Soryan, Greco-Roman, World Championships, Gaber

Soryan Eyes Sixth Title, Gaber Readies Run to Rio (Live Updates)

Sunday, September 14, 2014 - 04:39 By William May

TASHKENT (September 14) – London 2012 Olympic Games gold medalist Hamid SORYAN (IRI) seeks his sixth world title and Athens 2004 champion Karam GABER (EGY) prepares a run for Rio 2016 on Sunday, the final day of the wrestling world championships in Tashkent.

Soryan, however, could be looking at a challenge from Asia champion and local favorite Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) in the semifinals at the Gymnastics Palace, and then, in the 59kg final, from 2013 world champion Ivo ANGELOV (BUL).

For his part, even before reaching the semifinals, Angelov will likely have to get by the winner of the match-up between Olympic bronze medalists Mingiyan SEMENOV (RUS) or Roman AMOYAN (ARM).

The 35-year-old Gaber, meanwhile, wrestling in his first competition since winning a silver medal in London, will be tested early and, if he navigates the bracket successfully, then face world silver medalist Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) in the 98kg championship final.

Aleksanyan, who narrowly missed the title last year in Budapest, is on a mission to win it all this year and follow Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARM) to the top of the medals podium in Tashkent. Julfalakyan won the world title at 75kg on Friday.

Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE), runner-up to Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) at the European championships and Golden Grand Prix Final, will try to capitalize on the Hungarian’s move to 66kg and close out the year with the world title at 71kg.

MAT A: http://new.livestream.com/unitedworldwrestling/events/3369840

MAT B: http://new.livestream.com/unitedworldwrestling/events/3369848

MAT C: http://new.livestream.com/unitedworldwrestling/events/3369851

Greco-Roman

59kg (36 entries)

Soryan begins his quest for a sixth world title near the bottom of the 36-wrestler bracket. A bump in the road might be European runner-up Victor CIOBANU (MDA), his likely opponent in the quarterfinals.

Asia champion Tasmuradov will have the backing of a boisterous crowd as he opens against Edward BARSEGIAN (POL) and Kristijan FRIS (SEB) on his way to a semifinal berth opposite Soryan.

Angelov starts at the bottom of the upper half of the bracket and in the quarterfinals could meet the winner of the Amoyan-Semenov match-up in the first round.

Peter MODOS (HUN), a 2013 bronze medalist in Budapest, has had a quiet year recuperating from a knee injury suffered in March, but could still navigate to the fourth semifinal berth.

71kg (30 entries)

Chunayev would seem to be the class of this non-Olympic weight category, but will be tested early at the bottom of the bracket by Justin LESTER (USA) in the round of 16 and European bronze medalist Yunus OZEL (TUR) in the quarterfinals.

Varsham BORANYAN (ARM), winner at the German Grand Prix in June, could emerge a challenger to Chunayev from the quarter above.

At the top of the bracket, Poddubny tournament winner Chingiz LABAZANOV (RUS) and and Afshin BYABANGARD (IRI) could duel for the uppermost semifinal berth, while Aleksandar DZEMYANOVICH (BLR) and Pytlasinski tourney runner-up Mathia MAASCH (GER) battle for the berth opposite.

98kg (30 entries)

European champion Aleksanyan begins the upper half of the bracket and is looking at a potential meeting in the quarterfinals with Aleksander HRABOVIK (BLR), a bronze medalist at the German Grand Prix.

London 2012 gold medalist Ghasem REZAIE (IRI), 2013 junior world champion Musa EVLOEV (RUS) and European bronze medalist Marthin NIELSEN (NOR) make for a crowded top quarter of the bracket in a battle to face Aleksanyan in the semifinals.

At the very bottom of the bracket, Gaber appears ready to make a run for Rio, but first will to battle through a swarm of tough competitors, including European runner-up Cenk ILDEM (TUR).

The final semifinal berth may well go to the Pytlasinski bronze medal winner Miloslav METODIEV (BUL) or Alin ALEX-CIURARIU (ROU), a bronze medalist at the world student championships in July

59kg

GOLD: Hamid Mohammad SORYAN (IRI) v. Mingiyan SEMENOV (RUS)
BRONZE: Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) v. Ismael BORRERO (CUB)
BRONZE: Spenser Thomas MANGO (USA) v. Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR)

Semifinal: Hamid Mohammad SORYAN (IRI) df. Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB), 2-1
Semifinal: Mingiyan SEMENOV (RUS) df. Spenser Thomas MANGO (USA) by TF, 9-1

Repechage: Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR) df. Jung-Baik LEE (KOR), 1-0
Repechage: Ismael BORRERO (CUB) df. Haithem Ahmed FAHMY (EGY), 13-9
Repechage: Jung-Baik LEE (KOR) df. Roman AMOYAN (ARM), 4-2
Repechage: Haithem Ahmed FAHMY (EGY) df. Alex Iordache ANECHITEI (ROU) by TF, 9-0

Quarterfinal: Hamid Mohammad SORYAN (IRI) df. Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE), 3-0
Quarterfinal: Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) df. Lumin WANG (CHN) by TF, 9-0
Quarterfinal: Mingiyan SEMENOV (RUS) df. Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR), 5-0
Quarterfinal: Spenser Thomas MANGO (USA) df. Kazuma KURAMOTO (JPN) by TF, 10-0

1/8: Hamid Mohammad SORYAN (IRI) df. Ismael BORRERO (CUB), 5-0
1/8: Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) df. Tonimir SOKOL (CRO) by TF, 9-0
1/8: Kazuma KURAMOTO (JPN) df. Andres MONTANO (ECU), 2-2
1/8: Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Deniz MENEKSE (GER), 6-3
1/8: Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR) df. Ivo Serafimov ANGELOV (BUL), 1-1
1/8: Spenser Thomas MANGO (USA) df. Peter MODOS (HUN), 4-0
1/8: Lumin WANG (CHN) df. Arsen ERALIEV (KGZ) by TF, 12-3
1/8: Mingiyan SEMENOV (RUS) df. Jung-Baik LEE (KOR) by FALL, 6-0

1/16: Hamid Mohammad SORYAN (IRI) df. Haithem Ahmed FAHMY (EGY), 2-1
1/16: Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Yasin OZAY (FRA), 3-2
1/16: Tonimir SOKOL (CRO) df. Kristian FRIS (SRB), 4-4
1/16: Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR) df. Manuel A. LOPEZ (MEX), 5-0
1/16: Kazuma KURAMOTO (JPN) df. Ravinder SINGH (IND), 4-1
1/16: Peter MODOS (HUN) df. Tobias Fonnesbek (DEN), 3-1
1/16: Ismael BORRERO (CUB) df. Goderdzi DAVITADZE (GEO), 7-1
1/16: Arsen ERALIEV (KGZ) df. Ievgen MIAGKYI (UKR), 2-1
1/16: Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) df. Edward BERSEGIAN (POL) by TF, 8-0
1/16: Jung-Baik LEE (KOR) df. Jussi-Pekka NIEMISTOE (FIN) by TF, 13-3
1/16: Andres MONTANO (ECU) df. Andrey TSARYUK (ISR) by TF, 8-0
1/16: Deniz MENEKSE (GER) df. Victor CIOBANU (MDA) by FALL, 6-2
1/16: Lumin WANG (CHN) df. Maksim KAZHARSKI (BLR), 6-2
1/16: Ivo Serafimov ANGELOV (BUL) df. Albert BAGHUMYAN (ESP) by TF, 9-0
1/16: Mingiyan SEMENOV (RUS) df. Roman AMOYAN (ARM), 3-0
1/16: Spenser Thomas MANGO (USA) df. Fatih UCUNCU (TUR), 2-2

Qualification: Haithem Ahmed FAHMY (EGY) df. Suparmanto SUPARMANTO (INA) by TF, 8-0
Qualification: Goderdzi DAVITADZE (GEO) df. Fouad FAJARI (MAR), 5-0
Qualification: Hamid Mohammad SORYAN (IRI) df. Alex Iordache ANECHITEI (ROU) by TF, 8-0
Qualification: Ismael BORRERO (CUB) df. Yerbol KONYRATOV (KAZ), 5-0

71 kg

GOLD: Yunus OZEL (TUR) v. Chingiz LABAZANOV (RUS)
BRONZE: Varsham BORANYAN (ARM) v. Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE)
BRONZE: Aliaksandr DZEMYANOVICH (BLR) v. Afshim BYABANGARD (IRI)

Semifinal: Yunus OZEL (TUR) df. Varsham BORANYAN (ARM) by forfeit, 5-0
Semifinal: Chingiz LABAZANOV (RUS) df. Aliaksandr DZEMYANOVICH (BLR) by TF, 8-0

Repechage: Afshim BYABANGARD (IRI) df. Balint KORPASI (HUN), 4-3
Repechage: Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) df. Ionel PUSCASU (ROU) by TF, 9-1
Repechage: Balint KORPASI (HUN) df. Aleksandar MAKSIMOVIC (SRB), 7-2
Repechage: Ionel PUSCASU (ROU) df. Fernando Vicente GOMEZ (MEX) by TF, 8-0

Quarterfinal: Yunus OZEL (TUR) df. Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE), 4-1
Quarterfinal: Varsham BORANYAN (ARM) df. Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), 2-1
Quarterfinal: Aliaksandr DZEMYANOVICH (BLR) df. Shermet PERMANOV (TKM) by FALL, 4-6
Quarterfinal: Chingiz LABAZANOV (RUS) df. Afshim BYABANGARD (IRI), 4-0

1/8: Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) df. Justin Dashaun LESTER (USA), 9-7
1/8: Shermet PERMANOV (TKM) df. Knut Zakarias TALLROTH (SWE) by FALL, 7-3
1/8: Afshim BYABANGARD (IRI) df. Young-Ha KIM (KOR), 2-0
1/8: Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) df. K.K. YADAV (IND) by TF, 8-0
1/8: Aliaksandr DZEMYANOVICH (BLR) df. Kairat TUGOLBAEY (KGZ), 10-2
1/8: Yunus OZEL (TUR) df. Ionel PUSCASU (ROU), 3-1
1/8: Varsham BORANYAN (ARM) df. Dilshodjon TURDIEV (UZB) by TF, 10-2
1/8: Chingiz LABAZANOV (RUS) df. Balint KORPASI (HUN), 2-1

Qualification: Justin Dashaun LESTER (USA) df. Mindia TZULUKIDZE (GEO), 5-0
Qualification: Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) df. Ridong ZHANG (CHN) by TF, 9-0
Qualification: Knut Zakarias TALLROTH (SWE) df. Matthias MAASCH (GER), 2-2
Qualification: Aliaksandr DZEMYANOVICH (BLR) df. Tomas SOBECKY (CZE) by TF, 8-0
Qualification: Yunus OZEL (TUR) df. Fernando Vicente GOMEZ (MEX) by TF, 8-0
Qualification: Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) df. Noritomo ETO (JPN) by TF, 8-0
Qualification: Dilshodjon TURDIEV (UZB) df. Kristaps KALNAKARKLIS (LAT) by TF, 8-0
Qualification: Shermet PERMANOV (TKM) df. Franson Rsei GIBBONS (PLW) by FALL, 4-0
Qualification: Chingiz LABAZANOV (RUS) df. Aleksandar MAKSIMOVIC (SRB), 5-2
Qualification: Ionel PUSCASU (ROU) df. Georgios PREVOLARAKIS (GRE), 7-0
Qualification: K.K. YADAV (IND) df. Vojtech JAKUS (SVK) by FALL, 5-3
Qualification: Varsham BORANYAN (ARM) df. Riccardo Vito ABBRESCIA (ITA) by TF, 9-0
Qualification: Kairat TUGOLBAEY (KGZ) df. Joseph Dominic LOPEZ (GUM) by TF, 9-0
Qualification: Balint KORPASI (HUN) df. Armen VARDANYAN (UKR), 2-0

98kg

GOLD: Oliver Adrian HASSLER (GER) v. Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM)
BRONZE: Cenk ILDEM (TUR) v. Alin ALEXUC-CIURARIU (ROU)
BRONZE: Ghasem Gholamreza REZAEI (IRI) v. Aliaksandr HRABOVIK (BLR)

Semifinal: Oliver Adrian HASSLER (GER) df. Cenk ILDEM (TUR), 5-0
Semifinal: Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) df. Ghasem Gholamreza REZAEI (IRI), 3-1

Repechage: Aliaksandr HRABOVIK (BLR) df. Adam VARGA (HUN), 6-0
Repechage: Alin ALEXUC-CIURARIU (ROU) df. Miloslav Yuriev METODIEV (BUL) by Injury Default, 0-0
Repechage: Adam VARGA (HUN) df. Arslan SAPARMAMMEDOV (TKM), 5-0
Repechage: Alin ALEXUC-CIURARIU (ROU) df. Radoslaw Pawel GRZYBICKI (POL), 3-0

Quarterfinal: Cenk ILDEM (TUR) df. Ardo ARUSAAR (EST), 1-0
Quarterfinal: Oliver Adrian HASSLER (GER) df. Miloslav Yuriev METODIEV (BUL) by Injury Default, 7-2
Quarterfinal: Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) df. Aliaksandr HRABOVIK (BLR), 1-0
Quarterfinal: Ghasem Gholamreza REZAEI (IRI) df. Marthin Hamlet NIELSEN (NOR), 2-0

1/8: Oliver Adrian HASSLER (GER) df. Alin ALEXUC-CIURARIU (ROU), 3-0
1/8: Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) df. Adam VARGA (HUN), 2-0
1/8: Cenk ILDEM (TUR) df. Timo Antero KALLIO (FIN), 3-1
1/8: Miloslav Yuriev METODIEV (BUL) df. Erwin Jose CARABALLO (VEN) by DQ, 4-0
1/8: Ghasem Gholamreza REZAEI (IRI) df. Musa EVLOEV (RUS), 2-1
1/8: Ardo ARUSAAR (EST) df. Hardeep SINGH (IND), 4-1
1/8: Aliaksandr HRABOVIK (BLR) df. Zhanarbek KABDOLOV (KAZ), 4-2
1/8: Marthin Hamlet NIELSEN (NOR) df. Caylor Ryan WILLIAMS (USA), 3-0

Qualification: Timo Antero KALLIO (FIN) df. Karam Mohamed GABER (EGY) by FALL, 2-0
Qualification: Ardo ARUSAAR (EST) df. Abudurexiti ALIMUJIANG (CHN) by TF, 10-1
Qualification: Miloslav Yuriev METODIEV (BUL) df. Dimitriy TIMCHENKO (UKR), 3-2
Qualification: Zhanarbek KABDOLOV (KAZ) df. Vasil IMERLISHVILI (GEO), 1-0
Qualification: Musa EVLOEV (RUS) df. Evgeniy ACHKASOV (UZB), 6-0
Qualification: Cenk ILDEM (TUR) df. Shalva GADABADZE (AZE), 2-0
Qualification: Oliver Adrian HASSLER (GER) df. Radoslaw Pawel GRZYBICKI (POL), 2-1
Qualification: Erwin Jose CARABALLO (VEN) df. Spyridon KOUNTOURATZIS (GRE), 3-0
Qualification: Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) df. Arslan SAPARMAMMEDOV (TKM) by TF, 10-1
Qualification: Ghasem Gholamreza REZAEI (IRI) df. Carl Fredrik Stefan SCHON (SWE), 3-1
Qualification: Hardeep SINGH (IND) df. Akira OSAKA (JPN), 4-1
Qualification: Alin ALEXUC-CIURARIU (ROU) df. Daniel GASTL (AUT), 2-0
Qualification: Aliaksandr HRABOVIK (BLR) df. Vilius LAURINAITIS (LTU) by TF, 11-0
Qualification: Adam VARGA (HUN) df. Robert AVANISYAN (ISR), 3-0

#JapanWrestling

Tanabe moves halfway to historic double victory with Greco 63kg gold

Thursday, December 18, 2025 - 14:47 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (December 18) -- Kaisei TANABE didn't have to deal with one Olympic champion in moving halfway to his goal of achieving a historic double of national titles in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle. He likely won't be able to avoid another to complete the mission.

Tanabe powered his way to his first national crown in Greco with a victory at 63kg at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships on Thursday, the opening day of the four-day tournament at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym.

"While I feel relieved, I have my 'real job' of freestyle 65kg the day after tomorrow, so I have to get my mind ready and do the best I can," said Tanabe, the defending champion at freestyle 65kg who will face a potential major hurdle this year in Paris Olympic champion Kotaro KIYOOKA.

In other action, another potential future star with Iranian roots emerged on the scene after Waseda University's Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI captured the freestyle 79kg gold, while a clash of reigning world champions between Ami ISHII and Miwa MORIKAWA was set up for the women's 68kg title.

The Emperor's Cup is also serving as the domestic qualifier for next year's Asian Championships, and the first of two qualifiers for the World Championships and Asian Games.

Olympic weight classes are being contested over two days, while non-Olympic divisions are completed in a single day.

Kaisei TANABE, left, works to get behind Ryota KOSHIBA in the Greco 63kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Tanabe acknowledged that he dodged a bullet when Paris 60kg gold medalist Kenichiro FUMITA withdrew on the eve of the tournament due to injury. Fumita was entered at 63kg in what would have been his first competition since his triumph in Paris.

As both are Nippon Sports Science University alumni and still train at the campus, Tanabe said he has spent some time sparring with Fumita.

"Part of me wanted to face him [today]. But in practice, I've never scored a point," he admitted. "It was a crummy feeling. But if we faced each other in an actual match, I would never give up and try my best to win. Without him here, this became my tournament and I felt I had to take the title."

On Thursday, Tanabe showed he was clearly the best of the rest, sailing through the field with three straight technical falls. He capped his day with 4-point throw that finished off an 8-0 victory in the final in just under two minutes over Ryota KOSHIBA, another NSSU alum who happens to also dabble in freestyle.

Tanabe, whose father Chikara TANABE was a freestyle 55kg bronze medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics and is a current NSSU coach, said he likes to integrate techniques from the two styles into each other.

"To put it as simply as I can, Greco is mostly about throws and often has big 4-point moves, while freestyle is mainly precise techniques," Tanabe said. "Amid that, I want to add the fine, small moves to Greco and, amid the small moves in freestyle, aim for the big move that gives me a point spread."

Kaisei TANABE finishes up his victory over Ryota KOSHIBA with a four-point throw in the Greco 63kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

This fall, Tanabe was among a number of Japanese wrestlers who participated in the German Bundesliga, where he said he sometimes worked on Greco with his teammates. And at times for fun, the Greco wrestlers and him would do freestyle.

Tanabe won his first national title at freestyle 61kg in 2024, then moved up to 65kg last year and won the gold in the absence of Kiyooka, who like other Olympic medalists was on an extended post-Olympics hiatus. He just missed out on the two-style double that year when he lost in the Greco 67kg final to Katsuaki ENDO.

Tanabe won the freestyle 65kg gold at the Asian Championships in March, then finally clashed with Kiyooka -- also an NSSU alum -- two months later at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships, which is the second of the two domestic qualifiers for major international tournaments.

Tanabe held his own in a close 4-3 loss in the final, but Kiyooka dominated a playoff for the team to the World Championships with a one-sided 13-2 victory. Kiyooka went on to take the silver medal in Zagreb.

Should Tanabe manage to capture the gold on Sunday, it would make him the first wrestler to complete the Greco-freestyle double at the same tournament since Mitsuo YOSHIDA did it back in 1973 with victories in the 100kg weight classes.

As it is, Tanabe's victory on Thursday made him the first to achieve a career double since current NSSU head coach Shingo MATSUMOTO, who won nine straight Greco 84/85kg titles from 1999 to 2007, closed his career by taking the freestyle 96kg gold in 2008.

Ironically, another wrestler could beat Tanabe to the punch. Taishi NARIKUNI, the 2022 world champion at freestyle 70kg, is entered in that weight class as well as Greco 72kg. Both divisions will be completed before Sunday, when the freestyle 65kg final will be held.

Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI, right, spins behind Kanata YAMAGUCHI in the freestyle 79kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

At freestyle 79kg, Gharehdaghi used effective counters to score an 8-0 victory in the final over Kanata YAMAGUCHI, a world U20 bronze medalist at 74kg who had beaten him in two previous encounters.

That followed up on Gharehdaghi's victory at the Meiji Cup in May, which was tempered by a loss in the world team playoff to last year's Emperor's Cup champion Ryonosuke KAMIYA, who has moved up to 86kg.

"Losing the playoff was devastating, and I was determined to work hard so that I wouldn't lose again," said the 19-year-old Gharehdaghi, a product of the JOC Elite Academy.

Gharehdaghi was born and raised in Japan to an Iranian father and Japanese mother. Through the influence of his father, who works in the automobile industry, he started wrestling at age 3.

Although he shares a compassion for the sport with his ancestral homeland, he has only been there on visits and cannot speak Persian.

His background is similar to that of one of Japan's top rising stars, world 97kg bronze medalist Arash YOSHIDA, one of six siblings in the sport who use their mother's family name. They all started the sport at a kids wrestling club outside of Tokyo run by their father.

"I'm well aware of them," Gharehdaghi said. "I really respect them. Every one of them is strong. Their father was here today and gave me some advice."

In other finals on the opening day, Asian bronze medalist Takashi ISHIGURO went on the offensive in the second period to notch a 6-3 victory at freestyle 92kg over Daisuke MASUDA to defend his crown and claim a fifth career national title.

Kenta OGUSU won the Greco 55kg gold by completing a 9-1 technical fall with one second left over Mizuki ARAKI, who had knocked off Asian champion Kohei YAMAGIWA in the semifinals.

At women's 65kg, 2024 world U20 champion Nana IKEHATA defeated Haruka KOBARA 6-0 for her first national title, while Mahiro YOSHITAKE defeated Chisato YOSHIDA 7-2 for her third national crown and first at 72kg.

World champion Ami ISHII scores a takedown in the women's 68kg semifinal against Kaede MATSUYAMA. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Ishii, Morikawa set up clash; Kagami sharp in return

In Olympic weight classes that were competed through the semifinals, a blockbuster final was set up at women's 68kg when Ishii, the reigning world champion, advanced to a showdown with Morikawa, the winner at 65kg in Zagreb.

Ishii won both of her matches by one-sided technical falls -- giving up a lone takedown in her opening match when she lost her balance.

"I didn't think my matches went very well," Ishii said. "Especially in the first match, I rushed it too much. I want to be the aggressor and have crushing victories."

Morikawa met some stiff resistance in her semifinal with world U20 champion Ray HOSHINO, scoring two first-period takedowns before holding on for a 6-2 victory. Hoshino had knocked off three-time world medalist Masako FURUICHI 8-6 in the quarterfinals.

Ishii and Morikawa have met three times, with Ishii holding a 2-1 advantage. She won their first meeting 5-2 in the 2022 Emperor's Cup final. They clashed again in the semifinals at the 2023 Meiji Cup, with Morikawa winning 8-5. That set up a world team playoff between the two, which Ishii won 2-1.

Olympic champion Yuka KAGAMI, left, competes for the first time since her victory in Paris. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Meanwhile, Olympic 76kg champion Yuka KAGAMI looked sharp in her first competition since her victory in Paris, scoring a technical fall before beating defending champion and Asian bronze medalist Nodoka YAMAMOTO 13-4 to advance to the final.

Kagami, who was limited to an activity point in the first period by Yamamoto, was being pressured at the edge early in the second when she neatly reversed the tide and dumped her opponent for a 4-point takedown.

Kagami padded the lead and, despite giving up a takedown and roll, she was never in danger. In Friday's final, she will face veteran Yasuha MATSUYUKI.

At Greco 87kg, rising teen star Taizo YOSHIDA, a world senior and U20 bronze medalist at 82kg, posted two technical falls, each inside of two minutes, to advance to the final. Two-time defending champion So SAKABE was a late withdrawal.

Day 1 Results

Freestyle

57kg (18 entries)
SF 1: Yamato OGAWA df. Kento YUMIYA, 6-4
SF 2: Fuga SASAKI df. Yamato FURUSAWA, 3-1

79kg (19 entries)
GOLD: Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI df. Kanata YAMAGUCHI, 8-0
BRONZE: Kaiyo IMAI df. Hirotaka ABE, 7-0
BRONZE: Subaru TAKAHARA df. Kojiro SHIGA, 5-2

SF 1: Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI df. Hirotaka ABE by TF, 10-0, 2:06
SF 2: Kanata YAMAGUCHI df. Subaru TAKAHARA by TF, 12-2, 3:45

92kg (25 entries)
GOLD: Takashi ISHIGURO df. Daisuke MASUDA, 6-3
BRONZE: Satoshi MIURA df. Sorato KANAZAWA,6-2
BRONZE: Ryogo ASANO df. Takato UCHIDA by Inj. Def.

SF 1: Takashi ISHIGURO df. Sorato KANAZAWA, 7-5
SF 2: Daisuke MASUDA df. Takato UCHIDA, 4-1

125kg (10 entries)
SF 1: Taiki YAMAMOTO df. Akinari ORIYAMA by TF, 10-0, :50
SF 2: Taira SONODA df. Hibiki ITO, 3-2

Greco-Roman

55kg (17 entries)
GOLD: Kenta OGUSU df. Mizuki ARAKI by TF, 9-1, 5:59
BRONZE: Kohei YAMAGIWA df. Daisuke MORISHITA, 5-0
BRONZE: Sanshiro TAKAHASHI vs Taketo NINOMIYA by TF, 9-0, 2:00

SF 1: Mizuki ARAKI df. Kohei YAMAGIWA, 6-5
SF 2: Kenta OGUSU df. Sanshiro TAKAHASHI by TF, 9-1, 4:04

63kg (19 entries)
GOLD: Kaisei TANABE df. Ryota KOSHIBA by TF, 8-0, 1:54
BRONZE: Kazuki YABE df. Shoya ITO, 7-0
BRONZE: Toya MINAMI df. Miruto TOKUHIGA, 7-5

SF 1: Kaisei TANABE df. Kazuki YABE by TF, 8-0, 1:12
SF 2: Ryota KOSHIBA df. Miruto TOKUHIGA by TF, 9-0, 3:56

87kg (9 entries)
SF 1: Taizo YOSHIDA df. Genki YAHAGI by TF, 9-0, 1:59
SF 2: Daisei ISOE df. Chihiro MOTOHASHI, 10-5

97kg (16 entries)
SF 1: Yuri NAKAZATO df. Koki MATSUMOTO by TF, 9-0, 4:12
SF 2: Takahiro TSURUTA df. Kanta SHIOKAWA, 5-0

Women's Wrestling

65kg (9 entries)
GOLD: Nana IKEHATA df. Haruka KOBARA, 6-0
BRONZE: Suzu SASAKI df. Chika AKASHI by TF, 14-4, 2:59
BRONZE: Nanoha YASHIMA df. Rin MIYAJI, by Inj. Def.

SF 1: Nana IKEHATA df. Suzu SASAKI, 10-2
SF 2: Haruka KOBARA df. Nanoha YASHIMA, 6-4

68kg (8 entries)
SF 1: Ami ISHII df. Kaede MATSUYAMA by TF, 10-0, 3:41
SF 2: Miwa MORIKAWA df. Ray HOSHINO, 6-2

72kg (9 entries)
GOLD: Mahiro YOSHITAKE df. Chisato YOSHIDA, 7-2
BRONZE: Ai SAKAI df. Miyu TAKAYAMA, 5-5
BRONZE: Yuka FUJIKURA df. Asahi NAKAMURA, 8-0

SF 1: Chisato YOSHIDA df. Miyu TAKAYAMA by TF, 10-0, 4:56
SF 2: Mahiro YOSHITAKE df. Yuka FUJIKURA, 4-0

76kg (8 entries)
SF 1: Yuka KAGAMI df. Nodoka YAMAMOTO, 13-4
SF 2: Yasuha MATSUYUKI df. Makoto KOMADA, 7-0

Soryan Eyes Sixth Title, Gaber Readies Run to Rio (Live Updates)

Comments

Tanabe moves halfway to historic double victory with Greco 63kg gold