Powerhouse Japan Puts All 5 in 1st-Day Women’s Finals; 4 to Clash with Chinese

Thursday, April 25, 2019 - 11:27 By Ken Marantz

XI’AN, China (April 25)—An unintended overnight stay in Shanghai en route to Xi’an due to a canceled flight couldn’t prevent the Japanese women from getting off a sizzling start at the Asian Championships.

All five Japanese in action on the first day of women’s wrestling made it to the finals, setting up a virtual duel meet with China as the hosts will have four in the gold-medal matches.

Yuki IRIE (JPN), the 2015 Asian champion who finished third last year in Bishkek and second at the Asian Games, is determined to show she can win again on the international stage when she faces battle-hardened world bronze medalist SUN Yanan (CHN) in the 50kg final.

Irie won all three of her matches by 10-0 technical fall to set up the showdown with Sun, a bronze medalist at the Rio 2016 Olympics and winner at this year’s Klippan Lady tournament.

“My movement was a bit stiff today,” Irie said who defeated two-time world champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) at the national championships in December. “I have to properly prepare for the final and use 100 percent of my arsenal.”

Sun took a similar path to the final, receiving a first-round win by default before chalking up a pair of 10-0 technical falls.

The final will be a rematch of their clash at last year’s Women’s World Cup in Takasaki, in which Irie won by fall after building up a 10-0 lead. That sparked Japan to a 6-4 victory over China in the final.

Olympic champion Sara DOSHO (JPN) returned from shoulder surgery and made the 68kg finals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

In another featured final on Day 3 of the tournament, Rio 2016 Olympic champion Sara DOSHO (JPN), showing no effects from the shoulder surgery that kept her from defending her world title last year, will face defending champion ZHOU Feng (CHN) for the 68kg title.

Dosho injured her shoulder in the preliminary round at the Women’s World Cup, scuttling a meeting in the final with Zhou, who later won a bronze medal at the Budapest 2018 worlds.

“I am only focused on my own actions,” Zhou said when asked about her first meeting with Dosho.

Two-time world bronze medalist Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN), aiming to regain the Asian title she won in 2015, advanced to the 76kg final against world U23 champion Paliha PALIHA (CHN).

Minagawa Suzuki, who finished second to ZHOU Qian (CHN) at both the Asian Championships and Asian Games last year, posted two 10-0 technical falls before defeating Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) by fall in :41 in the semifinals.

Saki IGARASHI (JPN), the lone Japanese women’s champion last year in Bishkek—Japan saved its top wrestlers for the World Cup---put herself in line for a title repeat when she advanced to the 55kg final, where she will face XIE Mengyu (CHN).

Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) will take on Battsetseg ALTANTSETSEG (MGL) in the 57kg gold-medal match. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

The lone final that does not include a Chinese is at 59kg, only because that showdown came in the semifinals, from which young collegian Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) advanced to the gold-medal match against Battsetseg ALTANTSETSEG (MGL).

Inagaki, a 2017 world cadet champion and winner at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in January, overwhelmed ZHANG Qi (CHN) by 10-0 technical fall in the semifinals.

Altantsetseg has already assured she will improve on her bronze-medal finish at 57kg in Bishkek. She also finished third at the Asian Games and the Yarygin Grand Prix.

The Japan women’s team had planned to arrive in Xi’an on Monday night. But their connecting flight in Shanghai was canceled due to rain and fog, and the team had to spend the night at a hotel about a half-hour away from the airport.

Team coach Hideo SASAYAMA said the squad was unable to do any kind of workout for a full day. Irie said she was limited to some stretching in her room.

“There was nothing to do,” Sasayama said. “It was already late and the only thing to do was sleep. We wanted to get some exercise, but it couldn’t be helped.”

Sasayama said that the unexpected delay did not damper the mood on the team. Looking at the first day results, it was obvious there were no negative effects.

“The two young wrestlers [Inagaki and Igarashi] also won through smoothly, so there were no problems,” he said.

Day 3 results

Women’s wrestling

50kg (13 entries)
Gold – Yuki IRIE (JPN) v SUN Yanan (CHN)
Bronze – Seema SEEMA (IND) v Valentina ISLAMOVA BRIK (KAZ)
Bronze – HWANG Yong Ok (PRK) v OH Hyunyoung (KOR)

Semifinals
Yuki IRIE (JPN) df. Valentina ISLAMOVA BRIK (KAZ) by TF, 10-0, 4:44
SUN Yanan (CHN) df. OH Hyunyoung (KOR) by TF, 10-0, 3:23

55kg (11 entries)
Gold – XIE Mengyu (CHN) v Saki IGARASHI (JPN)
Bronze – KIM Haeyeung (KOR) v Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ)
Bronze – Shakhodat DJULLIBAEVA (UZB) v Dulguun BOLORMAA (MGL)

Semifinals
XIE Mengyu (CHN) df. Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) by TF, 11-0, 1:13
Saki IGARASHI (JPN) df. Dulguun BOLORMAA (MGL), 9-0

59kg (8 entries)
Gold – Battsetseg ALTANTSETSEG (MGL) v Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN)
Bronze – Thi Huong DAO (VIE) v Kumari MANJU (IND)
Bronze – CHOI Yeonwoo (KOR) v ZHANG Qi (CHN)

Semifinals
Battsetseg ALTANTSETSEG (MGL) df. Kumari MANJU (IND), 15-6
Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) df. ZHANG Qi (CHN) by TF, 10-0, 3:38

68kg (10 entries)
Gold – ZHOU Feng (CHN) v Sara DOSHO (JPN)
Bronze – Battsetseg SORONZOBOLD (MGL) v Divya KAKRAN (IND)
Bronze – Irina KAZYULINA (KAZ) v Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)

Semifinals
ZHOU Feng (CHN) df. Divya KAKRAN (IND) by TF, 14-4, 4:27
Sara DOSHO (JPN) df . Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ), 3-0

76kg (9 entries)
Gold – Paliha PALIHA (CHN) v Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN)
Bronze – CHANG Hui Tsz (TPE) v Zagardulam NAIGALSUREN (MGL)
Bronze – HWANG Eunju (KOR) v Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)

Semifinals
Paliha PALIHA (CHN) df. Zagardulam NAIGALSUREN (MGL) by TF, 10-0, :37
Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN) df. Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) by Fall, :41 (2-0)

#WrestleTirana

Masterful Uguev Repeats as European Champion

Sunday, April 26, 2026 - 23:12 By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (April 26) -- Zavur UGUEV (UWW) became a two-time European champion in Tirana on Sunday. For a wrestler of Uguev's pedigree, the number looks bleak.

But the 31-year-old, who will turn 32 on May 21, doesn't rue the missed golds but says those were the experiences that helped him win gold later.

"Last year I won my first European gold medal," Uguev said. "My first two or three medals, I was still young and things didn’t work out. There were very experienced athletes competing, and I gained experience from them."

In his two appearances at the European Championships in 2017 and 2018, Uguev suffered losses to Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE). In the 2018 final, Edisherashvili scored a takedown in the last seven seconds to win.

"[From] losing in the finals in the last 7 seconds in Kaspiysk, I gained great experience," he said. "But last year, I was in great shape and I’m happy that in my career I now have two European Championship gold medals."

His second gold in Tirana may have gone under that radar given the return and dominance of Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW), who won his sixth European gold on Saturday and first in six years.

However, if there was an award for the most outstanding wrestler of the tournament, Uguev would handsomely beat all others wrestlers to it.

On Sunday, Uguev defended his 61kg gold medal in Tirana with rather ease after defeating former world champion and home-favorite Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB). The 4-0 win over Abakarov consisted one activity clock, one stepout and a two-point takedown from Uguev.

Even the low-scoring final was a masterclass from Uguev, one of the few who still mixes the art of defense and positioning to win bouts.

At one point, Abakarov would keep trying the two-on-one on Uguev's arm and instead of panicking, Uguev would casually block Abakarov using his head. After the two-minute mark in the match, Abakarov had a similar grip and Uguev was blocking using his head and grip one of Abakarov's wrist.

Abakarov moved to a position from which he could either whizzer or wrist snap Uguev. However, as soon as Abakarov moved sideways, Uguev placed his foot behind Abakarov and let go off his grip, quickly switching to a leg-attack. He scored a stepout to lead 2-0 after one activity period point.

Uguev set up his takedown in the second period when Abakarov took a shot from space and Uguev blocked it using a chest wrap. Instead of scoring exposure from front, Uguev jumped behind and locked Abakarov who tried to break the grip. But Uguev scored a takedown on the edge to lead 4-0, his winning score.

Zavur UGUEV (UWW) pins Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) in the 61kg semifinals. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

It was in the semifinals against Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), Uguev fell behind 3-2 but he brought down Harutyunyan in danger for two points before holding the Armenian in such a grip that he failed to move despite having split hands. Eventually, he gave up to Uguev's pressure who won via fall.

"The final is always a tough contest, both last and this year," Uguev said. "Last year it was Harutyunyan, a four-time European champion, and this year it’s Abakarov, the world champion. It’s a real pleasure to compete against them. I’ve come here solely to compete against them."

Two months ago, Uguev was in Tirana and he put on a wrestling masterclass, winning the 61kg gold medal. However, it was in Tirana that he lost to phenom Masanosuke ONO (JPN) and Vitali ARUJAU (USA) and finished fifth at the World Championships.

"I was here at the start of February for the ranking tournament, and I suppose I had some thoughts about it [losing World Championships in Tirana]," he said. "But I managed to win that tournament, and I came here with the sole intention of winning. The first attempt [2024 World Championships] didn’t go to plan."

Zavur UGUEV (UWW) after winning the 61kg gold medal in Tirana. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

The three-time world champion and Tokyo Olympic gold medalist at 57kg has been competing at 61kg for three years now. While he will eventually move to 57kg for a run at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Uguev says he is enjoying wrestling at a higher weight and not dieting during competitions.

"I’ll be wrestling in 65kg soon," he said jokingly. "I’ll probably be dropping down to 57kg. I’ll probably compete for another year or so [at 61kg], and then I’ll keep dropping down. I’m not actually that heavy to begin with, and I reckon anyone competing at 57kg is roughly the same weight as me. For now, I don’t see the point in cutting weight, and I think it’s better to stay as I am for the time being, compete for another year or so. I think that this year, or early next year, we’ll start thinking about which weight class to move to.

"Now that I’ve moved up to 61kg, I’m really enjoying the competition. When I was competing at 57kg, I struggled so much. Now, when I watch the wrestlers like Musa MEKHTIKHANOV (UWW), for example, I’m reminded of my own days on the mat. It’s just that when you’re on a diet, you don’t want to think about anything else. All you can think about is food. Now I feel comfortable. I’m not dieting; I enjoy wrestling and I’m managing to do well at it."

As for European Championships golds, Uguev isn't stopping.

"I'm not going to stop here," he said. "I'm not chasing numbers, I'll keep wrestling as long as I have the strength."

Powerhouse Japan Puts All 5 in 1st-Day Women’s Finals; 4 to Clash with Chinese

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Masterful Uguev Repeats as European Champion