#WrestlePontevedra

Vyshnyvetskyi, Gutu among young stars to reach U23 Worlds finals

Monday, October 17, 2022 - 20:07 By Vinay Siwach

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PONTEVEDRA, Spain (October 17) -- When Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) saw his draw for the U23 World Championships, he had his task cut out.

In his first bout, he was pitted against the 2021 senior world champion Aliakbar YOUSOFI (IRI) and that made Vyshnyvetskyi the underdog. But unfazed by his opponent, the U20 world champion used a headlock throw before piling up the pressure on Yousofi to eke out a 7-1 and pull off the upset on day one of the tournament.

“I was preparing for the match because I knew he is a senior world champion,” Vyshnyvetskyi said. “I knew it wouldn’t be easy. However, his wrestling style quite suited me.”

With half the job done, Vyshnyvetskyi made sure he continued his good form and reached the final in 130kg as five gold-medal pairs were decided in Greco-Roman.

Vyshnyvetskyi wrestled Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE) in the quarterfinal and scored a 6-3 win. He will now wrestle U23 European silver medalist Fatih BOZKURT (TUR), who avenged his Euro loss to Dariusz VITEK (HUN).

“I have never wrestled him [Bozkurt] before, he said. “I hope to win because I came here to win the gold.”

Vitek would have fancied his chances against Bozkurt as he had defeated him in Plovdiv in February but the Turkey wrestler shut Vitek with top-class defense. Bozkurt won 6-1.

Nihad GULUZADE (AZE)Nihad GULUZADE (AZE) scored an 8-0 win over Ken MATSUI at 55kg. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Another Oslo world champion suffered a loss on day one. Nihad GULUZADE (AZE) stunned Ken MATSUI (JPN) at 55kg with an 8-0 win.

Matsui was called passive in the first period and Guluzade scored two turns from par terre to lead 5-0. In a rare instance, Matsui was called passive in the second period as well and Guluzade made sure he finished the bout by getting a turn.

The returning bronze medalist will now face returning silver medalist Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) in the final.

Dad Marz was up against U20 world silver medalist Denis MIHAI (ROU) and in trouble when the latter raced to a 4-0 lead early in the bout.

But Dad Marz kept his cool and scored two head pinches to lead 4-4 before making it 6-4 at the break. He was awarded the par terre position from which Dad Marz got a turn to secure a 9-4 lead, enough for him to play out the rest of the time.

That loss for Mihai denied him the opportunity to take on Guluzade for the third time this year. Guluzade defeated Mihai at the U20 European and World finals.

Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI)Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) reached the 63kg final after beating Ziya BABASHOV (AZE) 5-1. (Photo: UWW / Kostandin Andonov)

Another Iran wrestler who made it to the final was Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) as he defeated Ziya BABASHOV (AZE) 5-1 in the semifinal.

It was Babashov who opened the score but Khoon Mohammadi scored two stepouts to lead 2-1 at the break. In the second period, he was awarded the passivity call and he scored a turn from par terre to win.

The job is only half done for Khoon Mohammadi as he faces former U20 world champion and U23 European champion Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO), who beat Maksym LIU (UKR), 5-2.

Liu defended from par terre for the longest time when Shotadze tried to gut wrench. But as the referee was about to call neutral, Shotadze lifted Liu and scored four via a suplex, executed very close to the mat rather than the high-flying one.

In the second period, Liu failed to score from par terre and only got a caution.

Alexandrin GUTU (MDA)Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) reached the 77kg gold medal bout. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

In the remaining semifinals, Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) set up an exciting final against senior European champion and world bronze medalist Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM).

Gutu, one of the most active wrestlers this year, ended his long drought of missing out on finals at the World Championships and made it with a technical superiority win over Dmytro VASETSKYI (UKR).

The match did not begin in favor of Gutu as he was put in par terre. But Gutu got out of the grip in stunning fashion and scored a four using a front headlock. Vasetskyi was cautioned for a defensive foul which gave two more to Gutu.

The bout restarted in par terre and Gutu scored another four-pointer to claim an 11-1 win with the final point coming off a lost challenge.

But in the final, he will be up against a far more experienced wrestler in Amoyan.

His semifinal opponent was a surprise Nao KUSAKA (JPN) who reached the last four by beating U23 world champion Idris IBAEV (GER) in the quarterfinal.

Kusaka began the semifinal on a strong note leading 5-0 but Amoyan got going with a four before adding a point for passivity and stepouts. A takedown in the second period helped him win 9-5.

Amoyan had an extremely battling day as he opened the day against Mohammad Reza MOKHTARI (IRI) with a 1-1 win and faced Akylbek TALANTBEKOV (KGZ) in the quarterfinal. Talantbekov got the 1-1 lead in the second period but Amoyan scored a stepout and win 2-1.

Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM)Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM) came from behind to reach the 87kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kostandin Andonov)

At 87kg, Istvan TAKACS (HUN) rallied for a 4-1 win against Szymon SZYMONOWICZ (POL) in the semifinal. He will now take on Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM) in the final.

Tadevosyan was down 4-0 against Maksat SAILAU (KAZ) as the Kazakhstan wrestler used a headlock for four. But Tadevosyan scored a takedown to cut the score to 4-2.

Another takedown and caution against Sailau meant he took the outright lead. Sailau was warned for passivity, adding another point to Tadevosyan's score as he won 6-4.

The U23 World Championships will continue on the second day with the remaining five Greco-Roman weight classes in action.

RESULTS

Greco-Roman

55kg
GOLD:  Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) vs. Nihad GULUZADE (AZE)

SF 1: Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) df. Denis MIHAI (ROU), 9-4
SF 2: Nihad GULUZADE (AZE) df. Ken MATSUI (JPN), 8-0

63kg
GOLD: Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) vs. Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO)

SF 1: Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) df. Ziya BABASHOV (AZE), 5-1
SF 2: Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO) df. Maksym LIU (UKR), 5-2

77kg
GOLD: Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) vs. Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)

SF 1: Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) df. Dmytro VASETSKYI (UKR), 11-1
SF 2: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df. Nao KUSAKA (JPN), 9-5

87kg
GOLD: Istvan TAKACS (HUN) vs. Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM)

SF 1: Istvan TAKACS (HUN) df. Szymon SZYMONOWICZ (POL), 4-1
SF 2: Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM) df. Maksat SAILAU (KAZ), 6-4

130kg
GOLD: Fatih BOZKURT (TUR)  vs. Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR)

SF 1: Fatih BOZKURT (TUR) df. Dariusz VITEK (HUN), 6-1
SF 2: Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) df. Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE), 6-3

#JapanWrestling

'Tired' Olympic champ Kinjo gives way to blooming Sakurai

Saturday, June 17, 2023 - 09:54 By Vinay Siwach

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TOKYO (June 17) -- The Meiji Cup witnessed another upset as Tsugumi SAKURAI triumphed over Risako KINJO (formerly Kawai) in the 57kg weight class, marking the third Olympic champion to be defeated in just two days.

While Mayu SHIDOCHI and Yukako KAWAI couldn't hold back their emotions after their losses, Kinjo took her 11-1 defeat on Friday in stride.

With a laugh, Kinjo remarked, "I'm tired."

For more than seven years, Kinjo has been a dominant force in women's wrestling, securing gold medals in Rio and Tokyo and claiming titles at the World and Asian Championships during this period.

However, after her victorious performance at the Tokyo Olympics, Kinjo entertained doubts about continuing in the sport. She contemplated whether her participation at 57kg was her final endeavor in that weight class. Over the course of two years, she got married, gave birth, and started raising a child, prompting her to question her future in wrestling.

"After the Tokyo Olympics, I thought 'was that my last for me at 57kg?'," she said.

Nevertheless, as the Paris Olympics approached, Kinjo found herself back on the mat, initially competing at 59kg before returning to 57kg with the aim of earning a chance to win her third consecutive Olympic gold medal.

"I am very happy to be able to again compete at the biggest domestic tournaments like the All-Japan [Meiji Cup]," she said. "It was my first time at 57kg since the Tokyo Olympics, and even though it's been a while, I had no problem getting down to the weight.

"This time, I had no breakdown in my condition and was in good shape. When I started wrestling as a child, I had never experienced not being in this sport and I had found out what it felt like. It made me realize how glad I am that I did wrestling."

Among the notable stars of Japanese wrestling, Kinjo stands out as one of the few athletes to defeat the four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO. Her remarkable career has solidified her status as a true legend in the sport.

So when Kinjo was asked about her loss to Sakurai in the 57kg semifinal, she offered a straightforward assessment.

"I have won two Olympic gold medals and I entered this tournament with a goal to win this and go to the Olympics," she said. "The effort you put as a two-time Olympic champion and to someone who has never been [is very different]. The feeling I had when I was going for the first time and the mindset was different. For someone going for the first time to the Olympics, it becomes everything in their life. For me, it's not."

Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN)Tsugumi SAKURAI won her 57kg semifinal against Risako KINJO, 11-1. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation / Takeo Yabuki)

Perhaps that's why she stepped aside for a while after the Tokyo Olympics. And it was only then that Sakurai could win the domestic competition and go to Oslo where she became the world champion in 2021.

So Saturday provided a perfect opportunity for Sakurai to establish herself as the best in Japan. She took the first step by overcoming Kinjo.

"I am younger, and I was determined to win," Sakurai explained.

Sakurai's triumph over Kinjo involved not only her performance on the mat but also meticulous preparation with her coaches. Soon after the draw in the morning, Sakurai realized that her path crossed with Kinjo's, and she understood that the moment had arrived. Her coaches reviewed Kinjo's previous matches, analyzing her techniques and providing instructions to Sakurai.

"I was not seeded," she said. "Before the match, my coach said that you are the world champion so go out and fight with confidence and she is the Olympic champion but believe that you are the strongest."

The pep talk seemed to ignite Sakurai's determination, as she began the bout aggressively, earning the activity point. She managed to get to Kinjo's legs multiple times, attempting to score a pushout as well. However, in one such scramble, Kinjo was awarded a stepout, putting her ahead with a 1-1 criteria lead.

During the break, Sakurai received another pep talk.

"After watching Kawai's other bouts, my coaches told me that she will attack from the second period so be careful," she said.

Sakurai turned the tide, launching her own attacks. She seized opportunities to attack Kinjo's legs and executed a leg lace. Kinjo defended against the first turn, but eventually succumbed, resulting in an 11-1 victory for Sakurai.

Although Sakurai had defeated Kinjo, her celebrations were somewhat subdued, as her achievement only secured her a spot in the Meiji Cup final. On Sunday, she would need to defeat Nanjo, who had previously bested her in the Emperor's Cup final in December. If successful, Sakurai would have to face Nanjo once again in a playoff on July 1 to secure her ticket to the Belgrade World Championships, in accordance with the rules set by the Japanese Wrestling Federation.

"If I don't win tomorrow, I can't go to the World Championships," she said. "There is still tomorrow. I want to win the title, the playoff and go to the World Championships."

According to the JWF rules, any wrestler who secures a medal in the Olympic weight classes at the World Championships earns an automatic spot on the Paris Olympics team. Failure to do so requires them to face the winner of the 2023 Emperor's Cup in another playoff whose winner will be dispatched to the Asian Olympic Qualifiers next year.

Considering the almost certain success of Japanese women wrestlers in winning medals at the World Championships, Kinjo's path to the Paris Olympics has become incredibly challenging. However, she confirms that she remains committed to wrestling.

"But my love for wrestling has not changed," she said. "I will continue to practice, thinking 'I can keep up one more time' with the younger wrestlers as I watch them make their mark."

For now, as the reigning Emperor's Cup champion in the 59kg weight class, Kinjo has the opportunity to compete in Belgrade. She can challenge the Meiji Cup winner at 59kg in a playoff on July 17. Kinjo intends to consider this possibility once things calm down.

"When things calm down, I will think [about 59kg]," she said. "There is not much time but I will talk to my coach and family and decide and set new goals. It would have made me look cooler if I had won here and aimed for Paris."