Two-time Olympic champ formerly known as Kawai returns in triumph

Sunday, October 16, 2022 - 21:25 By Ken Marantz

YAIZU, JAPAN (October 16) -- As Risako KINJO stood on the top of the medal podium, a warm smile came across her face. It was not for the victory in her return to the mat after 14 months, but for that other part of her life that had kept her to stay away so willingly.

She had caught sight of her mother in the stands across the gym, holding Kinjo's 5-month-old daughter in her arms and waving the infant's hand in her direction.

"There have been so many people supporting me, and that's what allowed me to take the mat today," she said.

To the rest of the wrestling world, she is still known by her maiden name KAWAI, under which she won a second straight Olympic title by capturing the women's 57kg gold at the Tokyo Games in August 2021.

Much had changed in her life since that triumph at Makuhari Messe arena, her name notwithstanding through the marriage to former wrestler Kiryu KINJO. But as the three-time world champion showed on Sunday, her desire and talent for the sport have not altered in the slightest.

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Kinjo returned to competition by cruising to the 59kg senior title at the Japan Women's Open, winning three matches without surrendering a point in Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, about 200 kilometers southwest of Tokyo.

"There's a feeling of relief, but also I wish I had a few more matches," said the 27-year-old Kinjo, who capped her golden run with a 9-0 victory in the final over national collegiate silver medalist Miyu NAKANISHI. "It felt like the three matches were over before I knew it."

Kinjo said she had butterflies in her stomach at the start, but actually welcomed that feeling as in reminded her of old times.

"I was really nervous before my first match," she said. "After that there wasn't much time between matches. But it's like there was something nostalgic about the nervousness. After it was over, looking back I thought, 'That was fun.'"

JPN
Risako KINJO gets 2 with a counter-lift in the 59kg final against Miyu NAKANISHI (photo by Japan Wrestling Federation)

Kinjo, who had a bye into the quarterfinals, opened with a victory by fall in 51 seconds over Mizuki NAKAHORI. Kinjo did not have to attack, as she spun behind off a Nakahori shot, executed a pair of gut wrenches, then used a leg lock and reverse half-nelson for the fall.

In her semifinal match against Himeka HASEGAWA, Kinjo maintained her defensive wall and scored two go-behind takedowns, then scored another with a snap down. From there, a pair of gut wrenches ended the match 10-0 at 1:23.

In the final against a defensive-minded Nakanishi, Kinjo took a 3-0 lead into the second period from an activity point and a back-door takedown off a single--off her first shot of the day. But in the second period, Kinjo effectively moved Nakanishi around to set up a low sweeping single, then a shrug-and-go-behind. She added a counter-lift for 2 to make it 9-0.

Kinjo's coach Ryo KANEHAMA was impressed with the performance, given the uncertainty going into the tournament.

"That she first of all could get so mentally prepared was really big," he said. "She also showed speed. What we were most fearful of was going the full six minutes, but she was able to keep moving like that. Looking at how she started in the morning, she looked in really good shape."

For Kinjo, the most unfamiliar moment came when her married name was used in the pre-match announcement for the first time.

"When I saw 'Kinjo' on the scoreboard, I was like, 'Oh, right,'" she said. "This is the first tournament that I entered as Kinjo, and I feel honored to have it on the certificate that I received."

The couple announced they had tied the knot on Aug. 27, 2021, and Kinjo gave birth to a baby girl in May this year. She said she started working out again at the end of June, and practiced on the mat the following month. As can be imagined, it was not easy.

"At first, I couldn't even do calistenics on the mat, or a high bridge," she said. "Parts of my body were really stiff. My legs couldn't react to where my eyes were looking. I thought, this is how much it changes after being away 10 months. It was like watching someone else."

Kinjo eventually got back to speed, realizing that the additional burden of raising a child meant changing her approach to training from quantity to quality.

"I have a child and she is the No. 1 priority," Kinjo said. "The amount of practice has been reduced. Before, my time was all mine; now more time is spent on the child. I don't know how much less I'm doing, but to me, it's of a better quality."

Living with her husband in Fukui Prefecture in western Japan, where he is coach at Tsuruga Kehi High School, presents a challenge for Kawai. She takes advantage of every opportunity for a practice spot--sometimes it's with the high schoolers, other times she might head to Tokyo or Aichi Prefecture to train with younger sister Yukako, the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist at 62kg.

Everywhere she goes, she is fortunate to have someone to help out with the baby. In Fukui, Tsuruga has a kids club and sometimes the mother of one of the team members will look after the child. In Tokyo, she knows she can always leave her with her mother, Hatsue, a national team member during her career who almost unfailingly attends all of her daughters' matches.

That support system has allowed Kinjo to join the ever-growing number of Japanese female athletes who are continuing careers after childbirth, which only a few decades ago would have been unheard of. Most noticeable was Ryoko TANI, who won a fourth Olympic medal in judo after giving birth.

JPN
Risako KINJO, center, smiles on the medal podium. (photo by Japan Wrestling Federation)

Kinjo became the latest high-profile wrestler to use the Japan Women's Open as the first stepping stone in a return to the sport. It is actually a second-tier tournament with age groups that for senior wrestlers, is a last-chance event to qualify for the All-Japan Championships in December. Kinjo's only previous appearance was in the junior high school division in 2008.

Previously, 2016 Olympic champion Eri TOSAKA appeared at the 2017 tournament as her first competition after undergoing foot surgery, and the legendary Kaori ICHO competed in 2018, having taken two years off after Rio 2016 in a bid for a fifth Olympic gold that would eventually be thwarted by Kinjo.

The question now is, what will Kinjo do from here? The All-Japan in December marks the start of the qualifying process for the 2024 Paris Olympics, which is squarely on Kinjo's radar. It is possible for her to enter at 59kg and later drop down to the Olympic weight of 57kg, or she can go down to the latter now. "It's a secret," she said mischievously.

Of course, whether she does it in December or later, Kinjo will almost surely eventually clash heads with rising star Tsugumi SAKURAI, who won the 57kg world title in Kinjo's absence.

Kinjo takes an esoteric stance when it comes to the emergence of the 21-year-old Sakurai, who also won the 55kg world title in 2021.

"I think it is a good thing for Japan that young wrestlers are being cultivated," Kinjo said. "I don't mean that it would be good for me to lose to them. But for the ones coming up after me, the future is bright. While I keep battling on, the young ones get stronger. They are all rivals, but I think that their getting stronger is a good situation."

JPN1
Yukako KAWAI talks to the media after withdrawing just before her opening match. (photo by Japan Wrestling Federation)

Younger sister defaults after injury during warm-up

Meanwhile, younger sister Yukako KAWAI was also entered in the tournament, but defaulted her opening match at 62kg after hurting her back while warming up.

"It's not such a serious injury, but we thought it was better to be cautious and not risk making it worse," Kawai said.

Unlike Risako, Kawai has already faced a domestic usurper to her throne, and lost it. In her first tournament after winning the Tokyo Olympic gold, she returned at the All-Japan Invitational Championships last June, but lost in the final to another rising star, Nonoka OZAKI.

Ozaki went on to win the senior world title in Belgrade last month, establishing herself as the one to beat in the race to Paris 2024.

"I've been working to fix the mistakes I make in the June match, and this Women's Open was supposed to be a test of how far I have come," Kawai said. "I think I'm rounding into shape."

Kawai said she finds motivation in Ozaki's world title run.

"I thought she would win the championship," she said. "By winning the title, I think it shows that our domestic matches are the highest level matches in the world. That's motivating me."

Another top wrestler who made the trip to Yaizu was world silver medalist Ami ISHII, who won the 68kg title by beating Kokona TAKADA by fall at the first-period buzzer.

"The reason I entered this tournament, to put it plainly, was to check my technique," she said. "Also, my pre-match preparation has not been good and I wanted to work on that."

In December, Ishii can expect to see a great deal of shifting into the Olympic weight class, with her most notable competition likely to be current 65kg world champion Miwa MORIKAWA.

"If I do what I need to do, the confidence will come," Ishii said. "We'll see how much I can progress in the next two months. If I do everything I need to, it will be like insurance, and winning won't be out of the question."

#WrestleBelgrade

Sakurai stuns Maroulis for 57kg title; U.S. wins 2 golds

Thursday, September 15, 2022 - 21:49 By Ken Marantz

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 15) -- After winning a world title last year at 55kg, Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) moved up this year to 57kg to get an early start in her bid to achieve the difficult task of making Japan's team to the Paris Olympics.

Beating the reigning champion can certainly provide a welcome boost of confidence.

Sakurai scored a second-period takedown to win an intense struggle with former Olympic champion Helen MAROULIS (USA) 3-0 in the 57kg final as women's wrestling finished up on Thursday night with the last four weight classes at the World Championships in Belgrade.

"My opponent was an Olympic champion and is an athlete who always competes on the top level," Sakurai said. "I knew she was a strong wrestler. But I'm young, and I thought that I have to win. I had a strong desire to win, and I'm really happy to come out with the victory."

It was otherwise a good night for the U.S., as Olympic champion Tamyra MENSAH STOCK (USA) regained the 68kg world title with a victory by fall in another U.S.-Japan match-up, and teenager Amit ELOR (USA) belied her years with a dominant run to the 72kg gold.

The other gold up for grabs went to Anastasia NICHITA (MDA), who won the 59kg title to become Moldova's second female world champion in history, just one year after Irina RINGACI (MDA) became the first.

Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) scored the all-important takedown over Helen MAROULIS (USA) during this sequence. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

In the 57kg final, Sakurai received an activity point in the first period, then scored the lone technical points of the match with a go-behind takedown off a 2-on-1 arm hold.

From there, she remained the aggressor, getting in several times on a single, and while those forays did not produce points, it kept her off the activity clock and burned precious time.

"Scoring points would not be easy, so when I got in on a tackle, I didn't panic, even though there were times I was stopped," the 21-year-old Sakurai said. "In the second period, I didn't hold back. I thought the opponent would come forward and I launched my moves."

Sakurai's gold was the fifth won by Japan, which easily won the team title with 190 points as all nine of its wrestlers who made the trip to Belgrade will return with a medal (Japan had no entry at 53kg after a late injury withdrawal). The United States, with three titles, was second with 157, followed by China with 84.

The match with Sakurai represented the latest chapter in the fierce rivalry that Maroulis, who also won world titles in 2015 and 2017, has developed with Japanese wrestlers that hit a pinnacle when she stunned the legendary Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) in the final at the 2016 Rio Olympics. That prevented Yoshida from becoming a four-time Olympic champion and made Maroulis a household name in Japan.

Fast forward five years to the Tokyo Olympics, and Risako KAWAI (JPN), also a gold medalist in Rio, moved down to 57kg and clashed with Maroulis in the semifinals. Kawai won that battle 2-1 and went on to win the gold, while Maroulis ended up with a bronze.

Sakurai, who won her first Asian senior title in April, currently holds the national team spot at 57kg in the absence of Kawai, who got married after her triumph at the Tokyo Games and recently gave birth to her first child. Kawai will be returning to the mat when the qualifying process for the 2024 Paris Olympics gets started in December, and the victory in Belgrade gives Sakurai a mental boost.

"To be able to beat the world to me is a link to going to the Paris Olympics," Sakurai said. "There are many strong wrestlers in our country. First, if I don't win at home, I can't be at [next year's] World Championships, the [Olympic] qualifier."

While Sakurai was relatively unknown when she triumphed at the World Championships a year ago in Oslo, she said that it became apparent in Belgrade that she had been scouted.

"I was a champion last year, and from the first match I felt like others had done their homework on me," Sakurai said. "But to be able to still win makes you a champion."

But scouting is a two-way street, and Sakurai said she had an idea of what Maroulis would throw at her.

"Basically, I stuck fully with my wrestling," Sakurai said. "But the opponent is one who constantly wins and has many techniques. I watched a number of matches and I took measures so she couldn't use the moves on me."

Sakurai said she had confidence that her training prepared her to go all out for the full six minutes.

"I put in a lot of time in practice," she said. "Compared with other countries, our wrestlers are not inferior in terms of stamina. So I thought I was better in that regard."

Taymra MENSAH STOCK (USA) pinned U20 world champion Ami ISHII (JPN) for the 68kg gold medal. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

For Mensah Stock, her victory by fall over Ami ISHII (JPN) in the 68kg final provided some redemption for a stunning loss to another Japanese wrestler in Oslo, which came on the heels of a gratifying triumph at the Tokyo Olympics.

Asked if it was poetic justice, the spirited Mensah Stock replied, "Whether it is poetic or not, the fact is that I did it, I took an opportunity and I was not letting go of it and these are the fruits of what happened. I love it!"

Mensah Stock showed she was ready for business by opening the match with a driving tackle for 2. After the American got a second takedown, Ishii tried to stand up with her back to the American's chest. Mensah Stock alertly shifted back and pulled down on the chin, dropping the Japanese onto her back.

It took just moments to secure the fall in 2:11. She won all of her matches by fall or technical fall, outscoring her opponents 36-0.

It was far different from what occurred in Oslo, when in the semifinal, she was caught off guard and pinned by Rin MIYAJI (JPN). Mensah Stock came back to take the bronze and, after some months of soul-searching to decide if she wanted to continue in the sport, she resolved never to make the same mistake.

"I had a lot of anxiety, I was just kind of frightened if I did one slip-up like I did last year, that could be the end of a world title," she said. "But I had way more training this year than I did last year and I just had to trust the process."

For Mensah Stock, it is a vast support system that provides the motivation for her to continue putting in the time and effort.

"I have so many people in my corner believing in me, even when I don't believe in myself," she said. "I kid you not, I wanted to quit. This sport is hurting me. I'm going to be 30 in October. And these kids are getting younger and younger, and faster and faster. But I can hang with them.

"My coaches...just kept telling me, 'You got this. You got this.' And when I was done, they were like, 'Welcome back.' I'm back. It's great."

The 19-year-old Ishii, a teammate of Sakurai's at Ikuei University who won the world U20 title a month ago, had to defeat Miyaji along the way in making Japan's team to Belgrade. Mensah Stock said she expects to see more of her.

"Japan has so many opportunities for their young girls to just wrestle, and to just be in the room with so many incredible wrestlers," she said. "So without a doubt, she is going to learn from this, and she's going to get better, and I'm going to have to be looking back because I know I'm a target. But I'm a moving target."

Amit ELOR (USA) became the youngest U.S. world champion. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

While Mensah Stock and Maroulis are established stars, few could have expected the sheer dominance with which Elor stormed to the gold in her senior world debut to relegate Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) to a second straight silver medal.

In the 72kg final, Elor scored a go-behind takedown, then, emulating a move the Japanese use so effectively, secured a lace lock and ripped off four straight rolls to end the proceedings at 1:13 and become the youngest world champion in U.S. history.

"I am in shock," Elor said. "I kept wrestling and this is where I am. This is unbelievable. This is unreal."

Elor showed she had the potential when she won both the world U17 and U20 titles in 2021, then repeated as champion of the latter last month in Sofia, Bulgaria.

On the biggest stage of all, she managed to keep her composure. She won her opening match by fall, then advanced to the final with a 3-2 win over defending champion Masako FURUICHI (JPN).

"There were a lot of nerves and every time I feel nervous, I reminded myself why I am wrestling and I love the sport so much," Elor said. "So go out there and enjoy it and if you don't enjoy it, it's not worth it."

For now, the sky seems to be the limit. "There is so much more [to challenge myself]. My number one dream is to be an Olympic champion. Each year is a new year and a chance to prove that you are number one."

Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) held off a Grace BULLEN (NOR) attack in the final seconds to win the 59kg gold. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

At 59kg, Nichita survived a late scramble with the ever-dangerous Grace BULLEN (NOR) to preserve a 4-1 win and deny her opponent from becoming Norway's first female world champion since 1998.

"I was worrying a lot because during yesterday’s match I injured my knee and I had pain in my rib," Nichita said. "That’s why I didn’t want to attack a lot, I tried to defend more."

In the first period, Bullen received an activity point, after which Nichita countered a tackle attempt and spun behind for a takedown and a 2-1 lead. Nichita then added a stepout in the second period.

In the waning seconds of the match, Bullen appeared bound for a winning takedown when she got on top and stuck in her legs, but Nichita managed to grab one and hang on to keep Bullen from completing the move. An unsuccessful challenge added the final point.

"Honestly, I hoped that there were no points in the final challenge, but anything could have happened," Nichita said. "Our country is very small, they could have given the points to her. I am glad it went eventually like that."

Nichita said having another top-class wrestler in the country in Ringaci makes both of them better. "I think we motivate each other," she said. "I hope the next generation will take us as an example."

From now, Nichita said she will drop to the Olympic weight of 57kg, knowing it presents a stiff challenge.

"Of course, I am already getting ready for the 57kg weight class," she said. "There are different opponents. Some of them I’ve wrestled before, so I know what to do, but there are some American and Japanese wrestlers who are really good. I will work even harder to beat them."

U20 world champion Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) won a bronze medal at the 59kg. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Motoki, Furuichi add bronzes to Japanese till

In the bronze-medal matches, Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) and Furuichi came through with victories to ensure every Japanese team member will be returning with a medal.

Motoki, a month after winning the world U20 gold, picked up the senior bronze with a victory by fall over Qi ZHANG (CHN) at 59kg. Leading 3-1, Motoki secured a takedown and immediately applied a chicken wing, then levered the Chinese onto her back for the fall in 3:46.

The other 59kg bronze went to Jowita WRZESIEN (POL), who won one of two bronzes for Poland on the night with a dramatic last-second 4-2 victory over Erdenesuvd BAT ERDENE (MGL).

Seemingly out of luck when she was denied after getting in deep on a takedown, Wrzesien gave it another desperate shot and managed to spin behind with :01 on the clock.

Furuichi, the defending champion at 72kg dethroned in the semifinals by Elor, needed a little luck and a late penalty point to defeat Buse TOSUN (TUR) 3-2 for her third career senior world medal.

Tosun's second-period takedown put her ahead on criteria, but the Turk was flagged for grabbing the singlet with :20 to go to give Furuichi the win and deny Tosun a second consecutive world bronze.

Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) won the other 72kg bronze by routing Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB) by a 10-0 technical fall in 4:54.

Anhelina LYSAK (POL) won Poland's third medal at the World Championships. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Poland's other winner was Ukrainian-born Anhelina LYSAK (POL), who used a double arm lock to gain a 4-point throw and a takedown in a 10-6 victory over Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL) at 57kg.

Ironically perhaps, a Ukrainian took the other 57kg bronze, when Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR) scored five takedowns in defeating Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) by a 10-0 technical fall in 3:45.

The two 68kg bronzes were decided by falls. Defending champion Ringaci came out on the top from one of those situations which can go either way as she back-dropped Feng ZHOU (CHN) to her back and secured a fall in :51.

In the second match, 2019 world champion Linda MORAIS (CAN) gave up a 4-point tackle to Nisha DAHIYA (IND) but came back with an arm throw to a lace lock. Dahiya appeared to injure her knee and that allowed Morais to record the fall at 2:45.

Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) used his double-leg attacks to great effect to reach another Worlds final. (Photo: UWW / Kostandin Andonov)

Burroughs makes final; Yazdani, Taylor set up another golden clash

In the freestyle semifinals earlier in the night session, Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) earned a shot at an American record world or Olympic gold by making the final at 79kg, while superstars Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) and David TAYLOR (USA) set up yet another clash for the crown at 86kg.

Burroughs stayed aggressive throughout his 9-2 victory over Ali UMARPASHAEV (BUL), scoring three stepouts along with a pair of takedowns to stay on track for a sixth world title dating back to his first in 2011. He also has three world bronzes on his gleaming resume.

Standing in his way will be Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI), who advanced with a 5-4 victory over Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR) to set up a rematch of the final a year ago in Oslo which Burroughs won 5-1.

Nokhodi took the lead with an activity point and a takedown in the first period, before 2020 European bronze medalist Mykhailov came back with a takedown in the second. Later on, a scramble gave them both two points to put Nokhodi up 5-4, and that's how it ended.

Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) and David TAYLOR (USA) set up a mouthwatering clash at 86kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Yazdani and Taylor set up their fifth career match-up and third in a major final with their third technical fall victories of the day, all without conceding a point.

"I hope we both have a good performance to make wrestling fans happy," Yazdani said. "I will do my best and I ask Iranian people to pray for me."

Yazdani was a whirlwind of action in piling up points from the get-go against an overmatched Boris MAKOEV (SVK), ending the match with a takedown to win 10-0 in 1:54.

By making the final, Yazdani assured himself of a combined eight world and Olympic medals, the most-ever by an Iranian and breaking a tie with legends Gholamreza TAKHTI and Hamid SOURIAN.

"I don't think about such records," he said. "I just want to make fans happy with my performance."

Taylor took a little longer. He only had an activity point to show for his efforts in the first period against Asian champion Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ), but turned on the burners in the second, when he reeled off four straight takedowns before finishing the job at 5:12 with an exposure. An unsuccessful challenge made the final score 11-0.

Taylor leads the head-to-head series with Yazdani 3-1, including a 4-3 win in the final at the Tokyo Olympics. Yazdani finally came out on top two months later at the World Championships in Oslo, where he won the gold with a 6-2 win.

At 125kg, a weight class that included five Olympic medalists in the field, Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) scored the biggest victory of his career when he toppled one of the giants of the division, while two-time former world champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) pulled off a thrilling last-second victory to dethrone reigning champion Amir ZARE (IRI).

Both victories avenged losses from a year ago in Oslo.

Munkhtur showed no fear in facing three-time world champion and two-time Olympic medalist Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), and he was the dominant force in forging out a 4-2 win. It was quite a change from the 11-1 pasting Petriavishili handed him in the second round in Oslo.

On Thursday, Munkhtur got a stepout in the first period, then added a takedown and a stepout in the second to pad the lead. Petriashvili finally got on the scoreboard with a takedown, but that would be all for the Olympic silver medalist.

In the other semifinal, Zare was on the brink of repeating his semifinal win in Oslo over Akgul when the wily Turk spun out of a single-leg takedown attempt and got behind with :01 on the clock for a 4-2 victory.

At 70kg, there is never a dull moment in a match involving the unorthodox Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN), who bulled his way to a takedown with :20 left for a wild 11-10 victory over Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) in a repeat of the final at this year's Asian Championships.

Both wrestlers had 4-point moves, including Narikuni's dazzling lateral drop with :05 left in the first period. The Japanese, whose mother was a two-time world champion in the 1990s, trailed 10-6 midway through the second period before launching a furious comeback.

In the final, Narikuni will take on Zain RETHERFORD (USA), who has looked impressive in ousting 2021 bronze medalist Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) 7-0.

Retherford, a three-time NCAA champion at Penn State, had appeared at two previous World Championships at 65kg, but with little success, and seems to have found his niche at 70kg, going unscored upon in four matches.

Day 6 Results

Freestyle

70kg (28 entries)
Semifinal - Zain RETHERFORD (USA) df. Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO), 7-0
Semifinal - Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN) df. Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ), 11-10

79kg (32 entries)
Semifinal - Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) df. Ali UMARPASHAEV (BUL), 9-2
Semifinal - Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) df. Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR), 5-4

86kg (30 entries)
Semifinal - David TAYLOR (USA) df. Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) by TF, 12-0, 5:12
Semifinal - Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) df. Boris MAKOEV (SVK) by TF, 10-0. 1:34

125kg (24 entries)
Semifinal - Taha AKGUL (TUR) df. Amir ZARE (IRI), 4-2
Semifinal - Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) df. Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), 4-2

Women's Wrestling

57kg (19 entries)
Gold - Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) df. Helen MAROULIS (USA), 3-0

Bronze - Anhelina LYSAK (POL) df. Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL), 10-6
Bronze - Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR) df. Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) by TF, 10-0, 3:45

59kg (14 entries)
Gold - Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) df. Grace BULLEN (NOR), 4-1

Bronze - Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) df. Erdenesuvd BAT ERDENE (MGL), 4-2
Bronze - Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) df. Qi ZHANG (CHN) by Fall, 3:46 (7-0)

68kg (23 entries)
Gold - Tamyra MENSAH STOCK (USA) df. Ami ISHII (JPN) by Fall, 2:11 (6-0)

Bronze - Linda MORAIS (CAN) df. Nisha DAHIYA (IND) by Fall, 2:45 (4-4)
Bronze - Irina RINGACI (MDA) df. Feng ZHOU (CHN) by Fall, :51 (4-0)

72kg (14 entries)
Gold - Amit ELOR (USA) df. Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) by TF, 10-0, 1:13

Bronze - Masako FURUICHI (JPN) df. Buse CAVUSOGLU TOSUN (TUR), 3-2
Bronze - Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) df. Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB) by TF, 10-0, 4:54

Two-time Olympic champ formerly known as Kawai returns in triumph

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Sakurai stuns Maroulis for 57kg title; U.S. wins 2 golds