Ozaki awaits as Kawai among Olympic medalists set to return for Meiji Cup

Tuesday, June 14, 2022 - 00:00 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO, Japan (June 14) -- While the cats who hauled in the medals for Japan at the Tokyo Olympics were away, the mice were not only playing, but showing they could be world-beaters as well.

Most of Japan's Olympic medalists, including three of the five who won golds, will be returning to action for the first time since the Tokyo Games at this week's Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships, and most will be facing stiff challenges from wrestlers who filled the global gaps in their absences.

The sparks will particularly be flying in the women's competition, in which one weight class could see a showdown between the Olympic and world champions (Yui SUSAKI and Remina YOSHIMOTO at 50kg) and other between the Olympic champion and a world medalist (Yukako KAWAI and Nonoka OZAKI at 62kg).

One potential clash of the titans was put on hold when the Tokyo gold medalist moved up a weight class. Teenaged world champion Akari FUJINAMI will put her 97-match winning streak on the line in a quest to defend her 53kg title, but she won't have to contend with Mayu SHIDOCHI (formerly MUKAIDA).

Shidochi, the Olympic champion and 2021 newlywed, is entered at 55kg, the weight class in which she won world titles in 2016 and 2018. Among her competition, there will be newly crowned Asian champion Umi IMAI.

Fujinami, now a freshman at Nippon Sports Science University, will likely have her toughest competition in two-time former world champion Haruna OKUNO and 2019 world 55kg silver medalist Nanami IRIE, both of whom she has already beaten twice.

The Meiji Cup, to be held June 16-19 at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym, is the second of Japan's two qualifying tournaments for this year's World Championships in Belgrade. Winners at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships held last December who triumph at the Meiji Cup automatically earn tickets to Serbia; if the champion is different, a playoff will be held at the end of that day's action.

None of Japan's Olympic medalists -- and only one of the 12 Olympic team members --competed at the Emperor's Cup, meaning the majority will have to win the Meiji Cup title and the subsequent playoff to go to the World Championships.

The tournament will mark the first time in three years that family members, teammates and spectators will be allowed, as the Japan federation had maintained strict protocols throughout the pandemic. The number of daily infections has been steadily decreasing, and the Japanese government has this month reopened the door to foreign tourists.

The two Tokyo gold medalists who the fans will have to wait to see again are women's 57kg champion Risako KAWAI and freestyle 65kg titlist Takuto OTOGURO, neither of whom are entered.

Kawai, who like Mukaida got married soon after her Tokyo triumph, gave birth to her first child in May, and is eyeing a return at this year's Emperor's Cup in December. An inquiry to Otoguro's Japan Self-Defense Forces team for a reason for his absence went unanswered.

Yukako KAWAI (JPN) is set to return to action for the first time since the Tokyo Olympic Games. (Photo: UWW / Gabor Martin)

The fans, however, will be treated to the return of the other half of the golden Kawai sisters, and Yukako could feature in the match of the tournament if she and 19-year-old defending champion Ozaki clash as expected at 62kg. The two have never faced each other.

Ryo KANEHAMA, Kawai's coach at Suntory Beverage, said that Kawai restarted full-time training about a month after the Olympics and is well prepared for the Meiji Cup. "She has returned to top shape," he said. "About the same level as for the Olympics."

Asked what will be the key point in facing Ozaki, Kanehama replied, "Not allowing her to get her ankles [for a lace lock]. If she gets the ankles, that will lead to big points, so first of all she has to prevent her from using that technique."

On their feet, Kanehama says it's a toss-up between the two. "Until they face each other, we won't know. Ozaki has a really good low single, so the main point will be how well Kawai can keep her from grabbing her leg."

Ozaki, who won consecutive world U17 titles in 2018 and 2019, is coming off a confidence-boosting victory at the Asian Championships in April in Ulaanbaatar, where she beat Olympic silver medalist Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) in the final to avenge a first-round loss to her at 2021 World Championships.

Last year in Oslo, Ozaki jumped out to a 4-0 lead against Tynybekova, only to see the Kyrgyz star storm back for a 6-4 victory. Ozaki battled back through the repechage to take the bronze in her international senior debut, while Tynybekova won the gold.

Assessing Ozaki's matches with Tynybekova, who has been a longtime nemesis of Kawai, Kanehama observed, "At the World Championships, as I think Ozaki also believes, she made a mistake in strategy. At the recent Asian Championships, I think she reflected on that and used it in her wrestling. She wrestled smart, and I think that shows her progress."

The possible match between Kawai and Ozaki is generating wide interest, and Kanehama is no exception. Asked if he's looking forward to it, he replied, "Sure, they have to eventually face each other somewhere. Heading to the Olympics, it will have to be decided sometime. That day is going to come."

Yui SUSAKI (JPN) will lace her boots up for the first time since outscoring her opponents 41-0 en route to the 50kg Olympic gold medal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The other titanic clash could come at 50kg between Susaki and Yoshimoto, although Susaki has to be regarded as the favorite in that one. Susaki, a recent graduate of Waseda University who can now train full-time under corporate sponsorship, defeated Yoshimoto in their two previous encounters, most recently a close 2-1 win at the 2019 Junior Queens Cup.

But Yoshimoto, a senior at Shigakkan University, has made great strides in recent years, as seen in her performance at last year's World Championships, where she reeled off four straight wins by fall or technical fall before beating Olympic bronze medalist Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) 5-3 in the final. She was even more dominant at the Asian Championships.

How sharp Susaki will be after her long layoff could determine the outcome.

Meanwhile, Tsugumi SAKURAI has since moved up to 57kg from 55kg, the weight class in which she won the gold in Oslo, as she aims to eventually thwart Risako Kawai's attempt to win a third straight Olympic gold. Sakurai won the Emperor's Cup in December, defeating world bronze medalist Sae NANJO in the final, and a rematch looks likely.

World champion Masako FURUICHI has returned to 72kg after an unsuccessful outing at 68kg at the Emperor's Cup. She could face a showdown with Emperor's Cup champion Sumire NIIKURA, who won a silver medal at the Asian Championships in her first-ever international competition.

Japan's top cat in Greco-Roman, Olympic silver medalist Kenichiro FUMITA, returns as he looks to earn a shot at a third career world title at 60kg. Nicknamed by the Japanese press as the "Cat Wrestler" for his backbone flexibility and love for felines, he will be gunning for his fourth career Meiji Cup title and first since 2019.

Waiting in the wings will be Ayata SUZUKI, who won his second straight Asian bronze medal in April. The two train together at their alma mater Nippon Sports Science University and met in the final of the 2020 Emperor's Cup, with Fumita coming away with a 2-1 victory.

Suzuki won last year's Emperor's Cup, meaning that Fumita will have to beat him in a playoff to earn a ticket to Belgrade. "This time with the Olympics over, Fumita might not be at his sharpest," Suzuki told the Japan federation website. "So I think I have a chance."

At 77kg, Shohei YABIKU will have to perform under the new-found pressure that comes with being an Olympic bronze medalist. As Emperor's Cup champion Kodai SAKURABA is skipping the tournament due to injury, Yabiku can secure a place on the world team outright with a victory.

His main competition will likely come from Nippon Sports Science University's Nao KUSAKA, the Emperor's Cup runner-up and a double collegiate champion.

At 55kg, world champion Ken MATSUI would like nothing better than to have a chance to avenge his humiliating defeat in the Emperor's Cup final to Yu SHIOTANI, who won a second straight Asian gold in Ulaanbaatar.

Shiotani tossed Matsui around like a rag doll, scoring consecutive five-point throws in an 11-0 technical fall in 1:42.

World 63kg bronze medalist Kensuke SHIMIZU, the nephew of a former Olympic speed skating gold medalist, has moved up to 67kg after failing to medal at the Asian Championships. He could clash with Emperor’s Cup champion Katsuaki ENDO, who won a bronze medal at 67kg in Ulaanbaatar.

In freestyle, the weight class to watch will be 61kg, which looks to come down to a rematch of the Emperor's Cup final between 2020 Asian bronze medalist Ryuto SAKAKI and Rio Olympic silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI. Sakaki won that encounter 4-0, but much has changed since then.

Higuchi has rebounded well from his calamitous bid to make the Tokyo Games that was scuttled when he failed to make weight at 57kg for the Asian qualifying tournament. When an injury kept Sakaki out of the Asian Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Higuchi stepped in and came away with the 61kg gold, capped by a 46-second win in the final. It was his first major international title since winning the 2018 world U23 gold at 65kg.

Sakaki, the 2017 world 58kg U17 champion, skipped the East Japan college league tournament in April due to injury, so it remains to be seen how effective he will be against the high-flying Higuchi.

Japan's other freestyle Asian champion, the somewhat eccentric Taishi NARIKUNI, will look to make his first senior World Championships by adding the Meiji Cup title at 70kg to his inaugural Emperor's Cup triumph from last December.

Narikuni, whose mother was a two-time world champion and runs the kids club where he started the sport, has been an outlier of sorts in Japan, as he prefers to focus his training mostly in the weight room instead of on the mat. He harbors a bold dream of someday winning world titles in both freestyle and Greco-Roman.

Narikuni won the Asian title when he came back from a 1-3 deficit in the final to defeat world silver medalist Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) 4-3.

Also worth watching is veteran Sohsuke TAKATANI, who is making his first Meiji Cup outing since 2019. The three-time Olympian was the only member of the Tokyo 2021 squad to compete at the Emperor's Cup, where he moved up from 86kg and won the 92kg crown -- his 11th straight title over four weight classes.

He has entered again at 92kg and will be aiming for his fourth straight Meiji Cup title and sixth in seven years. Takatani was a 2014 world silver medalist at 74kg.

Takatani will be looking to repeat a sibling double with younger brother Daichi, the Emperor's Cup champion at 74kg who won a bronze medal at the Asian Championships.

Among the entries at 86kg is Mao OKUI, who has made a big jump up in weight classes after placing fifth at the 2019 World Championships at 74kg. That earned a place for Japan at the Tokyo Olympics, but Okui failed to fill it himself when he lost to Keisuke OTOGURO, Takuto's older brother, in a playoff for the spot.

At 57kg, Toshihiro HASEGAWA, a 2021 world bronze medalist at 61kg, will be looking to follow up his victory at the Emperor's Cup and return to the World Championships at the Olympic weight. Aiming to stop him will be Yuto TAKESHITA and Rikuto ARAI, Asian bronze medalists in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

This year's Meiji Cup will also be unique in that the federation has taken the rare move of charging a nominal admission fee for general fans. This is likely due to the combination of the Olympic medalists returning to the mat and the fact that this will be the first event fans can see live in such a long time.

A Japan federation official said the last time he can recall tickets being sold for a wrestling tournament was in 2007, when Norifumi "Kid" YAMAMOTO, who had become a popular mixed martial arts competitor, returned to freestyle wrestling at the All-Japan Championships in a bid to make the Beijing Olympics.

The tournament ended for the older brother of multi-world champions Miyu and Seiko YAMAMOTO when he suffered a dislocated elbow 16 seconds into his second-round match at 60kg and lost by fall.

Schedule

June 16 (Thursday)

FS 65kg-79kg; GR 63kg-97kg-130kg; WW 59kg-68kg-76kg

10:00 - 12:30 1st round through quarterfinals
13:00 - 14:00 Semifinals
14:00 - 15:45 Repechage
15:45 - 16:15 3rd-Place Finals
16:15 - 17:35 Finals

June 17 (Friday)

FS 61kg-74kg-125kg; GR 67kg-72kg-87kg; WW 57kg-65kg

10:00 - 12:30 1st round through quarterfinals
12:30 - 13:30 Semifinals
13:30 - 15:15 Repechage
15:15 - 15:45 3rd-Place Finals
15:45 - 17:05 Finals

June 18 (Saturday)

FS 70kg-86kg-92kg-97kg; GR 55kg-82kg; WW 53kg-72kg

10:00 - 12:30 1st round through quarterfinals
12:30 - 13:30 Semifinals
13:30 - 15:15 Repechage
15:15 - 15:45 3rd-Place Finals
15:45 - 17:05 Finals

June 19 (Sunday)

FS 57kg; GR 60kg-77kg; WW 50kg-55kg-62kg

10:00 - 12:30 1st round through quarterfinals
12:30 - 13:15 Semifinals
13:15 - 14:45 Repechage
14:45 - 15:05 3rd-Place Finals
15:05 - 15:30 Ceremony for return of Meiji Cup, etc.
15:30 - 16:50 Finals

*Playoff for World Championships team in weight classes between winners of Emperor's Cup and Meiji Cup will be held approximately one hour after the completion of that day's competition.

#WrestleTirana

World Championships: Sadulaev caps golden return with 92kg title

Friday, November 1, 2024 - 00:20 By Ken Marantz

TIRANA, Albania (October 31)--After a long absence from the mat forced by a combination of injuries and extenuating circumstances beyond his control, two-time Olympic champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) returned in triumph.

It wasn't at his usual weight class and he has no plans to remain there, but for now the Russian great can be satisfied with adding yet another global gold medal to his formidable collection.

Sadulaev won his sixth world title in a third different weight class when he defeated Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) 6-0 in the final at freestyle 92kg on Thursday, the final day of the Non-Olympic Weight Categories in Tirana.

"I can’t express what I feel yet," Sadulaev said. "I am very happy to be back on the top place of the podium of the world championships. This time it was a bit more difficult than the previous ones. There were many things that didn’t depend on me. I am glad."

Meanwhile, up-and-coming Masanosuke ONO (JPN), following up on Japan's success in the lightest weights at the Paris Olympics, completed a dominant run to the 61kg gold, while Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) and Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) ended long waits to return to the medal podium by making it to the top step at 70kg and 79kg, respectively.

Sadulaev, wrestling at 92kg for the first time in his career and down from 97kg for the first time since winning the 86kg gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, put up his usual granite wall of defense, while also showing the combination of speed, power and agility on the attack that sets him apart from his peers.

"I was about 98kg when I started the preparation," Sadulaev said. "The weight cut was not so difficult. I stopped eating flour and sweets, and the weight started to go down. Only the last two kilograms were a bit difficult to cut.

"The only problem was that I had the weigh-ins at 8 a.m. in the morning, then we arrived at the venue and I started wrestling in 30 minutes, I didn’t even have any time to rest. All the matches were just happening one by one with no rest. That’s why I got a bit tired in the semifinal match."

In the final, Sadulaev was on the activity clock in the first period when he scored a takedown, then added a pair of gut wrenches to build a 6-0 lead. From there, he held off everything that Maisuradze threw at him to add to the five world titles he won starting in 2014.

The last time the world saw Sadulaev, he suffered a serious neck injury and was beaten in the semifinals at the 2023 World Championships in Belgrade by Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN), a former member of Sadulaev's wrestling school in Dagestan now competing for Bahrain who won the gold in Paris.

Sadulaev was declared ineligible to defend his Olympic 97kg title in Paris as part of sanctions on Russia and Belarus, and skipped what would have been his return at this year's European Championships in February due to injury.

"I found out that I will be wrestling at 92kg at the worlds only at the end of September," Sadulaev said. "I talked to the president of the federation. I was preparing to compete at the Olympic Games, but unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to enter, that’s why I decided to give it a try here...One and a half months was enough for me to prepare."

But as he showed over the two days in Tirana, he could be as competitive as ever. He started by handily defeating fellow superstar David TAYLOR (USA) in a classic matchup in the first round, then showed that his fire for success still burned bright within him when he scraped together a 4-point takedown in the final seconds to edge Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) 5-3 in the semifinals.

"It didn’t really matter if I had to wrestle Taylor in the final match or in the qualification round," Sadulaev said. "It would have been more interesting if it was a final match. It would have been very spectacular if we wrestled in the final.

"In the semifinal match, I missed an attack, and in the end, I had to get a last-second score. I think it made the match even more interesting."

Looking ahead, Sadulaev said he will be heading back up to 97kg. "This was the only one time for me wrestling at 92kg. This is not my weight class, I will be back at 97kg again. I just used this opportunity not to lose another year. I had to make history to win the world championships in three different weight classes."

The dynamic Ono, who won the world U20 gold in September, never let up on the gas in storming to a quick 10-0 victory in the 61kg final over Ahmet DUMAN (TUR).

As he did throughout the tournament, Ono transitioned immediately to a gut wrench from a takedown, scoring six quick points before Duman knew what hit him. Ono then used a snap-down to a low ankle for another takedown, then a gut wrench to finish the rout in 1:22.

Ono, who started his golden run with a 10-2 win over Tokyo Olympic and former two-time world champion Zavur UGUEV (AIN), reeled off 12-0, 11-0 and 12-0 victories to advance to the final.

The senior Asian bronze medalist this year at 65kg, he later revealed that an injury had hampered his preparations. "One month ago, I broke my ankle and I couldn't practice at all," Ono said. "The Uguev match was my first live wrestling after the fracture, and I was very unsure how I would do."

For Ono, currently a student at Yamanashi Gakuin University, the school that produced Tokyo Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN), the question is where does he go from here?

Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN), who followed Otoguro by winning the 65kg gold in Paris, beat Ono in the final at the 2023 All-Japan Championships during the Olympic qualifying process. Going down to 57kg, where Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) won the Paris gold, seems unlikely.

Wherever he ends up, he will go with confidence. "I don't know if I'll go to 65kg and face him [Kiyooka]," Ono said. "If I do, I'm definitely going to win."

As for celebrating his triumph in Tirana, that will have to wait. "In five days, I have the Japan University championships," he said.

In the 70kg final, Kaipanov scored all of his points in the second period to defeat Asian silver medalist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) 5-3 and add the gold to the world silver he won in 2019 and become just the second world freestyle champion in Kazakhstan history -- and second in two years.

Kaipanov, a two-time former Asian champion, twice scored 2-point exposures by stopping body-lock throw attempts by Aoyagi, a former teammate of Ono's at Yamanashi Gakuin who was coming off a bronze-medal finish at the World U23 Championships held a week ago in the same venue.

Kaipanov's victory came a year after Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) captured the 92kg title in Belgrade to become their country's first-ever freestyle gold medalist.

Kentchadze, a four-time European bronze medalist whose only previous world medal was a 74kg silver won in 2015, scored six takedowns in a 13-4 victory over 2023 world U23 champion Magomed MAGOMAEV (AIN) to take the 79kg gold.

Kentchadze, who was fifth at the 74kg at last year's worlds in Belgrade, gave up an opening takedown, but responded by scoring two himself to go ahead. After the second, however, he got stuffed attempting a roll to go behind 4-4, but righted the ship and added two more takedowns before the break to lead 8-4.

In the second period, Kentchadze sandwiched two more takedowns around a stepout to pull away and emerge victorious in the tournament's most crowded weight class with 33 entries.

Taylor claims emotional bronze

Taylor didn't get the gold that he came out of retirement to get in Tirana, but he did show a bit of his old magic in claiming a bronze medal at 92kg with an impressive 6-2 comeback victory over Ghasempour.

"When you're good for so long, you never know when it's time to be done," said an emotional Taylor, the Tokyo Olympic and three-time world champion at 86kg. "I just got an opportunity to go out the way I wanted to."

Ghasempour, the 2021 and 2022 world champion at 92kg, opened the scoring with a takedown while on the activity clock to lead 2-0 at the break. In the second period, Taylor went on the offensive and scored three takedowns against the tough Iranian, the last coming with two seconds left to preserve the victory.

After the match, Taylor remained on the mat for a short while, drinking in the atmosphere and the applause of the crowd. Later, he smile broadly on the medal podium and posed for photo together with Sadulaev.

The 33-year-old had retired after failing to make the U.S. team to the Paris Olympics and took the head coaching job at powerhouse Oklahoma State University. But the chance to face Sadulaev for the first time and possibly add to his gold medal collection was incentive enough to bring him back to the mat. The luck of the draw saw him face Sadulaev in the first round, where he lost 7-0.

"It was a tough decision to wrestle, but I didn't want it to end the way it did in April," Taylor said. "Going into this, I was hyperfocused on wrestling Sadulaev. The game script didn't go as I thought. I should have wrestled [him] like I did [against Ghasempour]. [The bronze-medal match] was a match of redemption. It was a world-final caliber match."

Although they met just that one time, Sadulaev had kind parting words for Taylor. "I want to congratulate Taylor on an amazing career," he said. "He was one of the best wrestlers of the modern time. I wish him good luck. Sooner or later, I will retire as well. But not now."

In the other 92kg bronze-medal match, Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) gave Slovakia a second bronze of the night when he rode a six-point lead to an 8-6 victory over a spirited Benjamin HONIS (ITA), who had been aiming to become Italy's first world medalist not named Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) since 2018.

Vito ARUJAU (USA), denied the chance to defend his world 61kg title by Ono in the semifinals, came away with a bronze medal by taking one of the biggest scalps of his career, beating Ugaev 8-3.

Arujau, shaking off a painful finger injury that caused him to need treatment during the second period, scored four takedowns in toppling the normally 57kg Uguev, who had obvious trouble handling the extra weight.

The other 61kg bronze went to Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL), who came up with a big move to defeat Nuraddin NOVRUZOV (AZE) by fall. Tseveensuren started with a 4-point pancake that Norvuzov reversed for 2, then countered a takedown attempt by locking the Azeri in a cradle and securing the fall at 2:30.

Russian-born Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK) ended Tajikistan's 17-wait for a second world medal when he broke open a tight match with a 10-point flurry in the second period to defeat Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO) 13-2 in a 70kg bronze-medal match.

Kudiev, a bronze medalist at this year's Antalya Ranking Series at 65kg, followed in the footsteps of another native Russian, Yusup ABDUSALOMOV (TJK), who won a silver at freestyle 84kg in 2007.

European U23 champion Inalbek SHERIEV (AIN), last year's world U23 gold medalist, claimed his first senior world medal with a 10-0 victory in the other 70kg bronze-medal match over Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR). Sheriev scored three takedowns in the second period to end the match with :08 left.

At 79kg, Asian champion Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI), who knocked off six-time world champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) before losing to Kentchadze in the semifinals, overwhelmed young Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) 10-0 to take home a world medal for the third consecutive year.

Takahashi, the world U23 champion at 74kg a week ago in Tirana, did a remarkable job of making it to the bronze-medal match, having come back from massive deficits in both of his repechage matches just a few hours earlier.

Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK), the 2021 European champion, scored a 2-point exposure on a counter in the second period to edge Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL) 2-1 for the other 79kg bronze.

Freestyle Results

61kg (27 entries)
GOLD: Masanosuke ONO (JPN) df. Ahmet DUMAN (TUR) by TF, 10-0, 1:22

BRONZE: Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL) df Nuraddin NOVRUZOV (AZE) by Fall, 2:30 (8-2)
BRONZE: Vito ARUJAU (USA) df. Zavur UGUEV (AIN), 8-3

70kg (25 entries)
GOLD: Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) df. Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN), 5-3

BRONZE: Inalbek SHERIEV (AIN) df. Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) by TF, 10-0, 5:52
BRONZE: Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK) df. Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO) by TF, 13-2, 4:39

79kg (33 entries)
GOLD: Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) df. Magomed MAGOMAEV (AIN), 13-4

BRONZE: Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) df. Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) by TF, 10-0, 3:49
BRONZE: Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) df. Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL), 2-1

92kg (29 entries)
GOLD: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) df. Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), 6-0

BRONZE: David TAYLOR (USA) df. Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI), 6-2
BRONZE: Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) df. Benjamin HONIS (ITA), 8-6

Ozaki awaits as Kawai among Olympic medalists set to return for Meiji Cup

Comments

World Championships: Sadulaev caps golden return with 92kg title