Dauletbekov settles score with Karimi to win Asian 86kg gold

Friday, April 14, 2023 - 13:30 By Ken Marantz

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (April 14) -- Although he was the reigning champion, Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) could have been regarded as the challenger in the final, given how his opponent had dominated him over the years. Spurred on by a vocal home crowd, the futility came to a joyous end.

Daultetbekov defended his 86kg title with an inspired victory over powerful Alireza KARIMI (IRI), capturing one of Kazakhstan's two gold medals in the last five freestyle weight classes on the final day of the Asian Championships on Friday in Astana.

"It means a lot to win the Asian Championships on home soil," Daultetbekov said. "I'm very happy. I thank all the fans who came here to support us."

Teenager Arash YOSHIDA (JPN), whose wrestling bloodline runs deep and to a faraway land, marked his international debut with a spectacular run to the 92kg gold, while Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) brought down the curtain on the tournament by taking the 125kg title and exorcising a demon of his own.

Kazakhstan put four wrestlers into the finals at the packed Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial ArtsPalace, but only Darkhan YESSENGALI (KAZ) could join Dauletbekov at the top of the podium.

Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) won the other gold at stake at 61kg, adding to the Asian U23 title he won last year.

Combined with its two golds from Thursday, Kazakhstan easily secured the team title with 179 points. Japan finished second at 129, while Iran slipped to a surprising third with 124, just four points ahead of Mongolia.

Dauletbekov, a 2022 world bronze medalist, earned his second career Asian gold and fourth medal overall by finally settling a score with Karimi, who had beaten him numerous times over nearly a decade. The most recent loss was a 4-0 defeat at the World Cup in December.

But with his adrenaline in overdrive, Dauletbekov dug deep and found the will to finally come out on top, beating the two-time former Asian champion 4-1 and sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

After Karimi got the lone point of the first period with an activity point, the match opened up in the second period. Dauletbekov struck by using a snapdown and spin behind to take the lead, which he padded with a similar takedown gained after blunting a Karimi tackle attempt.

"I’ve wrestled with that Iranian athlete five or six times, and lost all the matches," Dauletbekov said. "I'm very happy to win today at home. At the last match, I followed the strategy of our coaches. This victory is important for me and I am happy to win in Kazakhstan."

For the 29-year-old Dauletbekov, the next objective is clear -- making it to an elusive Olympics for the first time, which he hopes to do by qualifying at this year's World Championships.

"The goal is to get qualified for the Olympic Games at the World Championships," he said. "We will train hard to reach the goal."

At 92kg, Yoshida won a battle of 19-year-olds over Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ), putting on an impressive show of speed and power for an 11-4 victory in the final.

Yoshida's victory made him, at 19 years and 3 months, Japan's youngest-ever male Asian champion. Yu Shiotani was 19 years and 5 months when he won the Greco 55kg gold at the 2021 Asian Championships.

Yoshida continually took the fight to Aitmukhan, scoring three stepouts and a single-leg takedown for a 6-0 first period lead. Aitmukhan got on the scoreboard with a single-leg takedown of his own to start the second period. But after that, Yoshida twice scored a takedown that Aitmukhan could only answer with a stepout, and Yoshida finished up the scoring with go-behind takedown.

"Honestly speaking, I never imagined it," Yoshida said of his victory, which gave Japan its lone freestyle gold of the tournament. "It was my first international tournament. The anxiety and nervousness were big."

For Yoshida, the key match came in the quarterfinals, when he trailed 6-3 against Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL) before rallying to a 9-7 victory.

"That match was the toughest," Yoshida said. "The last minute, I was just going on emotions and was able to pull out the win."

Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) is now the youngest male wrestler from Japan to win the Asian Championships. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

If Yoshida's aggressive, in-your-face style seems to resemble that of the Iranians, that's no coincidence. Yoshida's father Javid ESFANJANI is Iranian, a former wrestler who settled in Japan and started a kids' wrestling school in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo. That's where Arash and his siblings got their start in the sport.

As if part of a Hollywood script, Yoshida's first international match coincidentally came against an Iranian -- which he won by a 10-0 technical fall over Arashk MOHEBI (IRI). The significance was not lost on the Nihon University student.

"I wrestled an Iranian for the first time [in my career]," Yoshida said. "Iran is strong, a wrestling powerhouse. Honestly speaking, I could not have said for sure that I was going to win. I was very anxious. But I was able to do what I do best, which was good."

Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) became the first Mongolian heavyweight to win the Asian gold in 22 years. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Like Dauletbekov, Munkhtur's path to the gold was blocked by an opponent whom he had had his trouble with in recent years and was the defending champion wrestling at home to boot.

But the Mongolian eked out a 1-1 victory over Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ), by virtue of receiving the second of the two activity points in a match in which neither could launch an effective attack.

Batirmurzaev got his activity point in the first period, and Munkhtur's came in the second. That, and the crowd urging him on, sparked Batirmurzaev, who at one point worked in for a body lock throw, but the Mongolian slipped out of the hold.

"I have wrestled him before and lost twice. I have one win against him, but I really planned this win," Munkhtur said. "Because I have wrestled him before, I know his positions and I know the good and bad ones."

The two had faced each other three times in the past three years, with Batirmurzaev winning the first two and Munkhtur winning the most recent, 2-1 in the first round at last year's Yasar Dogu tournament in Istanbul.

Munkhtur only made the final in Astana by the skin of his teeth. In the semifinals, the Mongolian pulled out an 8-7 victory over Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) by scoring a 4-point trip in the final 10 seconds left.

"I had a knee injury and I have been on a break," Munkhtur added. "It was really hard mentally. So I meditated a lot, now I am healthy and I will go to the next Ranking Series event."

Yessengali, the 2019 Asian U23 silver medalist, burst out of the blocks in the 74kg final against Kirin KINOSHITA (JPN), taking a quick six-point lead that he rode to a 7-2 victory.

Yessengali secured a front headlock, from which he scored a 4-point throw that he followed up with a 2-point roll. He added a stepout in the second period, before giving up a stepout and fleeing point to Kinoshita which had little effect on the outcome.

Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) scored a 4-2 win over Minghu LIU (CHN) in the 61kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

In the 61kg final, Zhumashbek Uulu was able to neutralize the speed of Minghu LIU (CHN) to forge a 4-2 victory and give Kyrgyzstan its lone freestyle gold.

"It was my first senior Asian championships and the final opponent, the Chinese wrestler, was good," said Zhumashbek Uulu, the 2022 world U23 silver medalist and Asian U23 champion. "But he got tired, and our score was 4-2."

Liu had the advantage after the first period, coming back with an explosive double-leg takedown to go ahead 2-1. But Zhumashbek Uulu fended off all of Liu's attacks in the second period and went ahead to stay with a pair of stepouts before receiving an activity point.

Mongolia picks up 3 bronzes; Bahrain gets 2

In the third-place matches, Mongolia came away with three bronzes to cap a productive night, while BUHEEERDUN (CHN) gets the award for best snatching of a victory from what seemed like a sure defeat.

At 61kg, Tuvshintulga TUMENBILEG (MGL) kept the pressure on and got the takedown he needed with :04 left for a 4-4 win over Sardor RUZIMOV (UZB), giving him a second Asian bronze -- seven years after his first.

Compatriot Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL) earned his first major medal on any level when he cobbled together a 6-0 victory at 74kg over Byungmin GONG (KOR), a gold medalist two years ago at 79kg.

Olonbayar led 3-0 courtesy of two activity points and a penalty point when he scored his first technical points with a driving takedown off a counter. He added a takedown for good measure.

Ganbaatar also came away with a second career bronze several years after his first one, when the Zagreb Open bronze medalist used a pair of 4-point throws to put away Ajiniyaz SAPARNIYAZOV (UZB) by 10-0 technical fall at 92kg.

Ganbaatar stuck Saparniyazov with a hip throw for 4, then after scoring a takedown, unleashed a 4-point arm throw to end the match at 1:18. For Saparniyazov, he was left with his third fifth-place finish in four years.

At 125kg, 2019 Asian junior silver medalist Buheeerdun pulled a victory out of his hat with a fall over Masoumi, adding more misery to the Iranian.

Buheeerdun had sheepishly given up three straight stepouts to the powerful Masoumi, but when the two locked up and the Iranian attempted a backdrop, the Chinese landed on top of him with a mighty thud, then clamped down for the fall in 1:05.

The Russian-born pair of Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN) and Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) gave Bahrain its second and third medals of the tournament with victories in their bronze-medal matches.

Asluev scored a double-leg takedown just after receiving an activity point early in the second period and held on for a 3-2 victory over Adilet ZHAPARKULOV (KGZ) at 74kg.

A short time later Sharipov had a much easier time in dispatching Mirlan CHYNYBEKOV (KGZ) by a 10-0 technical fall at 92kg. A takedown and two gut wrenches, then consecutive single-leg takedowns, and that was it for Chynybekov in 1:43.

At 61kg, Yasin REZAEIAGHOUZGOLEH (IRI) gave Iran its lone win of the medal matches when he put on a clinic of counter wrestling, scoring a pair of 2-point exposures and a stepout off counters to the single-leg attack of Kodai OGAWA (JPN) and riding that to a 7-4 victory.

Ogawa's points came after he twice got behind and in control, but he could not get the Iranian's knees to the mat and had to settle for stepouts, with a fleeing point tagged on each time. Rezeiaghouzgoleh had a takedown of his own early in the second period.

Bobur ISLOMOV (UZB) won his second straight bronze medal, overwhelming Weng Gary CHOW (SGP) with a 10-0 technical fall in 1:30 at 86kg, the same result and scoreline when the two met in the first round last year in Mongolia.

Islomov got a quick takedown and, locking up an arm, added a tilt and two rolls for an 8-0 lead. The overmatched Chow showed some spirit by attempting an arm throw, but Islomov stopped it and got behind for the takedown that ended the match.

Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN), coming off winning a silver medal at the Zagreb Open, picked up his first major senior medal with an 11-0 technical fall over LIN Zushen (CHN) at 86kg.

Ishiguro, who has a 2019 World U23 bronze and 2018 world junior gold to his credit, showed his dexterity with a nifty ankle pick for one of his three takedowns. He finished off the win in the second period with a takedown-gut wrench combination.

Anirudh KUMAR (IND) took home the other bronze at 125kg with a 12-2 technical fall over Sardorbek KHOLMATOV (UZB).

Kholmatov had drawn first blood with a driving takedown over the edge, but Kumar came right back with one of his own, although his was good for four points. He repeated the move for 2, then recorded three straight go-behind takedowns to end the proceedings in 2:29.

Day 6 Results

Freestyle

61kg (13 entries)
GOLD: Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) df. LIU Minghu (CHN), 4-2

BRONZE: Tuvshintulga TUMENBILEG (MGL) df. Sardor RUZIMOV (UZB), 4-4
BRONZE: Yasin REZAEIAGHOUZGOLEH (IRI) df. Kodai OGAWA (JPN), 7-4

Semifinal: LIU Minghu (CHN) df. Sardor RUZIMOV (UZB), 8-2
Semifinal: Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) df. Yasin REZAEIAGHOUZGOLEH (IRI), 11-2

74kg (16 entries)
GOLD: Darkhan YESSENGALI (KAZ) df. Kirin KINOSHITA (JPN), 7-2

BRONZE: Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL) df. Byungmin GONG (KOR), 6-0
BRONZE: Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN) df. Adilet ZHAPARKULOV (KGZ), 3-2

Semifinal: Kirin KINOSHITA (JPN) df. Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL) by TF, 12-2, 4:43
Semifinal: Darkhan YESSENGALI (KAZ) df. Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN), 2-1

86kg (13 entries)
GOLD: Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) df. Alireza KARIMI (IRI), 4-1

BRONZE: Bobur ISLOMOV (UZB) df. Weng Gary CHOW (SGP) by TF, 10-0, 1:29
BRONZE: Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN) df. LIN Zushen (CHN) by TF, 11-0, 3:31

Semifinal: Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) df. Bobur ISLOMOV (UZB) by TF, 10-0, 2:14
Semifinal: Alireza KARIMI (IRI) df. Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN), 9-2

92kg (12 entries)
GOLD: Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) df. Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ), 11-4

BRONZE: Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL) df. Ajiniyaz SAPARNIYAZOV (UZB) by TF, 10-0, 1:18
BRONZE: Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) df. Mirlan CHYNYBEKOV (KGZ) by TF, 10-0, 1:43

Semifinal: Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) df. Ajiniyaz SAPARNIYAZOV (UZB) by TF, 13-2, 4:10
Semifinal: Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) df. Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN), 6-1

125kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) df. Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ), 1-1

BRONZE: Buheeerdun BUHEEERDUN (CHN) df. Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) by Fall, 1:05 (4-2)
BRONZE: Anirudh KUMAR (IND) df. Sardorbek KHOLMATOV (UZB) by TF, 12-2, 2:29

Semifinal: Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) df. Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI), 8-6
Semifinal: Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) df. Sardorbek KHOLMATOV (UZB) by Fall, 4:46 (7-0)

#JapanWrestling

Fujinami cruises in test run at 57kg, earns ticket to World U23

Tuesday, April 15, 2025 - 07:47 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (April 14) -- Paris Olympic champion Akari FUJINAMI took her new, slightly bulked-up body out for its first spin on Sunday, and it was just as high-performance as ever.

Fujinami, the reigning world and Olympic champion at women's 53kg, made her first official foray into the next Olympic weight class of 57kg, and cruised to victory in the U23 division at the Japan Junior Queens Cup in Tokyo.

"It was my first tournament at 57kg and, as the starting point at [this weight], I feel this was a good tournament to get an idea of my power at 57kg and the method for making the adjustment, all while maintaining the right amount of tension," Fujinami said.

The tournament also saw the return to the mat of Paris 62kg champion Sakura MOTOKI, who also prevailed in the U23 tournament, while recently crowned senior Asian champion Sakura ONISHI earned a chance to repeat as world U20 champion, and one-time heavyweight prodigy Ayano MORO returned in triumph at U20 from a 16-month injury absence.

Fujinami needed just two wins to win her title, winning both matches by 10-0 decision in the first period. That extended her current winning streak to 141 straight victories dating back to a loss in the final at the national junior high school championships in June 2017.

The victory also earned the 21-year-old star a place on Japan's team to the World U23 Championships, to be held Oct. 20-26 in Novi Sad, Serbia, which gives her a shot at one of the few major titles she hasn't already won.

The Junior Queens Cup, held over two days at the Tokyo Budokan in eastern Tokyo, featured competition in the four age-group divisions, U15, U17, U20 and U23, and was serving as the world qualifiers in the latter three and the Asian Championships for all four.

It was Fujinami's first individual competition since winning the 53kg gold medal at the Paris Olympics in August last year, when she added to her senior world titles from 2021 and 2023. She capped the day by finishing off Kanon YAMASHITA 10-0 in the final just inside the first-period buzzer.

"Of course, winning the title here was among my objectives," said Fujinami, who has started her third year at Nippon Sports Science University. "But I wanted to use the time here to get an actual feel for the 57kg weight class.

"In practice, I often train with others in heavier weight classes, but there is a difference between practice and actual matches. And I wanted to get that match feeling. For sure, I could feel the four-kilogram difference, but it didn't seem that big."

Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) makes her debut at 57kg at the Japan Junior Queens Cup. (Photo: Ikuo Higuchi / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Her only previous action since Paris was at a collegiate team tournament. Because it had just three weight classes, many participants, including Fujinami, wrestled outside of their usual division. She won both of her matches by fall.

More significantly, it was at that event that Fujinami made the eye-opening announcement that she was moving up to 57kg, citing the difficulty of cutting weight, as well as the historic aspect that no woman wrestler has ever won a second straight Olympic gold after moving to a higher weight class.

Fujinami, who said she never considered making a detour at 55kg, has been spending time looking for the right balance of adding weight while not losing the speed and agility that have become her trademark.

"I won't be making big changes to my style of wrestling and what has worked for me, but I will adopt and add things that fit my style so I can make progress and get to point where I'm stronger at 57kg,"she said.

The Junior Queens Cup provided the first test run in preparation for a much bigger challenge coming up. Fujinami is certain to face a significantly higher level of competition at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships in June, which will serve as the second of two domestic qualifiers for this year senior World Championships.

"The Meiji Cup in June will be the big test, and I realized here the aspects in which I want to get stronger," Fujinami said.

The world champion also said she is working on expanding her repertoire of techniques. "I want to expand my wrestling. I want to raise the level of my attacks so I can score points in different ways.

"There were things that worked and things that didn't work in these two matches. One thing I tried to work on was using an underhook, but it didn't go very well. I'll look at the video and make adjustments. I want to have more ways to score points beyond my specialty tackle."

Akari FUJINAMI (JPN), third from left, with other 57kg medalists. (Photo: Ikuo Higuchi / wrestling-spirits.jp)

One thing Fujinami doesn't want to do is dwell on the past -- she particularly doesn't like to talk about the winning streak. Her focus is forward, and constantly striving to improve.

"The Paris Olympics are done and in the past and I have begun my next challenge," she said. "Of course, there is the next Olympics. But before that, my thinking is to keep making progress and exceed my past self."

The elephant in the room regarding her move up to 57kg is that it puts her on a collision course with Tsugumi SAKURAI, the Paris gold medalist in that weight class. Fujinami has already beaten Sakurai, but not for such stakes as will be involved in the run-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Asked if there were any wrestlers at 57kg that she looked forward to facing, she replied, "Actually, there are not really any particular wrestlers that I think like that. It's more about me finding out what kind of wrestling I can do at 57kg. I have my own expectations, and I want to exceed who I was at 53kg."

One aspect of her move to 57kg that appeals to Fujinami is that she no longer has to spend time obsessing over her weight, time that can be put to much better use.

"When I was at 53kg, I would have to start focusing on cutting weight from one month before [a tournament] and that would dictate my lifestyle," she said. "But at 57kg, I can continue my regular life, which allows me to focus on the wrestling aspect."

Sakura MOTOKI (JPN), left, won the 62kg gold at the Junior Queens Cup to qualify for the World U23 Championships. (Photo: Ikuo Higuchi / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Motoki stays on track to 'Golden Grand Slam'

For Motoki, the hiatus she took after the Olympics allowed her to enjoy some culinary excesses that she normally has to avoid. She was able to get back into decent enough shape, although for better or worse, it did not play much of a factor as her weight class only had two entrants.

"I had a half-year blank since my last match at the Olympics," said Motoki, who defeated Nagisa ITO by fall in 1:02. "After getting back into shape, I thought this was good timing for getting my body back into live-match mode. I was a bit nervous.

"Partly due to cutting weight, I felt my movement was dull in the morning, but I had a long time until my match, so I was able to recover. When I was warming up, I thought, 'I feel good.' Physically, I was in pretty good condition."

Motoki also plans to enter the Meiji Cup, where she could renew her rivalry with Paris 68kg bronze medalist Nonoka OZAKI, whom she beat out for the Olympic 62kg spot. But, she said, her focus is actually more on the U23 worlds.

"This year is the last I can compete in U23," she said. "You can wrestle at the senior worlds at any age, so I'm in no rush for that. I think it's best to do it when I'm ready, both physically and technically."

A victory at the world U23 would keep Motoki on track to a feat accomplished by just two other wrestlers in history. Only compatriot Yui SUSAKI and Amit ELOR (USA) have achieved the "Golden Grand Slam" of titles on all four age-group levels along with an Olympic gold.

Motoki already has world U17 (2018) and U20 (2022) titles, and arguably got the hardest one out of the way by winning the gold in Paris. She came up short twice previously at the senior worlds, taking a bronze in 2022 and silver in 2023.

Among the other U23 winners on Sunday were senior world 55kg champion Moe KIYOOKA, who returned to that weight class after taking a silver medal at 53kg at the Asian Championships in March, and Ami ISHII at 68kg. Ishii, the world 72kg champion, has recovered from the injury that caused her to become a late withdrawal in Amman.

Sakura ONISHI (JPN) wrestles at the U20 tournament of the Junior Queens Cup. (Photo: Ikuo Higuchi / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Onishi adds to hectic schedule

In the U20 tournament on Saturday, Onishi said it was a bit difficult to turn the switch back on so fast following her golden run at 59kg at the Asian Championships.

"There was a bit of pressure," Onishi said. "After returning from the Asian Championships, I wasn't sure how to get back into the mode. That made the matches tougher here. But I was able to come around with advice and support from those around me and win the title."

Onishi, a teammate of Fujinami's at NSSU, won all three of her matches by fall or technical fall, although in the final, she gave up a 4-point counter back roll to high schooler Sae NOGUCHI as she was driving for a takedown. "That scared me for a second," Onishi said. "Finishing up my tackles has been an issue and she found an opening."

Onishi, winner at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships last December, will also look to clinch a ticket to the senior worlds with a victory at the Meiji Cup. That makes for quite a hectic schedule looking ahead.

"I have collegiate events also, but my ultimate goal is to definitely win the championship at the senior worlds," Onishi said. " To do that, I have to win the title at the Meiji Cup. I know that I've set a hard schedule for myself."

Ayona MORO (JPN) Ayana MORO (JPN) won the 76kg gold in the U20 tournament, her first since the 2023 Emperor’s Cup. (Photo: Ikuo Higuchi / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Moro, who won the U20 title at 76kg with three wins in a combined 89 seconds, has spent much of the past year rehabbing from a serious neck injury and other ailments.

The 2022 world U20 champion was competing for the first time since winning the 72kg gold at the Emperor's Cup in December 2023. She had hurt her neck in the playoff with eventual Paris Olympic chamion Yuka KAGAMI for the 2023 world team in July of that year.

She decided to put the pain temporarily aside to enter the Emperor's Cup, then started rehab. She returned intermittently to the mat, but kept reinjuring the neck. On top of that, she is asthmatic and had a bout of pneumonia that left her with a constant cough. She finally returned to full-fledged training in March this year.

"I wasn't able to do much sparring [in training], I did some light rolling around and weight training, and kept up with my rehab," said Moro, who this year left Yamanashi Gakuin University and currently trains at her high school alma mater Abe Gakuin.

"I knew I wouldn't lose on strength. I tend to think negatively, but today I was unusually confident I could do well."

When told about the aggregate quickness of her victories, including a victory in the final by fall in 19 seconds over Chisato YOSHIDA, she responded, "I didn't know that. I was too nervous, it was my first time on the mat in a long time. It was so scary on the mat. I don't remember anything."

Yuu KATSUME (JPN), a world U17 champion at 46kg, won at 49kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Potential future stars to keep an eye on

For those wanting a hint of potential stars of the future, they would be well advised to keep in mind this name: Yuu KATSUME.

Katsume swept to the U17 title at 49kg, putting her in position to win a second world title in that age group after striking gold at 46kg last year. She preceded that by winning back-to-back Asian U15 golds in 2022 and 2023.

Katsume, now a third-year student at the high school affiliated with Shigakkan University, is in the midst of putting together a Fujinami-esque winning streak.

Her most recent loss came in the fifth grade of elementary school, and that was when she entered a boys' tournament just to get a higher level of competition.

While she doesn't know the exact number of consecutive wins she has -- she added four more on Saturday, which she won by a combined score of 37-0 -- she figures it is "around 70."

Katsume will turn 17 in May, making her eligible to compete at the Emperor's Cup in December, which will also mark her senior-level debut.

Another potential star has a quite familiar name. The newly crowned 50kg champion in the U15 division was Tsukino SAKURAI, who had Paris Olympic gold medalist -- and older sister -- Tsugumi in her corner.

Tsukino is a product of the same Kochi City wrestling club run by her father in western Japan that produced not only Tsugumi, but fellow Olympic gold medalist Kotaro KIYOOKA as well as his sister Moe.

"Everyone on the team put in a lot of time and effort to help make me stronger," Tsukino said. "I'm happy to win a qualifier for an international tournament for the first time."

As is common among younger siblings, her goal is to not only catch up to her older sister, but to exceed her. (A middle sister, Hanano, recently retired after a modestly successful career at 50kg.)

"She's been to a lot of international tournaments, even the Olympics, and has won them," Tsukino said. "That makes me happy, but she has also become my goal and I want to do better than her."

Dauletbekov settles score with Karimi to win Asian 86kg gold

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Fujinami cruises in test run at 57kg, earns ticket to World U23