Dosho Earns Shot at Olympic Repeat With Win in Japan Team Playoff

Monday, March 9, 2020 - 13:33 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (March 8)—Having stuck it out through trying times since her triumph in Rio four years ago, Sara DOSHO (JPN) finally assured that she will be able to defend her Olympic crown at this summer's Tokyo Games.

Dosho edged world junior champion Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) 3-1 in a special playoff to fill the Olympic spot at 68kg that she herself secured for Japan by placing fifth at last year's World Championships in Nur-Sultan. Morikawa had forced the playoff by winning the All-Japan title last December, where she defeated Dosho 9-2 in the semifinals.

"I had a lot of injuries, but I was able to come back and be here today," Dosho said. "I want to be completely healthy for the Tokyo Olympics and wrestling at a high level. From the time I won in Rio, my aim was to win again in Tokyo. That has not changed. I'll do what I can to make that happen."

Meanwhile, Keisuke OTOGURO (JPN) will join younger brother Takuto on Japan's team at Tokyo 2020 after he chalked up a 5-2 victory over Mao OKUI (JPN) at freestyle 74kg in the other playoff held behind closed doors at the National Training Center in Tokyo. Okui had earned Japan's spot by finishing fifth at Nur-Sultan.

Dosho had been through a lot in recent years, most notably missing almost the entire 2018 season after suffering a shoulder injury at the Women's World Cup that required surgery and kept her from defending the world title she won in 2017.

While less dominant than before, Dosho managed to win the national tournaments that earned her a ticket to Nur-Sultan, but she lost in the quarterfinals to Tamyra MENSAH (USA) and the bronze-medal match to Anna SCHELL (GER).

Sara DOSHO (JPN) defeated Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) 3-1 and will represent Japan at the Olympic Games at 68kg. (Photo: ©JWF/Sachiko HOTAKA)

According to Japan federation criteria, any Japanese winning a medal in an Olympic weight in Nur-Sultan automatically filled the berth for Tokyo 2020. Fifth-place finishers could secure the spot by winning the ensuing All-Japan Championships, also referred to as the Emperor's Cup. A loss there set up a playoff with the Emperor's Cup champion for the Tokyo 2020 ticket.

Of the three fifth-place finishers, only Takuto Otoguro followed up with a victory at the Emperor's Cup. Dosho and Okui both went down to defeat, setting up the playoffs.

The wrestle-offs were originally scheduled for Feb. 1, but were postponed when both Keisuke Otoguro and Dosho suffered injuries.

Dosho, 25, said she injured her knee in January and did not restart full-fledged practice until mid-February, and she seemed to need every ounce of energy to hold off the 20-year-old Morikawa.

There was little action in the first period, with Dosho scoring the lone point from the activity clock. Dosho padded her lead early in the second, countering a single-leg attempt by Morikawa and working around behind for 2.

Sara DOSHO (JPN) gets coached by fellow Rio Olympic champions Eri TOSAKA (JPN) and Risako KAWAI (JPN) (Photo: ©JWF/Sachiko HOTAKA)

"My main weapon is my tackle, but in my head, I was hesitant to launch attacks," Dosho said. "The way the match went, it turned out to be a good thing. I can't say it went as a I planned because I didn't get any tackles, but I worked in practice on putting pressure on the opponent and using counters, and that went well."

Morikawa, who is coached at Nippon Sports Science University by four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO and 2008 Olympic silver medalist Kenichi YUMOTO, kept up the attack, and it nearly paid off. She launched a driving double-leg tackle that forced Dosho backward, but was only able to gain a 1-point stepout for the effort.

"If I moved in the first period like I did in the second, it might have changed the flow of the match," Morikawa said. "At first, I thought I could get her to use up her energy, but she ties up well and she's strong. I kept attacking, but my opponent's defense was stiff, and I couldn't finish it off. It's good to keep attacking, but if you don't get points, you won't do well overseas or in Japan."

Before her surprisingly one-sided loss at the Emperor's Cup, Dosho had faced Morikawa three times—all while Morikawa was still a high schooler—and won all three by technical falls. It was certainly a much-improved and matured version with whom she now had to contend.

"Up until recently, I would beat her by technical falls," Dosho said. "But she really got strong and made it a tough match."

As precautionary measures against the new coronavirus, only Japan federation officials and accompanying team personnel were allowed into the NTC wrestling room where the playoffs were held. Even family members were barred. The media had to watch a livestream of the matches via Twitter or Instagram in the pressroom of the nearby soccer stadium. The wrestlers were later brought in one by one for interviews.

Given the limitations, it was interesting to note that all four women's Olympic champions from Rio were involved in the playoff. In Dosho's corner were 48kg gold medalist Eri TOSAKA (JPN) and 63kg winner Risako KAWAI (JPN), who has qualified for Tokyo 2020 at 57kg by winning the world title. On the opposite side of the mat, Icho, the Rio gold medalist at 58kg, was supporting Morikawa.

Dosho, Tosaka and Kawai all have a connection as products of powerhouse Shigakkan University. Dosho said Tosaka's advice before the match was simple: "Have confidence, and don't let your opponent dictate the pace of the match."

Of the four Rio champions, only Kawai and Dosho will be able to attempt a golden repeat. Tosaka failed to make it to the qualifiers at 50kg, while Icho lost out to Kawai, who set up a clash of Olympic champions by moving down to 57kg.

"I feel I can finally relax," Dosho said. "I lost at the World Championships, then I lost at the Emperor's Cup. This would have been the end. I staked everything on this and came into today looking at it as a challenge."

Keisuke OTOGURO (JPN) celebrates after beating Mao OKUI (JPN), 5-2, in a special 74kg Olympic wrestle-off. (Photo: ©JWF/Sachiko HOTAKA)

Otoguro Makes Tokyo 2020 a Family Affair
Although the older of the two, Keisuke Otoguro has had to yield the spotlight to brother Takuto, who in 2018 became at 19 Japan's youngest-ever world freestyle champion by winning the 65kg title. Keisuke was also at those World Championships in Budapest, but was ousted in the first round at 70kg.

On Sunday, it was Keisuke's turn to shine, and he did it with help from his family—in this case, his father. While dad was not allowed to watch the match in person, he met with Otoguro before it and offered some advice that would pay off.

As with the women's match to follow, the clash between Otoguro and Okui—who are teammates at the Self-Defense Forces Training School—featured little action in the first period as both remained tentative, and the only scoring was an activity clock point awarded to Otoguro.

Okui, who was hampered by a severe knee injury suffered a month ago, went on the attack in the second period. But he was halted on a fireman's carry attempt, and Otoguro was able to spin behind for a takedown.

From the ground position, Otoguro recalled his father's words and, while pinning one of Okui's leg behind him, gained an arm and body lock that allowed him to lever him over for an eventual roll and a 5-0 lead.

"I thought I could turn him," Otoguro said. "Before the match, I met my father, who wasn't allowed into the match, at the entrance. He said to me that I would probably be able to use that move. Even though he just kind of mentioned it off hand, that was in my head as I fought. I got in that position and I was able to turn him.

"I might have used a different move and it might have changed the outcome of the match. I'm glad we had that chat."

Keisuke OTOGURO (JPN) stops a Mao OKUI (JPN) shot in the 74kg special wrestle-off. (Photo: ©JWF/Sachiko HOTAKA)

Okui closed the gap with a single-leg takedown in the final minute, but Otoguro held off later attempts to clinch the win.

The Otoguros will become the first brothers to compete at the same Olympics for Japan since Yumoto and his twin brother Shinichi made the squad for the 2012 London Olympics. Shinichi joined Kenichi as an Olympic medalist at those Games with a bronze at 55kg. Japan will also have a female sibling combination at Tokyo 2020 with Risako and Yukako Kawai.

"Since we were young, we've had a dream of winning the Olympics together," Otoguro said. "At this New Year's, we were reaffirmed our determination to go to the Olympics together, and next, that we will both win gold medals."

Otoguro, who had won national titles at 61kg in 2015 and 70kg in 2017, purposely moved up to 74kg last year in a bid to make the Olympics. It didn't go so well at first. In the second qualifying tournament for the 2019 World Championships, the All-Japan Invitational Championships (Meiji Cup), he lost in the first round. The unheralded Okui won that tournament and earned the ticket to Nur-Sultan, then pulled a surprise by making it to the semifinals and clinching the Olympic spot.

But Otoguro was not discouraged, and came back the following December to win the Emperor's Cup and set up the playoff with Okui.

"A year ago at this time, I didn't get the qualification at the Meiji Cup," Otoguro said. "I stayed calm, and I set my target to meet the standard at the Emperor's Cup. It worked out, and then I could go for the Tokyo Olympics."

Otoguro said it was awkward preparing for the big match in the same wrestling room as his opponent, even though the two had their own training regimens.

"We practice in the same place and our [dormitory] rooms are next to each other, so it made it difficult," Otoguro said. "But we were able to stay separate and keep our focus, as you need to do when everything is on the line. The coaches allowed us to put together a training schedule that best fits us. We prepared separately for this match in our own way."

Okui suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury that will likely require surgery, but said that was not the cause of his defeat. "I decided that I would wrestle, and I don't want to use that as an excuse," he said. "I thought I had to win however I can, but midway through, I panicked a bit and that led to this result. If I had stayed calmer..."

For his part, he wishes Otoguro well at the Olympics. "I want Keisuke to win the gold medal for us," he said.

Talking about calm, Otoguro said he is not the type to feel pressure and was quite relaxed before the match; Takuto, he said, was "more nervous that me" and was the one who couldn't sleep until 2 a.m.

"I suppose there was a lot of pressure, but I'm the type that doesn't feel it," Keisuke said. "When I woke up this morning, I felt, 'I have a match today, don't I?' After I arrived here, while I was warming up, I felt, 'Yeah, I have a match.' I wasn't feeling nervous."

Otoguro, however, said he started feeling nerves about 10 days ago, mostly because of all the attention he was receiving from those around him. He said it darkened the mood.

"Ten days ago, everyone was saying, 'good luck' and 'we're counting on you,'" Otoguro said. "It subconsciously put pressure on me. At one point, I lost my desire. I was like, who cares about wrestling? But I took some time off, and remembered all I had accomplished since I was little. The hunger came back."

#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."

Dosho Earns Shot at Olympic Repeat With Win in Japan Team Playoff

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