#WrestleIstanbul

World Olympic Qualifier Greco-Roman Paris Qualification Bouts Set

Thursday, May 9, 2024 - 06:57 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

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ISTANBUL, Turkiye (May 9) -- The first day of the World OG Qualifier, the last chance for wrestlers to earn a Paris 2024 spot, will see the six weight classes in Greco-Roman. Three wrestlers from each weight class will earn the spot for Paris from Istanbul.

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Here are the Paris Qualification bouts for the evening session

60kg
Dahyun KIM (KOR) vs. Sadyk LALAEV (AIN)
Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) vs. Razvan ARNAUT (ROU)

67kg
Etienne KINSINGER (GER) vs. Valentin PETIC (MDA)
Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) vs. Lei LI (CHN)

77kg
Rui LIU (CHN) vs. Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL)
Sergei KUTUZOV (AIN) vs. Iuri LOMADZE (GEO)

87kg
Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN) vs. Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN)
Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) vs. Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE)

97kg
Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) vs. Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN)
Artur SARGSIAN (AIN) vs. Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER)

130kg
Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) vs. Sabah SHARIATI (AZE)
Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU) vs. Heiki NABI (EST)

17:12: In a marquee matchup to cap the seven-hour session, Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) got the best of Viktor NEMES (SRB), scoring a pair of 4-point moves in a 10-1 victory at 77kg. Trailing 1-0 in the second period and put into par terre, Lomadze hits a whirling 4-point throw. He then puts the match away by securing a body lock and taking Nemes to his back for 4.

17:04: Rui LUI (CHN) makes up for squandering an early lead by scoring a stepout with 1:03 left and holding on to defeat Idris IBAEV (GER) 5-5 at 77kg. Lui led 4-2 early in the first period when Ibaev went ahead 5-4 with takedown and stepout.

17:02: Young Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) is looking unstoppable at 130kg, as he finishes off a 13-4 win over Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN) with an awesome underhook 4-point throw.

17:00: Sergey KUTUZOV (AIN) once again dominant on the mat! Per OLOFSSON (SWE) had no chance against Kutuzov who got the first par terre. Olofsson was docked for two points for leg could and Kutuzov scored a turn from par terre to lead 5-0. Few points in the second period but Kutuzov with an 8-2 win at 77kg.

16:51: Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN), looking to become the first Japanese in an upper weight class in Greco to make the Olympics since 2012, moved one step away by scoring two takedowns in a 6-0 victory over Felix BALDAUF (NOR) at 97kg. Standing in his way is Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN).

16:47: London Olympic silver medalist Heiki NABI (EST) is a win away from qualifying for the Paris Games. Nabi, 38, beats Oskar MARVIK (NOR) 5-1 in the quarterfinal at 130kg.

16:43: Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER) knocks off two-time former world bronze medalist Mihail KAJAIA (SRB) at 97kg in another 1-1 match decided by the last of two passivity points. He will face Artur SARGSIAN (AIN) tonight for a ticket to Paris.

16:42: In a thriller at 60kg, Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) is trailing Justus PETRAVICIUS (LTU) 6-2 in the second period when he unleashes a lethal 4-point arm throw and pulls out a 6-6 win.

16:30: Artur SARGSIAN (AIN) barely manages to see off Vladen KOZLIUK (UKR) in the 97kg quarterfinals. Sargsian, who usually has a strong par terre, fails to perform against Kozliuk but gets the job done.

16:27: In one of the featured matches of what is officially the quarterfinals but what are de facto semifinals, Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE)  scrapes to a 2-1 victory over Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) at 87kg. After Kessidis gets a passivity point, Huseynov goes ahead on criteria when he receives a point from an unsuccessful and somewhat misguided challenge. In the second period, Huseynov gains a stepout, although it was one the Azeris might have wished they could have challenged it.

16:25: Zagreb Open champion Sadyk LALAEV (AIN) ended the strong run of Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) at 60kg, scoring a second-period takedown that clinched a 6-2 victory.

16:12: Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) does just what he needs to do to get by Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) at 87kg, scoring a roll from par terre to win 3-3 on last-point criteria. He will either Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) or Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) for a ticket to Paris.

16:08: 2021 world silver medalist Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN) continues his run at 87kg with a 7-2 win over Nicu OJOG (ROU) to advance to the Paris 2024 qualification bout.

16:02: Lei LI (CHN) rallies from a 5-point deficit to defeat Mateusz BERNATEK (POL) 10-5 and advance to Paris 2024 qualification match at 67kg. He will face Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO), who came out a 9-4 winner in a contentious match with Din KOSHKAR (KAZ) on an adjacent mat.

15:50: Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) jumps out to a big lead against VIKAS (IND) at 77kg, using an arm throw for 2, then getting behind and nailing a 4-point throw. Lomadze then slips behind for a takedown that ends it at 8-0 with 25 seconds to spare in the first period.

15:45: Sergei KUTUZOV (AIN) looks the wrestler to beat at 77kg! He takes out Tsimur BERDYIEU (AIN) 8-0 to advance to the quarterfinals where he will face Per OLOFSSON (SWE).

15:39: Former world champion Viktor NEMES (SRB) forges ahead at 77kg, scoring a gut wrench in his second shot at par terre in the second period to sew up a 4-0 victory over Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO).

15:29: Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL) prevails in an intense battle between former world medalists at 77kg, gaining a stepout in the first period and a passivity point in the second for a 2-1 victory over Zoltan LEVAI (HUN).

15:27: There's still plenty of life left in 38-year-old Heiki NABI (EST), holder of an Olympic silver from 2012 and five world medals won over a span from 2006 to 2019. He gets a pair of gut wrenches from par terre in the first period, then uses stepouts to finish off Aybegshazada KURRAYEV (TKM) 9-0 at 130kg.

15:19: Veteran Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU), finally taking the mat for the first time on a long day as he bids to make a fourth Olympics, gets a gut wrench from par terre in the first period and comes out a 4-0 winner over Eduard BABENOSHEV (TJK) at 130kg.

15:17: Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) falls in the 1/8 finals against Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN) 130kg. Kuosmanen hit a front head lock for four at the start of the bout before getting a passivity point to lead 5-0. Kajaia got one point in the second period but that was all as Kousmanen won 5-1.

15:10: Mihail KAJAIA (SRB) beats Alex SZOKE (HUN) 1-1 at 97kg after the two exchanged passivity points. Szoke got the par terre on the third passivity but failed to score and Kajaia was happy to hold on to his criteria lead.

15:02: Sabah SHARIATI (AZE), a bronze medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, rolls to a 9-0 victory over three-time Asian bronze medalist Roman KIM (KGZ) at 130kg.

14:59: Felix BALDAUF (NOR) wins over no new friends in Istanbul after he knocked off local favorite Metehan BASAR (TUR) at 97kg, winning 1-1 on last-point criteria after both received a passivity point.

14:50: Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN) continues to surprise at 97kg, scoring a reversal from the bottom of par terre after landing on his feet during a throw -- which was upheld on challenge -- in a 3-1 victory over Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE).

14:48: In a clash of Tokyo Olympians, Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) gets a passivity point in each period and comes out a 2-0 winner over Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) at 97kg.

14:34: An impressive display by two-time world bronze medalist Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) to move closer to a ticket to Paris at 60kg. He reverses from the bottom of par terre against Christopher KRAEMER (GER), then scores two gut wrenches to make it 5-1. Mammodov finishes the proceedings with a twirling 4-point throw and, with an unsuccessful challenge, the final score is 10-1.

14:31: Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) literally took down Goliath. The 2023 world bronze medalist at 63kg scored a takedown against five-time African medalist Romio GOLIATH (NAM), then reeled off four rolls for a 9-0 victory to advance at 60kg.

14:29: Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) reels off a 4-point throw from par terre in the second period and that makes the difference in a 5-4 victory over Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) at 87kg. Both wrestlers competed at the Tokyo Olympics at 77kg, but lost in the first round.

14:23: Marcel STERKENBURG  (NED) hangs on for a 3-2 win over Mihail BRADU (MDA) at 87kg. Sterkenburg scored a turn from par terre for a 3-0 lead. He challenged asking for two more points for the second turn. He lost that challenge as Bradu never came in danger position. Bradu got one point for par terre in the second period but failed to score any points.

14:15: Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) with a big four-pointer, that was challenged by Martynas NEMSEVICIUS (LTU) but lost. Bisultanov then added a takedown and turn to earn a 9-0 win at 87kg.

14:14: Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) hangs on for a 5-4 victory over Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM) at 87g.

14:09: Olympic bronze medalist Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) advances at 87kg by the slimmest of margins, overcoming a 3-1 deficit in the final seconds for an improbable 4-3 win over Sunil KUMAR (IND). With time running out, Huseynov got in on a body lock and forced Kumar over the edge for a stepout. But the Indian was assessed a 1-point penalty for fleeing, giving Huseynov a 3-3 win on criteria. An unsuccessful challenge added the final point.

13:57: Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO), a 2021 world bronze medalist who would love nothing better than to get a chance to make up for a fifth-place finish in Tokyo, advances at 67kg with a 5-0 win over Niklas OEHLEN (SWE). Zoidze comes close but fails to complete a gut wrench from par terre in the first period, but pulls one off after a takedown in the second.

13:48: Valentin PETIC (MDA) scores a stepout on a throw attempt from par terre and comes out a 4-1 winner at 67kg over Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY). He will face Andreas VETSCH (SUI) for a place in Olympic qualification match.

13:45: European bronze medalist Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN) scores a victory by fall over Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL) at 87kg. Trailing 1-1 on criteria, Maskevich pancakes his opponent to his back and applies a tight headlock for the fall. It was a rematch of Maskevich's 7-5 win at the 2021 World Championships, where he won the silver medal and Kulynycz took home a bronze.

13:36: Mateusz BERNATEK (POL), a world silver medalist back in 2017, gets a stepout in the first period and a gut wrench from par terre in the second, and he advances at 67kg with a 4-1 victory over Yong Jin RO (PRK).

13:32: European bronze medalist Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) scores a first-period takedown and has one in the second nullified on challenge, but it's enough for a 3-0 victory over Oliver KRUEGER (DEN) at 77kg.

13:17: Asian Games bronze medalist Rui LIU (CHN), who suffered a heartbreaking loss in the final match at the Asian Qualifier, starts out strong at 77kg with an 11-0 win over Georgios PREVOLARAKIS (GRE). Liu gets a pair of rolls from par terre, then finishes it off the match with a 4-point throw.

13:11: Tokyo Olympian Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL), a 2019 world bronze medalist, gets the gut wrench during his shot at par terre in the second period and that's enough for a 3-1 victory over Marcos SANCHEZ (ESP) to advance at 77kg, today's most populated weight class with 33 entries.

12:52: Sergey KUTUZOV (AIN), the 2021 world silver medalist at 72kg, chalks up an 8-0 victory over Kamal BEY (USA) at 77kg, which took a while to figure out. With a 2-0 lead, Kutuzov got behind with the two standing and hit a 4-point throw. The USA side challenged, but instead, Bey was assessed a 2-point foul, ending the match just before the end of the first period.

12:45: Artur SARGSIAN (AIN), who broke his arm at the World Championships, returns for the last chance qualifier and beats Markus RAGGINGER (AUT) 7-1 at 97kg to keep his hopes of earning a Paris 2024 spot alive.

12:31: Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN), the 2023 world U23 champion at 97kg who has moved up to 130kg, advances with a fall over 2020 world U20 champion Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR). Hlinchuk was leading 7-4 when Vyshnyvetskyi hit a lateral drop for 4. But Hlinchuk rolled through the move to come out on top and secure the fall.

12:17: Alex SZOKE (HUN), the 2021 world silver medalist who placed fifth at the Tokyo Olympics, knocks off Nikolaz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) 10-1 at 97kg. Szoke gets a pair of rolls from par terre to build a 5-0 lead. On the bottom in the second period, Szoke stops a roll for 2, then gets on top and hits a gut wrench.

11:57: Metehan BASAR (TUR), six years removed from the second of his back-to-back world titles at 85/87kg, gets the home crowd going with a 2-0 win over Asian Games silver medalist Yiming LI (CHN) at 97kg. The 33-year-old Basar gains a passivity point in the first period and a stepout in the second.

11:56: Five-time Asian medalist and Tokyo Olympian Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ), who came up one win short at the Asian qualifier at home in Bishkek, stuffs a roll attempt by Kaloyan IVANOV (BUL) in par terre for 2 and advances at 97kg with a 3-1 victory.

11:38: Two-time world bronze medalist Murad MAMMADOV (AZE), the reigning European champion at 63kg, gets three rolls and an exposure from par terre to put away Aleksandrs JURKJANS (LAT) 10-1 as he tries to make his first Olympics at 60kg.

11:30: Munkh BATKHUYAG (MGL), a 2023 world U23 bronze medalist in freestyle (!), overwhelms Ibrahim BUNDUKA (SLE) 10-0 at 60kg as he launches his attempt to become just the second Mongolian in history to wrestle Greco at an Olympics and first since 1980.

11:21: Tokyo Olympic 77kg bronze medalist Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE), aiming to make it to Paris at 87kg, gets a pair of passivity points and a challenge point and holds on for a 3-1 win over Ilias PAGKALIDIS (GRE).

11:20: Two-time world medalist and Tokyo Olympian Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) bear hugs Hannes WAGNER (GER) straight to his back for a spectacular 4-pointer from par terre and he advances at 87kg with a 5-1 victory.

11:10: Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) uses his over-under position to score stepouts against Lukas STAUDACHER (AUT) and secures a technical superiority win at 87kg.

10:59: Another match is decided by which wrestler receives the last passivity point. In a battle of Tokyo Olympians, it was former world champion Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) gained a 1-1 victory at 87kg over four-time Pan Am champion Daniel GREGORICH (CUB). The loss by Gregorich at 87kg makes it difficult for Cuba to have wrestlers in all six Greco weight classes in Paris.

10:46: Veteran two-time world champion Hansu RYU (KOR) saw his bid to make a third Olympics end when a late takedown against Matias LIPASTI (FIN) was wiped out on challenge, giving Lipasti a 1-1 victory on last-point criteria -- he got the second of the passivity points awarded. Ryu had a second chance in par terre but couldn't turn Lipasti.

10:36: At 67kg, Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Mohamed ELSAYAD (EGY) has to hang on for a nail-biting 9-8 victory over European bronze medalist Abu AMAEV (BUL). Elsayad gets a pair of 4-pointers to build up a 9-2, only to allow Amaev to nearly rally to victory.

10:35: Yong Jin RO (PRK) gets the gut wrench in his second stint in par terre in the second period, giving him a 3-2 victory at 67kg over the two-time world 72kg bronze medalist Selcuk CAN (TUR). 

10:30: Lei LI (CHN) with a quick takedown and four three rolls for an 8-0 win over Adomas GRIGALIUNAS (LTU) at Greco-Roman 67kg. China is looking to earn the three Greco-Roman spots that it has still not got.

10:00: Welcome to the first day of the World OG Qualifier in Istanbul. Greco-Roman action will kick off the tournament. Winners of the semifinal along with the winner of the playoff between the two bronze medalists will earn a quota for the Paris Olympics.

#JapanWrestling

Higuchi, Susaki reign supreme as two Olympic champs tumble

Saturday, December 24, 2022 - 16:16 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (December 24) -- On a day that saw two of her fellow Tokyo Olympic champions tumble to defeat, Yui SUSAKI remained as rock steady as always, while Rei HIGUCHI gave his ambitions for an elusive Olympic gold a further boost.

Susaki continued her dominance of Remina YOSHIMOTO, who held the national and world titles in her absence, cruising to an 8-0 victory in the women's 50kg final at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships on Saturday in Tokyo for her first title since 2019.

Higuchi, coming off winning his first world title at freestyle 61kg, defeated Asian bronze medalist Rikuto ARAI 8-4 to regain the national title at 57kg, the weight class in which he won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics that he is looking to better in Paris in two years.

Meanwhile, a highly anticipated clash between Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI and 2021 world champion Akari FUJINAMI at women's 53kg was put on hold after world 55kg champion Haruna OKUNO crashed the party by beating Shidochi for the first time in 10 career meetings.

Yukako KAWAI became the second Olympic casualty when the gold medalist at women's 62kg was overwhelmed in the semifinals by world 59kg bronze medalist Sakura MOTOKI, who earned a meeting in the final with reigning world champion Nonoka OZAKI.

Takuto OTOGURO, ending a long hiatus with his first competition since winning the Olympic gold at freestyle 65kg, avoided the upset bug by storming into the final with a pair of 10-0 technical falls. Like Susaki and Higuchi, his last national title came in 2019.

For the top wrestlers, the tournament at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym is serving as the first of two domestic qualifying tournaments for next year's World Championships in Belgrade, where the first spots in the 2024 Paris Olympics will be up for grabs.

A medal in an Olympic weight won by a Japanese in Belgrade means an automatic ticket to Paris, thus adding urgency to making the team. Those who lose at the Emperor's Cup will get another shot in June at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships.

Yui SUSAKI (JPN)Yui SUSAKI scores with a counter lift in the women's 50kg final against Remina YOSHIMOTO. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki/Japan Wrestling Federation)

Susaki, whose close call with nearly missing out on the Tokyo Olympics has been well documented, is determined to be in Paris to defend her title and is leaving nothing to chance. As she has done throughout this history-making year, on Saturday she wrestled calmly and decisively, taking advantage of every opportunity and not giving her opponent any openings.

"This is the first step in the qualifying process for the Paris Olympics, and I was able to achieve what I set out to do," Susaki said.

Unlike her typical matches in which she gets a takedown and then rips off four straight lace-lock rolls for a quick victory, Susaki scored all of her points in different ways against Yoshimoto, who had ascended to the national throne in 2020 and 2021 that Susaki had abdicated.

Susaki started with a takedown off a single-leg for a 2-0 lead, then added four points with a counter lift and a gut wrench to go into the break up 6-0. In the second period, Susaki forced a stalemate from a Yoshimoto shot, then spun behind after countering another in the final seconds for her final takedown. She had now beaten Yoshimoto in all five of their career matches.

Yui SUSAKI (JPN)Yui SUSAKI celebrates her victory in the women's 50kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki/Japan Wrestling Federation)

It was a much cleaner and well-executed victory than her 4-2 win over Yoshimoto in the final of the Meiji Cup last June, which remains the only time Susaki has been scored upon in her last 23 matches dating back to early 2021.

"At the Meiji Cup, I watched for the opponent to make a move and didn't stay on the attack to the end, which I regretted," Susaki said. "This time, I kept attacking, so I feel I've cleared that issue."

Susaki, who this year regained the world title she had previously won in 2017 and 2018 in September in Belgrade, also picked up the only major title missing from her collection a month later by capturing the world U23 gold. That completed an unprecedented "Grand Slam" of Olympic gold and all four age-group titles.

Asked about the pressure of Olympic qualifying, she replied, "I don't feel tension. Like before the Tokyo Olympics, I feel more excited that the qualifying for the Olympics has started."

Susaki said she watched the other Olympic champions fall on a monitor in the warmup room, and that it makes her more determined to maintain her focus on the journey ahead.

"The younger wrestlers and others all have their own goals and have been making progress in trying to achieve them," Susaki said. "It makes me feel I have to keep trying even harder and aim higher."

Rei HIGUCHI (JPN)Rei HIGUCHI won his first world title in September in Belgrade at 61kg. (Photo: UWW/Kadir Caliskan)

Higuchi's victory in the 57kg final, which gave him his fourth career title, was noteworthy in that his opponent spent about half of the match on his back, a credit perhaps to him that he could avoid the fall. The two often practice together at Nippon Sport Science University, where they are both alumni.

Early in the match, Higuchi caught Arai in a cradle to his back, then switched it to a Turk ride with a cross-face. For more than two minutes, Arai managed to keep a shoulder off the mat until he was saved by the buzzer ending the period.

Higuchi added a takedown off a counter to go up 6-0. But Arai, who had knocked off 2021 world 61kg bronze medalist Toshihiro HASEGAWA in the quarterfinals, came back to life with a counter lift and gut wrench to cut the lead to two.

Higuchi then put the match away with a single-leg attack to exposure, from which he again went to the Turk ride and cross-face and held Arai on his back for the final 1:10 of the match.

"This is the first of the tournaments that I have to win out at, but I went in with the feeling of being the challenger and stayed relaxed and stayed aggressive," Higuchi said. "In the final, after I gave up points I immediately came back and scored myself. I give myself a passing grade for the effort."

For Higuchi, the effort involves a battle with the scale. He famously failed to make weight for the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament, which indirectly led to him missing out on the Tokyo Games.

When it comes to strength and skill, he said he feels he showed he could more than hold his own by winning the world title in the heavier weight class.

"Losing weight is tough," he said. "I was able to win the world title at 61kg. I showed I had the power and technique to be No. 1 in the world. I think I brought that to 57kg."

In other finals, 2021 world bronze medalist Sae NANJO followed up her semifinal victory over world champion Tsugumi SAKURAI by regaining the women's 57kg title with a victory over Asian 59kg champion Sara NATAMI.

Leading 1-0 in the second period, Nanjo countered a single-leg shot by Natami by slapping a cradle on her, then twisted her onto her back for a fall in 4:01. The victory gave Nanjo her fourth career title and first since 2020.

Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN)Kyotaro SOGABE celebrates his victory in the Greco 67kg final over Katsuaki ENDO.  (Photo: Takeo Yabuki/Japan Wrestling Federation)

Collegian Kyotaro SOGABE finally reached the pinnacle that has been expected of him since his days as a high school star, beating defending champion and senior training partner Katsuaki ENDO 9-3 for the gold in Greco 67kg.

Sogabe led 3-1 when he came up on top in a late second-period scramble, then added a pair of gut wrenches to avenge a loss in the Meiji Cup final last June to Endo, an Asian bronze medalist this year and 2018 world U23 champion.

A junior at Endo's alma mater of Nippon Sports Science University, Sogabe finished second at this year's Wladyslaw Pytlasinski Cup in Warsaw, which he followed with a world U20 bronze medal.

Not bad for a wrestler who won three national high school titles despite the fact that his high school in rural Ehime Prefecture did not have a team, forcing him to practice at another school.

Takuto OTOGURO (JPN)Takuto OTOGURO puts the pressure on Kaiji OGINO during their semifinal match at freestyle 65kg. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki/Japan Wrestling Federation)

Otoguro, Fujinami cruise

Following the Tokyo Olympics, Japan's medalists all took some time off before gradually returning to the mat. Otoguro was the last one to end his hiatus, and his performance Saturday made it look like he had never been away.

And technically speaking, he wasn't. He may not have been competing, but he was still practicing hard as a member of the Self-Defense Forces Physical Training School team.

"In the past, I've gone a year or two without a competitive match, and then suddenly came back," said Otoguro, who has endured his share of injuries. "Because of that experience, it wasn't like there was anything different than usual this time. Instead of matches, I'm practicing every day. So I've got a solid foundation."

In the semifinals, Otoguro easily defeated Kaiji OGINO -- a student at Otoguro's alma mater of Yamanashi Gakuin University -- by 10-0 technical fall in 1:49 to advance to the final against world U23 bronze medalist Ryoma ANRAKU.

Fujinami is also returning from a layoff, although hers was unforced as injuries forced her to skip both the senior worlds and the world U23. She said she has completely recovered, and showed it with back-to-back technical falls to advance to the women's 53kg final against Okuno.

"It was my first match in four months, and I feel I've got my mat sense back leading into tomorrow," said Fujinami, whose victories extended her current winning streak to 105 matches that includes those in the run to the 2021 senior world title.

The 19-year-old Fujinami has beaten Okuno in all three of their previous encounters, most recently a 4-0 victory in the final at last June's Meiji Cup.

Haruna OKUNO (JPN)Haruna OKUNO, left, notched her first victory over Mayu SHIDOCHI in 10 career meetings to advance to the women's 53kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki/Japan Wrestling Federation)

But Okuno, a two-time senior world champion who added a third world U23 gold this year, showed she might be a different wrestler than before with her stunning win over Shidochi.

In a match that saw only a few shots, all defended well by both wrestlers, Okuno defeated Shidochi 3-1 with all but one point scored on the activity clock. Okuno was on the receiving end of two of them, then clinched the match when Shidochi stepped out while having Okuno in a front headlock with :32 left.

Neither wrestler made themselves available to the media after the match.

Sakura MOTOKI (JPN)Sakura MOTOKI gains control of Yukako KAWAI during their women's 62kg semifinal match. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki/Japan Wrestling Federation)

Kawai also wouldn't offer any comments on her one-sided loss to Motoki, who stormed to a 9-2 victory in which all of the points were scored in the first period.

Motoki opened with a pair of takedowns, then added two two-point exposures from a chicken wing hold. Kawai had a chance to snatch a victory when she put Motoki on her back during a scramble, but Motoki squirmed free and scored a reversal.

When the final buzzer sounded, Kawai dropped to her knees, having apparently suffered a left leg injury sometime during the bout. She had to be helped off the mat.

The victory earns Motoki a clash with one of Japan's hottest wrestlers, Nonoka OZAKI, who has put together a string of titles this year that include the world U20, senior and U23 titles in succession over a three-month span. She also beat Kawai in the Meiji Cup final in June.

The 19-year-old Ozaki's lone loss dating back to August 2017 came in the second round of the 2021 World Championships to eventual champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ), a defeat she has since avenged. She advanced to the final on Sunday with a pair of technical falls.

"This is one tournament related to qualifying for the Paris Olympics, so I prepared myself more than I had ever done before and am confident of winning the title," Ozaki said. "My spirit is in sync with my body and I'm moving very well."

As for the unexpected change in her final opponent, she said, "I never concern myself with who the opponent is, only that I do what I need to do. I'm always nervous in a match and have various emotions, but this tournament I'm really enjoying myself, so I have good vibes going."

At Greco 60kg, Olympic silver medalist Kenichiro FUMITA advanced to the final with a 9-0 technical fall over Kosei TAKESHITA as he aims for his fourth career title and first in two years.

He will face Maito KAWANA, who defeated defending champion Ayata SUZUKI in the quarterfinals.

Day 3 Results

Freestyle

57kg (11 entries)
Gold - Rei HIGUCHI df. Rikuto ARAI, 8-4

Bronze - Ryuto SAKAKI df. Toshihiro HASEGAWA, 4-1
Bronze - Yuto NISHIUCHI df. Yuki TAKAHASHI by Def.

65kg (14 entries)
Semifinal - Takuto OTOGURO df. Kaiji OGINO by TF, 10-0, 1:29
Semifinal - Ryoma ANRAKU df. Yujiro UENO, 8-1

70kg (14 entries)
Gold - Yoshinosuke AOYAGI df. Daiju SUZUKI, 8-1

Bronze - Toki OGAWA df. Keitaro ONO, 10-4
Bronze - Taishin YAMAJI df. Ryota UCHIYAMA by Fall, 1:55 (5-0)

Semifinal - Yoshinosuke AOYAGI df. Toki OGAWA, 3-0
Semifinal - Daiju SUZUKI df. Ryota UCHIYAMA, 5-3

79kg (14 entries)
Gold - Yajuro YAMAZAKI df. Kosuke YAMAKURA, 6-0

Bronze - Takahiro MURAYAMA df. Kohei KITAMURA by TF, 10-0, :51
Bronze - Kota ABE df. Kenshin YAMAJI by Def.

Semifinal - Yajuro YAMAZAKI df. Takahiro MURAYAMA, 4-0
Semifinal - Kosuke YAMAKURA df. Kenshin YAMAJI by TF, 12-0, 1:19

86kg (14 entries)
Gold - Hayato ISHIGURO df. Yudai TAKAHASHI, 4-2

Bronze - Taisei MATSUYUKI df. Shota SHIRAI by Def.
Bronze - Fumiya IGARASHI df. Ryuki YOSHIDA by Def.

Greco-Roman

60kg (11 entries)
Semifinal - Kenichiro FUMITA df. Kosei TAKESHITA by TF, 9-0, 1:59
Semifinal - Maito KAWANA df. Yuto GOMI, 7-0

67kg (13 entries)
Gold - Kyotaro SOGABE df. Katsuaki ENDO, 9-3

Bronze - Haruto YABE df. Yuji UEGAKI, 3-1
Bronze - Eito NISHIDA df. Shigeki TSUTSUMI, 5-2

77kg (13 entries)
Gold - Kodai SAKURABA df. Nao KUSAKA by TF, 10-1, 5:43

Bronze - Tatsuya FUJII df. Shohei YABIKU, 3-3
Bronze - Minto MAEDA df. Naoki KADODE by TF, 9-0, 1:56

82kg (12 entries)
Gold - Yuya MAEDA df. Masao TANAKA, 7-5

Bronze - Daizo TANIZAKI df. Muuto SAWADA by TF, 8-0, 4:10
Bronze - Desshin HIGUCHI df. Kiriru SHIMABUKURO, 9-5

Semifinal - Masao TANAKA df. Muuto SAWADA, 9-4
Semifinal - Yuya MAEDA df. Kiriru SHIMABUKURO by TF, 9-0, 3:33

Women

50kg (16 entries)
Gold - Yui SUSAKI df. Remina YOSHIMOTO, 8-0

Bronze - Umi ITO df. Nanami IRIE by TF, 10-0, :48
Bronze - Hanano SAKURAI df. Haruna MORIKAWA by TF, 10-0, 2:21

53kg (9 entries)
Semifinal - Akari FUJINAMI df. Mako ONO by TF, 10-0, :28
Semifinal - Haruna OKUNO df. Mayu SHIDOCHI, 3-1

57kg (10 entries)
Gold - Sae NANJO df. Sara NATAMI by Fall, 4:01 (5-0)

Bronze - Tsugumi SAKURAI df. Ibuki TAMURA by Def.
Bronze - Yumeka TANABE df. Umi IMAI, 6-4

62kg (11 entries)
Semifinal - Nonoka OZAKI df. Nayu UCHIDA by TF, 10-0, 3:57
Semifinal - Sakura MOTOKI df. Yukako KAWAI, 9-2