#WrestleHangzhou

Asian Games Wrestling: Japan puts 3 in WW finals; Iran vs China in GR

Thursday, October 5, 2023 - 01:54 By Vinay Siwach

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LIN'AN, Hangzhou, China (October 5) -- The Asian Games will see the second day of wrestling and it will be a mix of Greco-Roman and Women's Wrestling. World champions Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI), Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) and Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) will be in action among others as Greco-Roman 97kg and 130kg and Women's Wrestling 50kg, 53kg and 57kg wrestlers take the mat.

LIVE MATCH ORDER | BRACKETS | DAY 1 RESULTS

The five finals for the evening session at the Asian Games

GR 97kg
Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) vs. Yiming LI (CHN()

GR 130kg
Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) vs. Lingzhe MENG (CHN)

WW 50kg
Son Hyang KIM (PRK) vs. Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN)

WW 53kg
Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) vs. Qianyu PANG (CHN)

WW 57kg
In Sun JONG (PRK) vs. Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN)

12:32: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) defends from par terre to beat Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ) 3-1 in the 130kg semifinal. He will wrestle for gold against Lingzhe MENG (CHN) who completed a 1-1 criteria win over Minseok KIM (KOR).

12:25: Yiming LI (CHN) is the second finalist in Greco-Roman for China! He pins Seyeol LEE (KOR) in the 97kg semifinal to move on. He will take on Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) in for the gold medal.

12:15: Qianyu PANG (CHN) with a final second headpinch for four to beat Hyogyong CHOE (PRK). Absolute scenes here in Lin'an. Choe was in complete control of the bout leading 5-2 but then got locked by Pang who tried the first throw with 20 seconds left on the clock but was given clean. She keeps holding Choe in the headlock and completes the throw this time to get four! A challenge from Choe but that was lost. Pang into the final 7-5. She will face Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) who scored a 10-0 win over Bortulaya BAT-OCHIR (MGL)

12:05: Kexin HONG (CHN) is just not able to break In Sun JONG (PRK) defense. Hong on a big attack but Jong splits to defend. She then shrugs Hong using her leg to get 2 for exposure. Hong was unable to score from that split. Just before the break, Hong manages to score a takedown. Jong with a clutch takedown to win 4-2 and enter the 57kg final.

11:50: Seyeol LEE (KOR) with a turn in par terre to beat Narinder CHEEMA 3-1 at 97kg and he moves into the semifinals. Local favorite Yiming LI (CHN) with a takedown and three turns to complete an 8-0 win over Atthaphol SIRITHAHAN (THA).

11:46: Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) goes into the 97kg semifinals with a controlled win over U. DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) while Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ) pins Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB) at 130kg

11:40: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) into the semifinal after yet another 9-0 win in a minute and 50 seconds over Aybegshazada KURRAYEV (TKM). On Mat C, Lingzhe MENG (CHN) gets a 3-0 win over NAVEEN.

11:30: Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) got a scare from MANSI but she sees her off 3-2 in the 57kg quarterfinal. After all the Women's Wrestling quarterfinals, only Japan and DPR Korea wrestlers are unbeaten.

11:25: Kexin HONG (CHN) with a quick fall over Emma TISSINA (KAZ) at 57kg. The semifinal will be a fiery affair as she gets In Sun JONG (PRK). The 57kg wrestler gave no chance to Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL) and won 10-0

11:15: At 50kg, Sonhyang KIM (PRK) with a controlled 8-0 win over Jiang ZHU (CHN). Top-class single leg takedowns from Kim to move into the finals. Can she challenge Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN)? The Japanese star beat Aktenge KEUNIMKAEVA (UZB) in the quarterfinals via fall.

11:05: Qianyu PANG (CHN) and Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) let it fly in the 53kg quarterfinals. Pang built a 6-0 lead but Sedneva scored a four and takedown to make it 6-6. Pang with a clutch four-pointer to secure a 10-6 win

Here's how the other three 53kg quarterfinals went about

Akari FUNINAMI (JPN) with a 1:55 fall over ANTIM.

Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) wins 10-0 over Meng HSIEH (TPE) in 2:12.

Hyogyong CHOE (PRK) gut wrenches Vannak SAMBAT (CAM) for a 10-0 win.

10:50: Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) gets the first par terre advantage and scores a turn. As he was going for the second, Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) blocks him and almost got the pin. A 3-2 lead for Saravi. A stepout makes it 4-2 before he scores a takedown and goes into the break leading 6-2. Assakalov gets a passivity point in the second period but Saravi will move on with a 6-3 win.

10:45: Lingzhe MENG (CHN) with four turns to beat Timothy LOH (SGP) 9-0 at 130kg in Greco-Roman. He is followed by world champion Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) who also scores four turns from par terre to beat Nanthawat PANPHUEK (THA) 9-0.

10:40: Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) was troubled by Jeongae BARK (KOR) but the Japanese world champion with a top 10-0 win at 57kg. On Mat A, it's time for Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) vs Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) in 97kg Greco-Roman.

10:30: Asian champion Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) launches a deadly leg lace against SAMNANG DIT (CAM) to finish the 50kg bout in 30 seconds. On Mat B, In Sun JONG (PRK) with a fall over Thi Anh TRAN (VIE) at 57kg.

10:25: Contrasting results for Kazakhstan. Emma TISSINA (KAZ) works a 8-0 lead before pinning Danielle LIM (SGP) at 57kg. But Miran CHEON (KOR) beats Svetlana ANKICHEVA (KAZ) 2-1 at 50kg.

10:22: Pooja GEHLOT finishes her 50kg bout against Manlika ESATI (THA) in the first period. A takedown and roll to make it 4-0 before earning a 10-0 technical superiority win.

10:20: Tokyo Olympic silver medalist has all the cheers from the crowd as she beats Thi NGUYEN (VIE) 8-0, a win which included three takedowns and two technical points.

10:15: Super fast action on Mat B and Mat C. Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) got tossed for a four but she pins Ahinsa PORUTHOTAGE (SRI) at 53kg. On Mat C, Hyogyong CHOE with a fall over Hyunyoung OH (KOR) at 53kg. She is followed by Son hyang KIM (PRK) who uses an arm-trap to roll to a 10-0 win over Thi Xuan NGUYEN (VIE).

10:05: World bronze medalist ANTIM scores two takedowns to lead 5-0 at the break against Jasmina IMMAEVA (UZB). Antim is the Asian Championships silver medalist and a win will give her a chance to wrestle world and Asian champion Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) in a rematch of the Asian final. Antim works that outside single for two more takedowns before finishing the bout with a similar takedown. She wins 11-0.

10:00: Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Bolortuya BAT-OCHIR (MGL) comes out with double-leg for four. A turn to make it 6-0 but give up a reversal to Marimar CANDRA (INA). Two more takedowns for Bat-Ochir and she leads 10-1 at the the break. Four to begin the second period and Bat Ochir moves into the quarterfinals at 53kg.

#JapanWrestling

Two-time Olympic champ Risako Kinjo brings curtain down on stellar career

Sunday, October 12, 2025 - 23:14 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO, Japan (October 12) -- Risako KINJO (JPN), who won two Olympic gold medals under her maiden name of Kawai before capturing a fourth world title last year after giving birth, officially announced her retirement over the weekend.

"I felt that I had experienced everything that was good about being a wrestler," the 31-year-old Kinjo told the Japanese media Sunday on bringing down the curtain on one of wrestling's most sterling careers. "I felt fulfilled and happy with a life in which wrestling was my passion."

Kinjo also revealed that she is pregnant with her second child as she spoke to the media at the Japan Women's Open in Akitsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, where she was coaching younger sister Yukako TSUNEMURA (JPN), who was returning to the mat for the first time since becoming a mother herself.

Kinjo first announced her retirement on her Instagram account on Saturday night, stating that in the 24 years since she started wrestling at age 7, "I have had good experiences and bad, highs and lows. But to win four world championships and two consecutive Olympics was all due to the support and encouragement of many people. I thank them all."

Kinjo first struck Olympic gold at 63kg at Rio in 2016, then won out in a duel that captivated the wrestling world with fellow Rio and four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO (JPN) for the 57kg spot at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where she took home a second gold.

Of the clash of the titans with Icho, Kawai remarked, "I had no more difficult period than that. I'm glad I was able to experience it."

In the Tokyo semifinals, Kinjo had to face yet another Rio gold medalist in Helen MAROULIS (USA), who had moved up from 53kg. Kinjo came away with a 2-1 win, then defeated Iryna KURACHKINA (UWW) 5-0 for the gold.

With Yukako also winning the 62kg gold, it elevated the Kawai sisters to celebrity status in the host country. The two got their start in the sport at the kids' club run by their mother. Both of their parents were national-level wrestlers.

Soon after Tokyo, Risako married former wrestler Kiryu KINJO, and in May 2022, gave birth to a baby girl. Instead of settling down to a domestic life, motherhood lit a fresh flame to continue the sport.

"I had originally planned to win the Tokyo Olympics and then retire gracefully," Kinjo said. "I even told people around me that I would quit after the Tokyo Olympics. But when I got married and got pregnant, I felt that my body wasn't only my own, and I wanted to continue wrestling.

"While I was pregnant, I watched Yukako's matches and thought to myself, 'If it were me, I would do it like this,' so after my child was born, I decided to try it again."

Her bid to win a third straight Olympic gold in Paris, however, was derailed by the reigning world 57kg champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN), who went on to triumph in the French capital.

Rebuffing speculation that the loss would mark her swan song, she showed her passion for the sport by sticking around. With the incentive of wanting to have her daughter see her compete and make some history, she had no qualms about moving into the non-Olympic weight of 59kg.

She suffered a setback of sorts at the Asian Championships in April 2024, when she lost to Qi ZHANG (CHN) in the semifinals and had to settle for a bronze medal.

But she righted the ship at the Non-Olympic Weight World Championships in October that year in Tirana, Albania, where she cruised into the 59kg final and defeated Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) 4-2.

"No one from Japan had ever achieved becoming a 'world No. 1 as a mama', and it would be ideal if I could do it," Kinjo recalled thinking. "When I accomplished it at the World Championships last October, as soon as it was over I thought there is nothing else that I want."

That victory added to the three consecutive senior world golds that she won from 2017 to 2019. She also has a silver from 2015, and her laurels include a world cadet (U17) gold and two world junior (U20) titles, and she was a four-time Asian champion.

Kinjo was a star at Shigakkan University during its golden era as the elite powerhouse of women's wrestling in Japan, also producing such greats as Icho, Saori YOSHIDA (JPN), Eri TOSAKA (JPN), Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) and Sara DOSHO (JPN).

Looking ahead, she says her focus will be on raising her new baby while staying involved in the sport.

"Right now I am eight months pregnant, and first and foremost I will put my full efforts into proper childcare. And at the same time, I will be Yukako's coach and always maintain a link to wrestling," she said.

At the Japan Women's Open, a second-tier event that offers qualifying spots at the All-Japan Championships, Yukako showed she still has some rust to be knocked off. Entered at 59kg, she won her first two matches before falling to high schooler Miuna KIMURA (JPN) 4-1 in the semifinals.

The tournament also saw the return of Sakurai for her first competition since winning the gold in Paris. She needed three wins to take the 57kg title, defeating collegian Himeka HASEGAWA (JPN) 5-0 in the final.