Top Stories of the Decade

Japan's Kaori Icho Become First-Ever Wrestler to Win Four Olympic Golds

Monday, December 30, 2019 - 14:30 By Ken Marantz

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 30) -- As the precious seconds ticked down, Kaori ICHO (JPN) was not to be denied. She was on the brink of making sporting history and earning a place among a pantheon of Olympic legends, and she didn't earn all of those previous gold medals by not fighting to the final second.

Somehow, someway, Icho managed to break the desperate hold that Valeria KOBLOVA (RUS) had on her leg and spun behind for a takedown in the final seconds, giving her a dramatic 3-2 victory in the women's 58kg final at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

She had done it. Icho became the first woman in Olympic history to win four gold medals in the same individual event in any sport. It put her in exclusive company with the only men to have achieved the feat: American athletes Al Oerter (discus, 1956-68) and Carl Lewis (long jump, 1984-96) and swimmer Michael Phelps (200m individual medley (2004-16).

"All the support I received up to now gave me the power to win this gold medal," Icho said. "I'm happiest with this gold medal."

Icho had won her first three Olympic golds at 63kg. When the number of women's weight divisions were expanded for Rio, she moved down to the newly set 58kg. That didn't mean she had it any easier. Earlier in the year, she was dealt a technical fall loss by Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, ending a 189-match winning streak that spanned 13 years.

Although Koblova had lost to Icho in their only previous meeting, a 10-0 technical fall in the final at the 2014 World Championships, she was no easy opponent. The Russian was one of only three non-Japanese wrestlers to ever beat Saori YOSHIDA (JPN), having defeated her at the 2008 World Cup, and had knocked off Purevdorj en route to the final in Rio. She came out determined and ready for revenge in the Carioca Arena.

Icho gained the first point with Koblova on the activity clock, but the Russian took advantage of a rare opening to gain a single leg, fight out of a whizzer and get behind for a takedown and a 2-1 lead with :35 left in the first period. In the second period, Koblova remained on the offensive, getting deep with a double leg but Icho forced the situation into a stalemate.

With 30 seconds to go, Icho made a futile grab for a leg, and as she came back up, Koblova shot in to secure a leg hold herself. Racing against the clock, Icho grabbed an ankle and applied a crossface, and it became a matter of whether she could break the hold in time. Her leg slipped away with :06 left, and the referee flashed the 2 points that gave Icho the epoch-making victory.

After taking two years off from competition, Icho would return in 2018 to begin a quest to become the first five-time Olympic champion at Tokyo 2020. But that dream ended when Icho lost out to fellow Rio champion Risako KAWAI (JPN) for the spot at 57kg to this year's World Championships in Nur-Sultan, where Kawai's run to the gold medal clinched her place at Tokyo 2020.

Icho's bid officially ended when she did not enter this month's All-Japan Championships in either of the two weight classes -- 50kg and 68kg --- in which the Tokyo 2020 entries had not been decided in Nur-Sultan.

Throughout her career, Icho's accomplishments paralleled those of Yoshida, but because she was less outgoing of the two, she never gained the same national notoriety. Yoshida earned more world titles (13 to 10) than Icho (mainly because Icho often took time off after an Olympics), but Icho's four Olympic golds (to Yoshida's three) will forever put her in a class of her own.

Following her Rio triumph, Icho was awarded the prestigious People's Honor Award, given for achievements that inspire the nation, from the Japanese Prime Minister. That made her only the second wrestler to ever receive the honor. Yoshida had been honored after the London 2012 Olympics, where both of them won their third Olympic golds.

Development

Strengthening the Skills of Coaches, Referees, and Administrators for the Development of Wrestling in Africa

Friday, April 4, 2025 - 13:03 By United World Wrestling Press

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El Jadida, UWW Africa Center – (April 4) --- United World Wrestling Africa, under the leadership of its President, Fouad Meskout, Vice President of United World Wrestling, is firmly committed to the development of wrestling on the continent. In collaboration with the Royal Moroccan Wrestling Federation, a certification training was organized from March 23-29, 2025.

As a prelude to the 2025 African Championships, which will be held in Morocco in early May 2025, the UWW Africa Center in El Jadida hosted an extensive training program designed for coaches, referees, and administrators across Africa. This seven-day intensive program aimed to enhance the technical and administrative skills of key stakeholders in the development of wrestling on the continent.

A Pan-African Participation
Representatives from several African nations participated in this training session, demonstrating the growing commitment to developing wrestling across the continent. The participating countries included Angola, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Tunisia, South Africa, Guinea, and Morocco.

List of Participants:

  • Angola: Nseke Tiago Ndonga
  • Burkina Faso: Zinzere Wendpoulougo Augustae Daniel, Debe Blaise, Kabre Ousseni (President of the Federation)
  • Côte d'Ivoire: Coulibaly Yire Mariam Solange, Assalé Adje Jean-Claude Pamphille
  • Cameroon: Tsam Megom Gervais, Ngono Eyia Epse Ngoumou Edwige
  • Tunisia: Aymen Lamloumi
  • South Africa: Davel Donawan
  • Morocco: Kabil Driss, Najih Abdelhak, Ouled Ben Taliaa Redouane, Hatimi Youssef
  • Guinea: Sow Mamadou Bodo (Secretary General of the Federation)

UWWAParticipants walk through a training session with UWW Development Officier, Vincent AKA. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

A Well-Structured and Comprehensive Program

During this training, participants followed an intensive curriculum focused on the three key domains of wrestling development:

✔ Coaches: Technical and methodological skill development, training plan design, performance management, and athlete safety.
✔ Referees: Advanced rule analysis, positioning on the mat, competition management, and communication.
✔ Administrators: Official communication management, utilization of UWW digital tools (Athena Platform, UWW Academy, Development Programs).

Under the supervision of renowned experts, including Vincent AKA (Coach Trainer and UWW Development Officer), Kamel Bouaziz (Referee Trainer), and Youssef Bouaziz (Administrator Trainer), participants received high-level training, equipping them with new skills to effectively contribute to the growth of wrestling in their respective countries.

Testimonials from Participants
📌 Kabil Driss (Coach, Morocco):
"I am proud and very happy to have participated in this training. We have built an extraordinary friendship with my fellow referees, coaches, and administrators. Thank you for your competence and warm participation in this seminar in Morocco. A big thank you to Mr. AKA, an exceptional leader in the development of wrestling in Africa. Your training and collaboration, as well as your educational system, have allowed us to learn and improve our understanding of our respective roles."

📌 Donovan Davel (South Africa):
"First of all, I would like to thank the Moroccan Wrestling Federation for organizing this wonderful training week. I also want to express my gratitude to the entire center’s team for their kindness and warm welcome. To the trainers Mr. Vincent, Kamel, and Youssef, your teaching was exceptional. It was a great privilege to be part of this program. I am convinced that we will all share this experience and the valuable knowledge gained in our respective countries to continue developing our beloved sport."

📌 Assalé Adje Jean-Claude Pamphille (Côte d’Ivoire):
"We return to our homeland with a great impression and a mind full of valuable knowledge. I cannot continue without reiterating my gratitude to our three trainers: our compatriot Vincent Aka (Coach Training Module), Bouaziz Med Kamel (Referee Training Module), and Youssef Bouaziz from the IT department (Administrator Training Module). Their expertise was undeniable. We return home with the necessary skills to improve our federation’s operations, especially for the benefit of our athletes."

UWWA1
Participants learn about the extensive training program designed for coaches, referees, and administrators at the UWW Africa Center in El Jadida.

Closing and Future Prospects
The training concluded on March 29, 2025, with an assessment of the knowledge acquired and a certificate award ceremony hosted by members of the Royal Moroccan Wrestling Federation. This initiative aligns with United World Wrestling Africa’s mission to professionalize and structure wrestling across the continent.

Present at the closing ceremony, Kabre Ousseni, the newly elected President of the Burkinabé Wrestling Federation, expressed his gratitude:

"I would like to thank the members of the Royal Moroccan Wrestling Federation for their presence, which added prestige to this ceremony. I also take this opportunity to commend President Fouad Meskout for his continuous efforts in developing wrestling on the continent."

With these newly acquired skills, the trained coaches, referees, and administrators are now better equipped to train and develop wrestling in their respective countries, contributing to the growth of this sport across Africa.

President Fouad Meskout emphasized:
"We are on the right track to overcome challenges together, and we will continue to organize development activities ahead of the African Championships."