#WrestleIstanbul

#WrestleIstanbul: World Champ Dudova Ready to Make 62kg Her Own

Tuesday, February 22, 2022 - 03:30 By Vinay Siwach

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ISTANBUL, Turkey (February 22) -- The chants of 'bravo, bravo' filled the Dan Kolov stadium as Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) emerged as the new star at 62kg for Bulgaria.

The world champion at 59kg defeated Bulgaria's mainstay at 62kg, Taybe YUSEIN (BUL), in the final of the prestigious Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov tournament,7-2, and laid claim at the Olympic weight. Now, it will be a two-way battle for the spot on the national team for the Paris Olympics. 

For a wrestler who has been juggling her weight for the majority of her career, Dudova hopes that she can finally settle in the new weight class which is easier and healthier for her.

"When I was cadet, I was around 60kg but not the best wrestler in Bulgaria," Dudova said. "There were other good girls, so coaches used to tell me to reduce my weight so I can participate internationally. Otherwise, I will be only training and losing.

"I have been training for 10 years and I was undecided on 57kg or 62kg," Dudova said. "But 62kg is close to my natural weight so I decided to go for this. Also, with two-morning weigh-ins, it's difficult to cut weight to 57kg."

The weight category is filled with strong wrestlers from around the world. Two-time world champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ), Olympic champion Yukako KAWAI (JPN), young star Iryna Koliadenko (UKR), world silver medalist Kayla MIRACLE (USA) and upcoming Nonoka OZAKI (JPN).

But first, the 24-year-old needs to get past the Tokyo bronze medalist and compatriot Yusein.

In January, she wrestled at her first tournament, the Bulgarian Championships, at 62kg. As expected, she faced Yusein in the final. Dudova lost 2-1, but took the lessons from the loss seriously.

"I lost to her [Yusein] but now it's reversed," she said. "This year is just a warm-up for me in this weight. I need some time to adjust accordingly. Training and hard work are the only things that can help you get success. This year may be difficult for me but I'll do it."

As far as body weight is concerned, Dudova began her international career in 2013 wrestling at 60kg. Back then, she hoped to be the 63kg wrestler for her country. But Yusein was an established star at the weight. She even qualified Bulgaria for the 2016 Olympics with a bronze medal at the 2015 Worlds.

Dudova had no choice to reduce weight to 55kg. She even went down to 53kg in the hope to qualify for the Rio Olympics. Unfortunately, it only troubled her with health issues.

Soon after Rio, she moved up to 57kg and won a silver medal at Budapest Worlds. But winning the gold at the '21 World Championships in Oslo, her first world title, gave Dudova the confidence to make the switch to 62kg.

"That was one of the best times for me," she said. "I was so happy. It gave me confidence which is important to take this big step and move on."

The European champion, however, is not new to challenges in her life.

She lost her mother at 14 years of age. Brought up by her grandmother, it was just by chance that Dudova ended up in wrestling. Athletics was her first love.

"I was 12 when I first trained in wrestling," she recalls. "I loved athletics and practiced in 400m. Everyone said that I am perfect for sports."

During her off-season after athletics competitions, it was her uncle that asked Dudova to pay a visit to the wrestling hall. Her uncle, father and others were regular to the gym for their fitness training.

"I went just for fun," Dudova, who is a trained Bulgarian folklore singer, said. "The coach asked me to do some pull-ups and I did little. But he liked my strength and asked me to train."

Since it was off-season, she even participated in a tournament.

"After one month I participated in a tournament I got bronze. I was angry to lose and wanted to win. So I kept training. I lost in the Bulgarian Championships for kids. I trained harder. The ambition to win grew."

That ambition made her go to the wrestling hall again. Training with boys was the only option and she continued that until making the cadet team for Bulgaria.

For the first four years, Dudova did not finish with any medals until she kick-started her career with a Junior European bronze.

Now, she has senior European titles in three different weights and with another European Championships just a month away, Dudova says it will be special to win it at four different weights.

"I am studying all opponents at 62kg," she says.

As a warm-up before the European Championships in Budapest, Dudova will be in Istanbul for the Yasar Dogu Ranking Series event. There too, she is expected to meet Yusein for the third time in two months.

If things fall in place, Dudova won't mind the chants of 'bravo, bravo' again.

#JapanWrestling

Ozaki denies Onishi in 62kg semis, sets up clash with Motoki

Saturday, December 20, 2025 - 08:01 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (December 20) -- Nonoka OZAKI gave Sakura ONISHI a less-than-cordial welcome to the women’s 62kg weight class.

Ozaki, a two-time former world champion who has hit a wall of late amid Japan’s incredible depth in women’s wrestling, defeated world 59kg champion Onishi 4-1 in the semifinals at 62kg at the Emperor’s Cup All-Japan Championships on Saturday.

That earned Ozaki yet another shot at reigning world and Olympic champion Sakura MOTOKI, who advanced with an 8-2 victory over Yuzuka INAGAKI.

The Olympic weight classes are being contested over two days, and organizers saved a bevy of world and Olympic champions and medalists for the third day of the four-day tournament at Tokyo’s Komazawa Gym.

In other semifinals, a clash of champions from this year’s World Championships in Zagreb was set up at freestyle 74kg, in which reigning champion Kota TAKAHASHI will square off with Yoshinosuke AOYAGI, the victor at 70kg who has moved up to the Olympic division.

Takahashi easily disposed of Toki OGAWA by 11-0 technical fall, while Aoyagi posted a 7-1 victory over Hikaru TAKATA.

Meanwhile, Paris Olympic champions Akari FUJINAMI, Kotaro KIYOOKA and Nao KUSAKA all advanced to their respective finals with varying degrees of ease or difficulty, along with Paris bronze medalist Yui SUSAKI.

Nonoka OZAKI (JPN)Nonoka OZAKI will wrestle Sakura MOTOKI in the 62kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Ozaki had been forced to watch the World Championships from the sidelines after losing out Motoki at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships, which, along with Emperor’s Cup, serves as a domestic qualifier for major international competitions.

The last thing Ozaki needed was another interloper in the weight class, and she determinedly fended off the challenge from the 19-year-old Onishi.

“It was my first time facing her,” Ozaki said. “She’s a young, upcoming wrestler who hasn’t yet experienced the Olympics, just like I had been. But this is not a weight class that can be taken lightly.”

After giving up an activity point, Ozaki scored a late takedown in the first period, then added another in the second to earn a spot in Sunday’s final.

“There are many videos of her out there that I have watched, so I had an image of how she wrestles in mind,” Ozaki said. “I had to think of what form my wrestling should take.”

Asked if she has come up with a strategy to handle Motoki, Ozaki said, “I’ve faced her twice now, and I watched her at the World Championships. There is a ‘Motoki way’ of wrestling, and that’s implanted in my mind.”

Takara SUDA (JPN)Takara SUDA, left, works for a takedown in the first period against Kaisei TANABE during their 65kg semifinal. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Suda spoils Tanabe’s bid for two-style double

The stacked freestyle 65kg division saw the match of the day, in which Takara SUDA spoiled Kaisei TANABE’s bid for a historic Greco-freestyle title double with dramatic last-second takedown in their semifinal.

Suda had taken the lead with a takedown with 1:10 left, only to see Tanabe come back with a takedown of his own with five seconds left. But Suda shot for all he’s
worth and managed to score in time for a 5-4 victory.

“There was still five seconds left and I just kept calm,” Suda said. “I thought if I kept cool, I could score.”

Tanabe had won the Greco 63kg gold on Thursday, and was aiming to become the first to double in two styles at the same tournament since 1973.

“I had lost to him twice before, both by technical fall,” Suda said. “This time I just wanted to avoid losing by technical fall. But those matches were two years ago, and I think I’ve gotten better over these two years.”

Suda’s victory earns him a shot at Paris gold medalist Kiyooka, who managed to hold on for a 3-2 victory over Kaiji OGINO that ended with a wild scramble in
the final 15 seconds.

“He’s an opponent on another level,” Suda said of Kiyooka. “I’ll have to keep moving and give everything I got."

Yui SUSAKI (JPN)Yui SUSAKI throws Mako ONO en route to a technical fall in their 50kg semifinal. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Susaki stormed into the women’s 50kg final with three straight technical falls without surrendering a point, the last one a 10-0 rout of Mako ONO. In the final, she will face world U23 53kg champion Haruna MORIKAWA.

Susaki’s path to a fourth national title and first since 2022 was made slightly easier by the absence of rival Remina YOSHIMOTO and the late withdrawal of
Umi ITO.

Akari FUJINAMI (JPN)Akari FUJINAMI, left, squares off with Sara NATAMI in the 57kg semifinals. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Fujinami, the Paris champion at 53kg, continued her transition to 57kg with solid victories, although with all of her points being scored from her feet, save
for an activity point.

In the semifinal, she built up a 7-0 lead over defending champion Sara NATAMI before her opponent twice countered single-leg attempts to score exposures, leaving Fujinami with a 7-4 victory. She will face Himeka TOKUHARA in the final.

Kusaka was clearly the most dominant of the Olympians on the day, winning his two matches by 11-0 scores -- both topped off with 4-point throws. He will face
Isami HORIKITA in the final.