand slam" of world age-group titles, having triumphed on the U17, U20, U23 and senior levels -- all before their 20th birthdays. An Olympic gold medal by either would make her the second to achieve the "golden grand slam" after Yui SUSAKI (JPN).

Ozaki actually has bumped up two weight classes. It is well-documented how the 21-year-old (Elor is nine months younger) seemed on track for Paris at 62kg after winning the 2022 world title, only to be upended by Sakura MOTOKI (JPN), who secured the ticket by taking the silver medal at the 2023 worlds in Belgrade.

Ozaki gained a "consolation" gold at 65kg in Belgrade, but also saw a new door to Paris open when Ami ISHII (JPN) failed to medal at 68kg. After a long and difficult process, Ozaki ended up earning a place in a playoff in January with Ishii for the 68kg quota in Paris, which she secured with a dramatic last-second victory.

Elor, whose only international loss remains a 3-1 defeat by Honoka NAKAI (JPN) in the semifinals of the 2019 world cadets (U17), secured the Paris ticket for the U.S. at the Pan-American Olympic Qualifier, then defeated Forrest MOLINARI (USA) at the U.S. Trials.

While Ozaki spent the ensuing months trying to bulk up without affecting her trademark speed and agility, Elor has been fighting the battle of the scale that she had avoided since she started wrestling as a young girl.

Amit ELOR (USA)Amit ELOR (USA) after qualifying the 68kg weight class for the United States. (Photo: United World Wrestling / William Bain)

"Growing up, my parents didn't let me cut weight, and I'm very grateful for that," Elor said at the U.S. Trials. "It was really good for me and my relationship with the sport. I think that is part of the reason why this is a little bit new and difficult for me."

The muscular Elor, who seems to have little body fat to spare, said there were times leading up to the U.S. Trials when she wasn't sure she could continue the quest.

"I know this may be a shocker, but there were times where I was like, 'How am I going to do this? I think my performance is going to go down if I do this,'" she said. "But I already decided on this and when you pick a goal, you have to stick to it, you have to push through those hard moments and I'm really glad I did."

Ozaki says she was inspired as a child by Kyoko HAMAGUCHI (JPN), a five-time world champion who won bronze medals at the then-heaviest weight of 72kg at both the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics. But it feels odd to her to consider herself now in the upper weights.

"I don't think at all about being in an upper weight," Ozaki said. "I only think about the gold medal and not about whether it will be different in an upper weight. My only thought is that because I am who I am, I can do it."

In her only international foray at 68kg, Ozaki won the gold at the Asian Championships in April in Bishkek. Among her three technical falls was a 10-0 victory over Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL), the runner-up to Tosun at the 2023 worlds who will also be in Paris.

Two of the medalists from the Tokyo Olympics are back, silver medalist Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) and bronze medalist Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ), as well as two former world champions in Linda MORAIS (CAN) and Irina RINGACI (MDA).

If there is a surprise, it could come from veteran Feng ZHOU (CHN), who finished seventh at the Tokyo Olympics. She has had a strong buildup for Paris, winning the 2023 Asian Games gold and defeating Tosun en route to the gold at the Zagreb Open in January.