#EmperorsCup

Takatani Caps Successful Move up to 86kg; Susaki Pulls out with Elbow Injury

Friday, December 21, 2018 - 13:25 By Ken Marantz

Share this article

TOKYO---Sosuke TAKATANI showed he could pull his weight in a heavier class, while Yui SUSAKI pulled a surprise by pulling out of the All-Japan Championships due to an injury.

Takatani, a 2014 world silver medalist at 74kg, capped his first foray at the Olympic weight class of 86kg by crushing defending champion Shota SHIRAI with a victory by fall in the final for his eighth straight national title. 

“I was wondering how I would do moving up to 86kg, but I put together some good matches, so I’m happy,” said Takatani, who won the 79kg last year as a stepping stone to the jump to 86kg. All of his previous titles came at 74kg.

In the final, Takatani scored a takedown off a single leg, then countered a Shirai takedown attempt with a 2-point crotch lift. He ended up on top and, applying a chicken wing, levered Shirai for 2 more points before forcing him completely over and securing the fall at 2:43.

It was a big difference from his close 2-1 semifinal win the day before over Masao MATSUSAKA. 

“In the semifinal, the opponent did well to match my moves, but today I attacked in the way I know I can,” Takatani said. “Shirai is also a wrestler who likes to go for tackles, which makes him an easier opponent for me.”

Takatani, who placed 11that 79kg at the Budapest 2018 world championships, said he is anxious to test himself against the world 86kg field.

“There are a lot of tall wrestlers at 86kg, so I think it will be easier for me to get tackles,” he said. 

Reigning U23 world champion, Yukako KAWAI, won the 62kg title with a 3-0 win over Yuzuru KUMANO. Photo: Sachiko Hotaka

In another feature final on the second day of the four-day tournament, which is serving as the first stage of qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Budapest silver medalist and world U23 champion Yukako KAWAI staved off her nerves enough to win the women’s 62kg title.

Kawai defeated Yuzuru KUMANO, a world U23 bronze medalist at 59kg, 3-0 in the final, scoring all of her points late in the first period. 

“I felt unstable and I wasn’t sure how I would do, but I wanted to win so badly,” said Kawai, the UWW U23 Wrestler of the Year. “My opponent in the final and I have met many times, so we both knew each other well, but I was still nervous.”

Yui SUSAKI (JPN), two-time world champion, had to withdraw due to a dislocated elbow. (Photo Gabor Martin) 

The big news of the day came prior to the late session, when the draw for Saturday’s weight classes were made. It was then that it was announced that Susaki, who won a second straight women’s 50kg gold in Budapest, had withdrawn due to a dislocated elbow suffered at the national team training camp last month.

For Susaki to now defend her world title, she will now have to win the title at the All-Japan Invitational Championships, also known as the Meiji Cup, next spring, then defeat the winner of this tournament (known as the Emperor’s Cup) in a playoff.

The 50kg class had drawn attention as a battle royale between Susaki, Rio 2016 champion Eri TOSAKA and defending champion Yuki IRIE.

“I made the decision today,” Susaki said. “I will do what I can to come back and qualify for the Meiji Cup, and win that.”

Takuya Ota , Susaki’s coach at Waseda University, said, “Even if she won, there was a possibility of making it worse and having to have surgery. If she’s not 100 percent, she can’t beat Tosaka or Irie.”

Four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO will meet three-time world and Olypmic champion Risako KAWAI in tomorrow's opening round. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

There was even more buzz created when it was announced that top-seeded Katsuki SAKAGAMI had withdrawn from the women’s 57kg class---the marquee division that could see a clash between Olympic champions Kaori ICHO and Risako KAWAI---although it had little to do directly with Sakagami.

Sakagami’s withdrawal leaves the division with just seven wrestlers, meaning the two-group, round-robin system comes into play. But, as this was the first time such a format was being used, there was much confusion among the Japanese press. What happens to the seeds? With Icho unseeded, can she be placed in the group with No. 2 seed Kawai? 

In the end, that’s just what happened, as Icho and Kawai will meet in the first match of Group B, which also includes Sae NANJO. The top two in each group advance to the semifinals later in the day, so a final on Sunday featuring Icho and Kawai is far from impossible. 

In other action Friday, Nobuyoshi ARAKIDA won his third straight gold and seventh over an 11-year span with a 2-1 victory over Katsutoshi KANAZAWA in the freestyle 125kg final. 

Arakida trailed 1-0 going into the second period, but scored on a step-out, then added a point with Kanazawa on the activity clock.

Naoya AKAGUMA won his first Emperor's Cup since 2016 with a 2-1 win over defending champion, Takeshi YAMAGUCHI. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Naoya AKAGUMA regained the freestyle 97kg title that he won in 2016, beating defending champion Takeshi YAMAGUCHI, 2-1, in the final. That also avenged a loss last July to Yamaguchi in the playoff for a spot on the team to the Budapest world championships. 

In Greco action, world U23 champion Katsuaki Endo claimed his first title when he overcame a flubbed throw attempt early into the 63kg final, and went on to defeat Yoshiki YAMADA by 10-0 technical fall in 2:28.

The 21-year-old Endo finished off his fourth straight technical fall, all without surrendering a point, with a nifty 5-point throw. 

At 72kg, Tomohiro INOUE scored with a 4-point arm throw right off the bat in final against Takuya TOMIZUKA, and that’s how it ended as he claimed his second straight title and fourth overall.

Asian silver medalist Masato SUMI won his second straight title at 87kg, edging JSDF Physical Training School teammate Takahiro TSURUDA 2-1 in a final in which all points came for passivity.  

The scene was virtually repeated in the next match, when Yuta NARA made it three in a row at 97kg with a 2-1 over rival Masaaki SHIKIYA, with passivity points accounting for all of the scoring. The result was a repeat of the 2017 final.

Arata SONODA maintained his grip on the heaviest division, extending his streak to five straight titles at 130kg with a 9-0 technical fall victory in 2:01 over Ryuta KONO.

With the grand exodus of wrestlers to the Olympic weight divisions, a number of women’s weight classes have just four or five wrestlers and are using a round-robin system. 

UWW's Cadet Wrestler of the Year Yuka KAGAMI won the 72kg gold medal with a 3-0 record. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne.)

Three of the divisions crowned new champions, with UWW Cadet Wrestler of the Year Yuka KAGAMI taking the 72kg gold. The other winners were Nao TANIYAMA (55kg), who defeated world U23 champion Saki IGARASHI on Thursday, and Yuzuka INAGAKI (59kg).

In weight classes that went through preliminary rounds and semifinals Friday, Budapest 2018 bronze medalist Yuki TAKAHASHI advanced to the freestyle 57kg final, where he will face Kaiki YAMAGUCHI.

The 57kg final had expected to be a clash between defending national champions, as Kazuya KOYANAGI, the 2017 titlist at 61kg, dropped down to the Olympic division. But the 19-year-old Yamaguchi spoiled Koyanagi’s dreams, beating him 7-4 in the semifinals.

Takahashi, the 2017 world champion, is not taking his young opponent lightly. “Last year I faced him in the semifinals while he was still in high school and I beat him 4-0,” Takahashi said. “Continuing on that, no matter how the match goes, I want to win.”

Takahashi also needs to contend with the new format for this year’s tournament, which follows new UWW standards.

“Tomorrow is an early weigh-in, then the final is at night,” Takahashi said. “So I have to deal with how to spend the time and how to recover [from today].”

Yuhi  FUJINAMI, a 2017 world bronze medalist, advanced the final at 74kg with three consecutive technical falls. In the final, he will take on Ken HOSAKA, the opponent he defeated by 14-2 technical fall in the world team playoff last July.

Day 2 Results

Freestyle

57kg (19 entries)
Semifinals
Yuki TAKAHASHI df. Kotaro KIYOOKA, 7-0
Kaiki YAMAGUCHI df. Kazuya KOYANAGI, 7-4

61kg (18 entries)
Semifinals
Shingo ARIMOTO df. Joji NAGATA, 8-3
Yudai FUJITA df. Takumi YOSHIMURA, 3-2

74kg (19 entries)
Semifinals
Yuhi FUJINAMI df. Mao OKUI by TF, 15-2, 4:45
Ken HOSAKA df. Yuto MIWA, 6-1 

86kg (15 entries)
Final: Sosuke TAKATANI df. Shota SHIRAI by Fall, 2:43 (6-0)
3rdPlace: Hayato ISHIGURO df. Taisei MATSUYUKI, 7-4
3rdPlace: Masao MATSUSAKA df. Tatsuya SHIRAI by TF, 10-0, 4:00 

97kg (12 entries)
Final: Naoya AKAGUMA df. Takeshi YAMAGUCHI, 2-1 
3rdPlace: Yuji FUKUI df. Yusuke YOSHIKAWA by TF, 11-1
3rdPlace: Koki YAMAMOTO df. Takashi ISHIGURO, 3-0 

125kg (14 entries)
Final: Nobuyoshi ARAKIDA df. Katsutoshi KANAZAWA, 2-1 
3rdPlace: Tetsuya TANAKA df. Yasuhiro YAMAMOTO, 6-0 
3rdPlace: Reona AKAGI df. Takuya HIGUCHI, 6-3 

Greco-Roman


63kg (18 entries)
Final: Katsuaki ENDO df. Yoshiki YAMADA by TF, 10-0, 2:28
3rdPlace: Ryota KOSHIBA df. Kizuku YOSHIZUMI by TF, 9-0, 1:51
3rdPlace: Shintaro YOSHINAGA df. Ichito TOKUHIGA, 2-2 

67kg (21 entries)
Semifinals
Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA df. Takahiro YAMAMOTO by TF, 10-2, 3:32
Shogo TAKAHASHI df. Yuji UEGAKI by TF, 8-0, 2:57

72kg (16 entries)
Final: Tomohiro INOUE df. Takuya TOMIZUKA, 4-0
3rdPlace: Nao KUSAKA df. Haruka OGA by Fall, 2:09 (4-0)
3rdPlace: Masaki KONDO df. Ryoma HOJO by Fall, 3:40 (9-4) 

77kg (16 entries)
Semifinals
Kodai SAKURABA df. Shohei YABIKU, 5-3 
Naotsugu SHOJI df. Yuya MAETA, 8-5

87kg (13 entries)
Final: Masato SUMI df. Takahiro TSURUDA, 2-1 
3rdPlace: Kanta SHIOKAWA df. Shuhei SAKANO by TF, 9-0, 1:47
3rdPlace: Taichi OKA df. Ryota NASUKAWA, 4-0 

97kg (15 entries)
Final: Yuta NARA df. Masaaki SHIKIYA, 2-1
3rdPlace: Yuri NAKAZATO df. Masayuki AMANO, 2-1
3rdPlace: Takuya YAMASHITA df. Ryosuke ISHII by TF, 9-0, 1:56

130kg (13 entries)
Final: Arata SONODA df. Ryuta KONO by TF, 9-0, 2:01
3rdPlace: Shoma SUZUKI df. Masashi SUGANO, 2-1
3rdPlace: Keita BANCHI df. Satoshi KAIZUKA, 2-2

Women’s Wrestling

55kg (4 entries)
Round-Robin (Final Standings)
1. Nao TANIYAMA (3-0, 9 pts)
2. Saki IGARASHI (2-1, 11)
3. Sena NAGAMOTO (1-2, 3)
Key Match: Taniyama df. Igarashi, 7-2 in 1stround

59kg (4 entries)
Round-Robin (Final Standings)1. Yuzuka INAGAKI (3-0, 11 pts)
2. Kumi IRIE (2-1, 9)
3. Kiwa IWASAWA (1-2, 3)
Key Match: Inagaki df. Irie, 8-5 in 2ndround

62kg (11 entries)
Final: Yukako KAWAI df. Yuzuru KUMANO, 3-0
3rdPlace: Miyu IMAI df. Miwa MORIKAWA, 2-2
3rdPlace: Yurika ITO df. Miru KUZUYA by TF, 10-0, :40 

65kg (4 entries)
Round-Robin (through 2 matches)
1. Naomi RUIKE (2-0, 8 pts); 2. Miki KAWAUCHI (1-1, 3); 3. Misuzu ENOMOTO (1-1, 3); 4. Saki KAWAUCHI (0-2, 1)

72kg (4 entries)
Round-Robin (Final Standings)
1. Yuka KAGAMI (3-0, 9 pts)
2. Naruha MATSUYUKI (2-1, 7)
3. Mei SHINDO (1-2, 5)
Key Match: Kagami df. Matsuyuki, 2-1 in 2ndround

76kg (5 entries)
Round-Robin (through 3 matches)
1. Hiroe MINAGAWA (2-0, 10 pts); 2. Masako FURUICHI (2-1, 8 pts); 3. Yasuha MATSUYUKI (2-0, 7); 4. Rino ABE (0-3, 1); 5. Miku SAITO (0-2, 0)

 

#WrestleParis

Paris 2024 Day 5 Wrestling Preview: FS 74kg and 125kg; WW 62kg

Friday, July 26, 2024 - 14:32 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

PARIS (July 26) -- Kyrgyzstan is waiting for its first Olympic champion, in any sport. Two came close to ending that drought in Tokyo when Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) and Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) reached the final in Greco-Roman 77kg and women's wrestling 62kg. Both fell short.

Come Paris, Kyrgyzstan is banking on its wrestlers again. Three world champions are heading to Paris as the favorites in their weight classes to win the gold medal. One of them is Tynybekova, the legend who took wrestling to the pinnacle in the country.

PARIS 2024 SCHEDULE | PARIS 2024 NEWS

Makhmudov and Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) wrestle before Tynybekova at the Olympics. But if they don't win the gold, Tynybekova will have the chance to win the historic gold and be the first Olympic champion from Kyrgyzstan. It would only be apt.

Kyle DAKE (USA)Kyle DAKE (USA) lost to Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (AIN) at the Tokyo Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

Apart from Tynybekova, two more Tokyo silver medalists will look to win gold on August 9 when WW 62kg and Freestyle 74kg and 125kg weight classes take place at the Champ de Mars Arena in Paris.

Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (AIN) at 74kg and Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) at 125kg won't have it easy. Both fell in the finals at Tokyo, Petriashvili's loss being the more dramatic of the two.

Kadzimahamedau stunned the world when he tossed around Kyle DAKE (USA) in Tokyo and Petriashvili was left stunned when Gable STEVESON (USA) scored a last-second takedown to beat him in the 125kg final.

But to lay claim to gold in Paris, all three weight classes will be full of drama.

FS 74kg: Dake out to avenge Tokyo loss

Kyle DAKE (USA) was the favorite to win the 74kg gold medal in Paris. Then Uzbekistan announced Razambek JHAMALOV (UZB) as its entry, Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (AIN) got in after approval and suddenly, there is no clear favorite to win this weight class.

Kadzimahamedau's run in Tokyo saw him beat Dake and reach the final. Dake hasn't faced him after but is looking forward to that bout if it happens in Paris.

"I have been itching to get those matches back," Dake told FloWrestling. "Those are fun matches. You want to go out and compete against the best guys. All I know is there will be 16 guys trying to win an Olympic gold medal and perform at their best. My goal is just being better than them on that day."

Reflecting on his campaign in Tokyo and then in the 2023 World Championships, Dake said he was satisfied and has a different outlook towards results.

"I don't know if I would change anything," Dake said. "Given the circumstances, I competed the best I could. I went out and wrestled and did my best. My girls, last year [after the World Championships], asked me 'daddy you didn't win, what happened?' I tried my best and it didn't fall my way. That's okay. A lot of what I am focusing on is competing with gratitude, scoring points, be Kyle Dake the best way I can."

If the best Dake shows up in Paris, he will be unstoppable. But a few opponents have pushed him to the edge in the past. Frank CHAMIZO (ITA), Yones EMAMI (IRI), Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) and Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) are a few he has wrestled. Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE), Chermen VALIEV (ALB), Razambek JAMALOV (UZB), Viktor RASSADIN (TJK), Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) are a few others he has not wrestled and will be in Paris. Thanks to his top seed, Dake will avoid Kougioumtsidis, Salkazanov and Bayramov till the final.

Kadzimahamedau will be unseeded and can be drawn anywhere in the bracket. After Tokyo, his performance has seen him win a European Championships silver medal at 79kg in what was a rare appearance on the mat.

But Kougioumtsidis defeated him at the World Championships in a thrilling opening-round bout. The Greek wrestler was looking good to make the final but hit Dake in the semifinal, dropping the bout 4-1, a much closer semifinal than the scoreline indicates.

Takatani was another wrestler who troubled Dake in the quarterfinals. Though Dake won 6-4, Takatani seemed to have figured out Dake's style and controlled the bout. Dake, however, was just too good.

The entries of Valiev and Jamalov has spiced up things. Valiev was entered in the World Olympic Qualifier after he completed his transfer from Albania. His style of frustrating his opponents by having a sitting position with no aim to score will be on test in Paris.

 

Jamalov is replacing Bekzod ABDURAKHAMANOV (UZB) in the line-up and the former U23 world champion can upset any wrestler in Paris. Jamalov's defense is among one of the many exceptional skills he possesses and once he thwarts the attacks of his opponents, they crumble due to disappointment.

Making his debut for Uzbekistan, Jamalov won the Budapest Ranking Series and won gold, announcing himself just before the Games and it should not surprise the wrestling world if he goes all the way in Paris.

Wait, maybe Geandry GARZON (CUB) will get his prized Olympic medal in Paris? The 41-year-old finished fifth in the 2008 Beijing Games and returned to the Olympics in Tokyo. Now he is going for his third Olympics in Paris.

WW 62kg: Tynybekova and history

Yukako KAWAI (JPN) denied Tynybekova the gold in Tokyo. A for Tynybekova would have grown her legend in Kyrgyzstan. The fans still love and adore her. They cheer for her in every country she wrestles. All they want is for her to become the country's first Olympic champion. Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) threatened her to disallow that for significant time before she moved categories after losing domestically.

Going into Paris, one thing Tynybekova can take confidence in is her record against Sakura MOTOKI (JPN), the Japan entry for the Olympics. The two met in the World Championships final which Tynybekova survived and won. Then at the Zagreb Open and again at the Asian Championships. Tynybekova used her counter lifts to win both times.

But Tynybekova knows that it's not just the Japanese opponent at the Olympics she has to be prepared for. The 62kg weight has seen the rise of Grace BULLEN (NOR), Hyon Gyong MUN (PRK) and Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL), return of Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL). Tokyo bronze medalist Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) is also looking for her second Olympic medal.

"I would like to say that there are no easy or tough opponents," Tynybekova said after the Asian Championships. "It all depends on my physical condition on that exact day. That’s why me and my coaches will prepare to wrestle every single wrestler in my weight class."

Motoki may well be at the top of that list. Motoki isn't one with the natural gift of wrestling. She believes in going back to the drawing board after every loss and aiming for perfection through repetitions.

"I don't have confidence and think negatively. That's why I can practice and research. Those are my weapons," she told Yomiuri recently.

Sakura MOTOKI (JPN)Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) will be one of the contenders for gold at the Paris Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

One of her lethal attacks is the single-leg, which she has perfected to hit deep and score most of the time. If she fails to finish it, Motoki throws herself back to defend. The Ikuei University student says she has 30 variations to hit it.

"It's like a mathematical formula. If you know it, you can apply it," she said.

Those weapons have worked well against most but Tynybekova. She ran close in Zagreb but could not finish. At the Asian Championships, she got countered by Tynybekova so often that the bout was never in balance. A sobbing Motoki failed to make sense of the loss and said she believed she could win. She cried, thought about it, and realized a win was close.

It's like her junior high school all over again. At one point, she could not get past a wrestler and lost "about seven times." Then she finally beat her after years in a different division. 

"There was a sense of accomplishment and joy that people who keep winning don't get," she said. "No other athlete has ever experienced such setbacks. That's my strength. I want to win the gold medal and get revenge."

Hyon Gyong MUN (PRK)Hyon Gyong MUN (PRK) is an Asian Games champion at 62kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Gyong-Mun will be another wrestler who can surprise a few in Paris. She won the Asian Games after beating Ozaki in the final and with little known about her, wrestlers can find it tricky to face the DPR Korea wrestler.

Bullen will be at her first Olympics having transformed her style after getting a new team and moving to Georgia for training. She won bronze at the World Championships and will be a threat in Paris.

FS 125kg: Zare set to enter new territory

Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) has grown leaps and bounds after his bronze-medal finish at the Tokyo Olympics. He won the World Championships gold medal in Oslo, beating Taha AKGUL (TUR) and Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO). He suffered a loss to Akgul in 2022 but bounced back to win the gold in 2023. Going into Paris 2024, Zare is undoubtedly a heavy favorite.

Zare has not only grown in experience but has worked on his conditioning to a great extent. At the 2023 World Championships, his opponents found it difficult to score on him and he gave up only six points in five bouts.

Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL)Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) during the Asian Olympic Qualifier. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL), who won a silver medal at the 2022 World Championships, wrestled Zare at the Asian Games final in October 2023 but fell behind quickly.

"His conditioning is very high," Munkhtur said after the final. "The strength part is normal but it's his conditioning which keeps him going for six minutes."

Munkhtur had a disastrous World Championships, bowing out in the first round. But he came back to qualify for the Olympics from the Asian qualifiers.

Zare's biggest competitors will be Petriashvili, Akgul and Mason PARRIS (USA) who won the trials in the absence of Tokyo Olympic champion Gable STEVESON (USA).

Petriashvili was close to winning his first Olympic gold after bronze in Rio but in the final second of the final, Steveson scored a takedown to beat Petriashvili. The Georgian has not been able to win a gold at any championships since.

"I was very close to the gold medal," Petriashvili told UWW. "It was one of the hardest matches in my life. Steveson was very fast and strong. Every day I try to forget that moment. I am not saying I have forgotten it. It's very hard to do so.

"I don't know what happened there. Maybe I thought 'I have won, really!' I was talking to myself. My eyes went black because of happiness. I was counting - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 seconds and I lost. What happened? Every day I ask myself what happened and don't have an answer. It's wrestling. It's very hard for your emotions but you have to be quiet and have this feeling."

Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) after losing the 125kg final at the Tokyo Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

But Petriashvili will have to forget it and be ready for another spell of matches. He knows that well and is ready for Paris. 

"It will be hard and there will be good matches," he said. "I hope I will be ready. For 12 years, I have been standing on the mat at the senior level. I feel good here. Akgul and Zare are world-class wrestlers. Parris is also good. I am a good wrestler as well (laughs). Everyone wants to take a gold medal home. No one gives you the medal."

Akgul won the gold medal in Rio and bronze in Tokyo. But for a third Olympic medal, he will have to work hard. He is on the same side as Zare which makes it difficult to be in the final. Both will not collide before the semifinals.

Mason PARRIS (USA)Mason PARRIS (USA), red, will be the U.S. representative at 125kg in Paris. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Parris is on the other side, making him a potential opponent of Petriashvili in the semifinal. The Georgian defeated Parris in the semifinal of the World Championships. Parris, however, won the gold medal at the Budapest Ranking Series.

"Getting a world bronze medal last year was awesome for my confidence," Parris said. "I think I am being underestimated by a lot of people. I think I have one of the best chances to be an Olympic champion. My plan is to bring it home for the U.S."