#WrestleYakutsk

Potential Russia and Iran World Cup Final Looming

Saturday, March 16, 2019 - 14:30 By Eric Olanowski

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YAKUTSK, Russia (March 16) – The Russian Federation went 17-3 in their 20 individual bouts and won their pair of Group A matches on the opening day of wrestling at the 2019 Freestyle World Cup in Yakutsk, Russia. The host nation is expected to take on Iran, who went 2-0 in Group B action, in Saturday night’s first-place match. 

In Group A, Russia opened up with a 9-1 routing of Cuba, then defeated Japan, 8-2. 

In their dual against their Cuban opponents, Aryian TIUTRIN (RUS) kicked things off (at 57kg) for Russia by upsetting U23 world champion Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA, 8-3, giving Russia the 1-0 lead. Reigning 61kg world champion Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) put Cuba on the board with a 5-5 win over Zelimkhan ABAKAROV(RUS), which tied the dual at one match apiece. But Russia never looked back and went on an eight-match win streak, ultimately taking the match, 9-1. 

In their second match, the Russians beat a Japanese squad who was without 2018 world champion Takuto OTOGURO, 8-2. The reigning world runner-ups trailed 2-0 after Japan's 2017 world champion Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) and Yudai FUJITA (JPN) scored back-to-back wins at 57kg and 61kg but rattled off eight straight wins for the second time on Day One and picked up the 8-2 victory. 

Though they both lost to Russia, Cuba and Japan both scooped up wins against Turkey and head into the final group-stage matchup with 1-1 records. They’ll wrestle each other on Saturday morning (at 11:00) for the second place spot in Group A, with the winner heading to the third-place bout. 

Japan, in their match with Turkey,  won eight of ten matches, including a win via fall for Sohsuke TAKATANI over current world No. 1 and 2018 world runner-up Fatih ERDIN (TUR) at 86kg. The two were in a scramble when Takatani caught Erdin on his back and flattened him for the fall. Erdin later injury defaulted out of his second match. 

Cuba also picked up a win over Turkey. The final score of that match was 6-4. 

They did so on the backs of four consecutive Cuban wins after Turkey's Nazim KARA and Abdulkadir OZMEN broke the matches 2-2 tie and handed Turkey the commanding 4-2 advantage with four matches left. The Cuban quartet of Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA, Lazaro HERNANDEZ LUIS, Reineris SALAS PEREZ, and Oscar PINO HINDS picked up wins and closed out the dual on a four-match win streak, helping Cuba grab the 6-4 team victory. 

Group B

In Group B action, Iran is the favorite to meet the Russian Federation for the gold medal after their undefeated 2-0 record after the first day of wrestling. They started the day off with a 9-1 thumping of Mongolia before upending the defending champion, the United States, 5-5 on classification points. 

For Iran to meet the Russian Federation for the Freestyle World Cup title, they'll have to avoid a loss to a Georgia team that has lost both of their opening day matches.

The United States and Mongolia went 1-1 on the day and will wrestle Sunday afternoon (at 12:15) to determine Group B’s second-place finisher. That match will determine who wrestles the winner of Cuba and Japan in tomorrows bronze-medal match. 

Results

Session One 

Group A

Russia df. Cuba, 9-1 
57kg - Aryian TIUTRIN(RUS) df. Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA(CUB), 8-3 (Russia 1-0)
61kg - Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) df. Zelimkhan ABAKAROV(RUS), 5-5 (Tie) 
65kg - Gadshimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) wins via inj. def. (Russia 2-1) 
70kg - David BAEV(RUS) df. Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB) (10-0) (Russia 3-1) 
74kg - Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) df. Jeandry GARZON CABALLERO (CUB), via fall (Russia 4
1) 
79kg - Husej SUUNCEV (RUS) df. Reinier PEREZ ABREU (CUB), 12-1 (Russia 5-1) 
86kg - Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) df. Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB), 4-0 (6-1) 
92kg - Magomed KURBANOV (RUS) df. Lazaro Daniel HERNANDEZ LUIS (CUB), 9-7 (Russia 7-1)
97kg – Vladislav BAITSAEV (RUS) df. SALAS PEREZ R. (CUB), 4-0 (Russia 8-1) 
125kg - Zelimkhan KHIZRIYEV (RUS) df. Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB), 10-0 (Russia 9-1) 

Japan df. Turkey, 8-2 
57kg - Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) df. Ali KARABOGA (TUR), 11-2 (Japan 1-0) 
61kg - Yudai FUJITA (JPN) df. Munir Recep AKTAS (TUR), 5-1 (Japan 2-0) 
65kg - Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) wins via inj. def.  (Japan 3-0) 
70kg - Serhat ARSLAN (TUR) df. Kojiro SHIGA (JPN), 7-2 (Japan 3-1) 
74kg – Yuto MIWA (JPN) df N. KARA (TUR), 4-3 (Japan 4-1) 
70kg - Yuta ABE (JPN) df. Abdulkadir OZMEN (TUR), 3-0 (Japan 5-1)
86kg - Sohsuke TAKATANI (JPN) df Fatih ERDIN (TUR), via fall (Japan 6-1) 
92kg - Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN) df Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR), 2-1 (Japan 7-1) 
97kg - Naoya AKAGUMA (JPN) df. Ali BONCEOGLU (TUR), 6-3 (Japan 8-1) 
125kg - Abdullah OMAC (TUR) df. Nobuyoshi ARAKIDA, 3-0 (Japan 8-2) 

Group B 

USA df. Georgia 7-3 

57kg - Lasha LOMTADZE  (GEO) df. Zach SANDERS Z. (USA), 3-1 (Georgia 1-0) 
61kg - Nicholas MEGALUDIS (USA) df. Tornike KATAMADZE (GEO), 10-0 (Tied) 
65kg - Zain RETHERFORD (USA) df Amiran VAKHTANGASHVILI (GEO), 9-2 (USA 2-1) 
70kg - Jason CHAMBERLAIN (USA) df. Mirza SKHULUKHIA (GEO), 10-0 (USA 3-1)
74kg - Isaiah MARTINEZ (USA) df. Zurabi ERBOTSONASHVILI (GEO), 10-6 (USA 4-1) 
79kg - Davit KHUTSISHVILI (GEO) df. Thomas GANTT JR (USA), 11-0 (USA 4-2) 
86kg - Samuel BROOKS (USA) df. Tarzan MAISURADZE (GEO), via fall (USA 5-2) 
92kg - Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) df. Hayden ZILLMER (USA), 3-0 (USA 5-3) 
97kg - Kyven GADSON (USA) df. Mamuka KORDZAIA (GEO), 2-0 (USA 6-3) 
125kg - Anthony NELSON (USA) df. Rolandi ANDRIADZE (GEO), 6-0 (USA 7-3) 

Iran df. Mongolia, 9-1 
57kg - Alireza SARLAK (IRI) df TUMENBILEG Tuvshintulga (MGL), 3-2  (iran 1-0) 
61kg - ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL) df. Iman SADEGHIKOUKANDEH (IRI), 4-0 (Tied) 
65kg - Morteza GHIASI CHEKA (IRI) df. BATCHULUUN Batmagnai (MGL), 7-3 (Iran 2-1) 
70kg - Meisam NASIRI (IRI) df. GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL), 7-2 (Iran 3-1) 
74kg - Reza AFZALIPAEMAMI (IRI) df. BAT ERDENE Byambadorj (MGL), 7-0 (Iran 4-1 )
79kg - Mojtaba ASGHARI OSMAVANDANI (IRI) df. B. BYAMBASUREN (MGL), 11-0 (Iran 5-1) 
86kg - Mersad MARGHZARI (IRI) df. ORGODOLUitumen (MGL), 5-3 (Iran 5-1)
92kg - Mohammadjavad EBRAHIMIZIVLAEI (IRI) df. BAASANTSOGT Ulziisaikhan. (MGL), 10-0  (Iran 7-1)
97kg -  Alireza GOODARZI (IRI) df. LUVSANDORJ Turtogtokh (MGL), 10-0 (Iran 8-1)
125kg -Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) df. DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL), via fall. (iran 9-1) 

Session Two 
Group A

Russia df. Japan 8-2 
57kg - Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) df. Muslim SADULAEV (RUS) , 2-1 (Japan 1-0) 
61kg - Yudai FUJITA (JPN) df. Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (RUS), 2-2 (Japan 2-0) 
65kg - Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) df. Daichi TAKATANI (JPN), 11-0 (Japan 2-1) 
70kg - Anzor ZAKUEV (RUS) df. Kojiro SHIGA (JPN), 11-0 (Tied) 
74kg - Timur BIZHOEV (RUS) df. Yuto MIWA (JPN) , 11-0 (Russia 3-2)
79kg - Magomed Eldarovitch RAMAZANOV (RUS) df. Yuta ABE (JPN), 10-0 (Russia 4-2)
86kg - Vladislav VALIEV (RUS) df. Sohsuke TAKATANI (JPN), 6-4 (Russia 5-2)
92kg - Alikhan ZHABRAILOV (RUS) df. Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN) 10-0 (Russia 6-2)
97kg - Vladislav BAITCAEV (RUS) df. Naoya AKAGUMA (JPN), 6-2 (Russia 7-2)
125kg - Pavel KRIVTSOV (RUS) df. Katsutoshi KANAZAWA (JPN), 11-0 (Russia 8-2)

Cuba df. Turkey, 6-4
57kg - Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) df. Ali KARABOGA (TUR), 5-2 (Cuba 1-0) 
61kg - Munir Recep AKTAS (TUR) df. Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB), 7-1(Tied)
65kg - Cengizhan ERDOGAN (TUR) df. AlejandroVALDES TOBIER (CUB), via disq. (Turkey 2-1)
70kg - Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB) df. Serhat ARSLAN (TUR), via fall (Tied)
74kg - Nazim Selami KARA (TUR) df. COLOMBAT RIVERA Cristian Reinier (CUB), 12-2 (Turkey 3-2) 
79kg - Abdulkadir OZMEN (TUR) df. Reinier PEREZ ABREU (CUB), via fall (Turkey 4-2)
86kg - Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB) df. Fatih ERDIN (TUR), via inj. def (Turkey 4-3)
92kg - Lazaro Daniel HERNANDEZ LUIS (CUB) df. Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR), 4-4 (Tied) 
97kg - Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) df. Ali BONCEOGLU (TUR), 11-7 (Cuba 5-4)
125kg -  Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) df. Abdullah OMAC (TUR), 8-1 (Cuba 6-4)

Group B 
Iran df. USA, 5-5 
57kg - Alireza SARLAK (IRI) df. Zachary SANDERS (USA), 4-3 (Iran 1-0)
61kg - Nicholas MEGALUDIS (USA) df. Iman SADEGHIKOUKANDEH (IRI), 12-0 (Tied)
65kg - Zain RETHERFORD (USA) df. Morteza GHIASI CHEKA (IRI), 6-1 (USA 2-1) 
70kg - Meisam NASIRI (IRI) df. Jason CHAMBERLAIN (USA), 3-0 (Tied)
74kg - Isaiah MARTINEZ (USA) df. Reza AFZALIPAEMAMI (IRI), 8-2 (USA 3-2) 
79kg - Thomas GANTT JR (USA) df. Mojtaba ASGHARI OSMAVANDANI (IRI), 11-6 (USA 4-2)
86kg - Mersad MARGHZARI (IRI) df. Samuel BROOKS (USA), via fall (USA 4-3) 
92kg - Hayden ZILLMER (USA) df. Mohammadjavad EBRAHIMIZIVLAEI (IRI), 6-4 (Tied)
97kg - Alireza Mohammad GOODARZI (IRI) df. Kyven Ross GADSON (USA), 4-0 (Iran 5-4) 
125kg - Komeil Nemat GHASEMI (IRI) df. Anthony NELSON (USA), 6-2 (Tied) 

Mongoloa df. Georgia, 5-5 
57kg - Lasha LOMTADZE (GEO) df. TUMENBILEG Tuvshintulga (MGL), 8-8 (Georgia 1-0) 
61kg - GANSUKH Otgonbaatar (MGL) df. Tornike KATAMADZE (GEO), 10-0 (Tied) 
65kg - BATCHULUUN Batmagnai (MGL) df. Amiran VAKHTANGASHVILI (GEO), 9-2 (Mongolia 2-1) 
70kg - ENKHBAYAR Byambadorj (MGL) df. Mirza SKHULUKHIA (GEO), 16-5 (Mongolia 3-1) 
74kg - Zurabi ERBOTSONASHVILI (GEO) df. BAT ERDENE Byambadorj (MGL), 6-4 (Mongolia 3-2) 
79kg - Davit KHUTSISHVILI (GEO) df. BYAMBASUREN Bat-Erdene (MGL), 6-2 (Tied)
86kg - ORGODOL Uitumen (MGL) df. Tarzan MAISURADZE (GEO), 4-3 (Mongolia 4-3) 
92kg - Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) df. BAASANTSOGT Ulziisaikhan (MGL), 11-0 (Tied)
97kg - Mamuka KORDZAIA (GEO) df. ULZIISAIKHAN Batzul (MGL), 3-1 (Georga 5-4) 
125kg - MUNKHTUR Lkhagvagerel (MGL) df. Rolandi ANDRIADZE (GEO), 1-1 (Mongolia 5-5) 

Obituary

Japanese legend and Olympic champ Obara passes away aged 44

Saturday, July 19, 2025 - 11:00 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (July 19) — Legendary Japanese wrestler Hitomi OBARA, the 2012 London Olympic gold medalist at women's 48kg and an eight-time world champion, passed away on Friday, the Japanese media reported on Saturday. She was 44.

The Japan Self-Defense Force Physical Training School, where Obara was a women's coach, said it was withholding the cause of death "out of consideration for the privacy and emotions of the bereaved family," according to The Yomiuri Shimbun.

Obara, the mother of two elementary school-aged children, was a director in the Japan Wrestling Federation, and had just been appointed in June as a coach of the women's national team for the run-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics along with fellow former Olympic champion Kaori ICHO.

Obara, who won six of her world titles at 51kg under her maiden name of SAKAMOTO, became a model case for the ups and downs of high-level sports and the ability to overcome grave disappointment. Her victory at the London Olympics, at age 31, came after being denied spots on Japan's team at both of the two previous Olympics by fellow legend Saori YOSHIDA.

Born in 1981 in the wrestling hotbed of Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, in northern Japan, Obara went on to attend Chukyo University (now Shigakkan), which she helped turn into a national powerhouse along with Yoshida and fellow Hachinohe native Icho.

"It's hard, it's hard, I can't keep from crying," former Shigakkan and national team coach Kazuhito SAKAE was quoted as telling the Japanese media. "She was a wrestling prodigy. At the least, she was a hard worker with a strong sense of responsibility. She was wrestling's heaven-sent child. I still can't believe it." 

Obara won back-to-back world 51kg titles in 1999 and 2000. A serious knee injury would keep her from returning to the world championships until 2005, from which she won four in a row.

In between, she attempted to make the Japanese's squad to the 2004 Athens Olympics, but that dream ended with a loss by fall to Yoshida in the 55kg final at the All-Japan Championships in December 2002. She would only compete once in 2003 before returning in earnest in 2004 and beginning her streak of world titles the following year.

But more disappointment came her way in the qualifying process for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Again it was Yoshida who squashed her dreams, beating her 2-0 (2-0, 4-0) in the 2006 All-Japan final. After the match, Obara sat for hours sobbing in a corner of the warm-up room, a towel draped over her head.

Obara managed to rebound from the defeat to win a playoff for the 51kg spot at the 2007 World Championships, where she won gold No. 5. After adding No. 6 a year later with a run to the gold that included a victory over future Olympic champ Helen MAROULIS (USA), she decided to retire.

But despite all of her success, the lack of a Olympic gold -- or even an appearance, for that matter -- still left a sting that would not abate. That, and the decision of her younger sister Makiko to retire, led her to attempt the difficult path of cutting down to 48kg to make it to London.

Makiko was a world bronze medalist at 48kg in 2005 and 2008, but decided to end her career after placing eighth in 2009. Hitomi had never wanted to displace her sister from the national team, but now the door to 48kg was open.

Her biggest battle may have been with the scale. On the mat, she was as unbeatable as ever, storming to world golds in 2010 and 2011 -- now as Obara after getting married in 2010.

There was one slip-up along the way -- a semifinal loss to So Sim HYANG (PRK) at the 2010 Asian Games that ended her 70-match winning streak in international matches. But she regained her confidence with a decisive win at the All-Japan, and it was with a full head of steam that she headed to the London Olympics, which she had announced would be her swan song.

In London, Obara knocked off defending Olympic champion Carol HUYNH (CAN) in the semifinals before coming from behind in the final to defeat Mariya STADNIK (AZE) 2-1 (0-4, 1-0, 2-0) -- a replay of the gold-medal match at the 2011 worlds.

"If you keep doing what you love and never give up, you can achieve your dream," Obara told students at the junior high school she attended during a visit in January last year.

Upon retiring, Obara joined the staff at the Self-Defense Force Physical Training School, where she was also an officer. Among the members she coached were Haruna MURAYAMA OKUNO, Himeka TOKUHARA and Masako FURUICHI, who all made Japan's team to this year's World Championships.

In 2022, Obara was inducted into UWW's Hall of Fame along with Yoshida and Icho.