Ranking Series: Bolat Turlykhanov Cup entries

Wednesday, May 25, 2022 - 14:45 By Eric Olanowski

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (May 25) -- The former Kazakh capital Almaty will host the second of four Ranking Series events, the Bolat Turlykhanov Cup from June 2 to 5.

Over 275 wrestlers from 15 nations spanning Africa, Asia, Europe and Pan-America will make the trek to the southern mountainous region of Kazakhstan for the point-earning Ranking Series event.

On the freestyle side of the competition, the biggest storyline is the insanely stacked squad that Iran is bringing. Leading the charge will be reigning world champions Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) and Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) and Amir ZARE (IRI). Asian and junior world champion Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) is moving up from 92kg to 97kg for the event.

Yazdani, the Rio Olympic gold medalist and Tokyo Olympic runner-up, will return to the mat for the first time since his ultra-emotional win over his arch-rival David TAYLOR (USA), which led to him winning his third world title. “The Greatest” enters the Bolat Turlykhanov Cup ranked second at 86kg – 1600 points behind first-ranked Taylor – but will grab the world’s top spot barring a catastrophic meltdown.

Top-ranked Ghasempour has a stronghold on the 92kg field, but top-20 foes No. 11 Orgilokh DAGVADORJ (MGL), No. 15 Viky CHAHAR (IND) and No. 16 Adilet DAVLUMBAYEV (KAZ) will be looking to halt his hopes of expanding his 7,500-point lead.

Despite social media rumors that Zare has pulled out of the competition due to an injury, he’s still registered for the competition on Wednesday (May 25).

Another Asian freestyle powerhouse bringing a loaded lineup is India. Their team will feature Olympic medalists Ravi KUMAR (IND) and Bajrang PUNIA (IND) and the 2019 world silver medalist Deepak PUNIA (IND).

The world’s top Greco-Roman wrestler Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) headlines the GR entries. “The Iceman” enters the competition riding a five-tournament win streak and hasn’t lost since 2019. Geraei won Olympic, senior world, U23, and Asian gold medals during that impressive run.

Geraei will be wrestling at 72kg, which is five kilos up from his Olympic-winning weight of 67kg. Another Iranian reigning world champion that’ll also be moving up is Meysam DALKHANI (IRI). He won world gold at 63kg but will replace Geraei at 67kg for this tournament.

Other massive Greco-Roman storylines to follow are the potential matchups at 63kg and 130kg.

Continental champions Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) and Kerem KAMAL (TUR) are bumping up a weight class and could go toe-to-toe at 63kg.

At 130kg, Olympic silver medalist and top-ranked Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) is the front-runner, but reigning world champion No. 5 Aliakbar YOUSOFIA (IRI) is tailing close behind.

Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI), Iran’s Tokyo Olympic Games rep, will look to regain his starting spot from Yousofia, who stepped into Iran’s lineup at the 2021 World Championships after Mirzazadeh tested positive for COVID-19 in the leadup to the Oslo.

Before Oslo, Mirzazadeh grabbed the Tokyo spot from Yousofia with a win in the Poland Open finals.

Other wrestlers to pay attention to at 130kg are reigning Asian champion Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ) and Yasar Dogu Ranking Series champion Osman YILDIRIM (TUR).

In women’s wrestling, Olympic bronze medalist and top-ranked Bolortuya BATOCHIR (MGL) will look to grow her narrow 1,200-point lead on Akari FUJINAMI (JPN). She’ll compete at 53kg.

At 76kg, a colossal top-three clash between No. 2 Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) and No. 3 Samar HAMZA (EGY) could happen. Medet Kyzy won gold at the Yasar Dogu and Asian Championships this season, while Hamza is fresh off winning gold at the African Championships.

Wrestling begins next Thursday (June 2-5) and can be watched live on uww.org.

Olympic silver medalist Ravi KUMAR (IND) will look to win his third gold medal of the year. He'll compete up at 61kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

57kg
Aman SEHRAWAT (IND)
Zhakhongir AKHMAJANOV (KAZ)
Meirambek KARTBAY (KAZ)
Merey BAZARBAYEV (KAZ)
Abdymalik KARACHOV (KGZ)
Munkh BATKHUYAG (MGL)
Dashtseren PURVEE (MGL)
Nasanbuyan NARMANDAKH (MGL)

61kg
Ravi KUMAR (IND)
Assylzhan YESSENGELDI (KAZ)
Zhassulan TASKUL (KAZ)
Yeldos MOMBEKOV (KAZ)
Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ)
Bekbolot MYRZANAZAR UULU (KGZ)
Chinzorig TSERMAA (MGL)
Narankhuu NARMANDAKH (MGL)
Baljinnyam DAMJIN (MGL)
Ali M M ABURUMAILA (PLE)
Shamsiddin IBODOV (TJK)

65kg
Bajrang PUNIA (IND)
Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ)
Iassaui MUKHTARULY (KAZ)
Rifat SAIBOTALOV (KAZ)
Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL)
Tulga TUMUR-OCHIR (MGL)
Tugsjargal ERDENEBAT (MGL)
Komron KHOLOV (TJK)
Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB)
Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)

70kg
Vishal KALIRAMANA (IND)
Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ)
Amandyk BAKEYEV (KAZ)
Rodion ANCHUGIN (KAZ)
Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ)
Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ)
Khanburged GANKHUYAG (MGL)
Begzjav GANSUKH (MGL)
Temuulen ENKHTUYA (MGL)
Muboraksho QURBONBEKOV (TJK)
Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)
Zafarbek OTAKHONOV (UZB)

74kg
Amr Reda RAMADAN (EGY)
Naveen NAVEEN (IND)
Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ)
Nurlan BEKZHANOV (KAZ)
Kanat MUSSABEKOV (KAZ)
Byambadorj BAT-ERDENE (MGL)
Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL)
Sumiyabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL)
Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK)
Fazli ERYILMAZ (TUR)
Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB)
Asomiddin HASANOV (UZB)

79kg
Gourav BALIYAN (IND)
Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ)
Zhiger ZAKIROV (KAZ)
Daulet YERGESH (KAZ)
Saiakbai USUPOV (KGZ)
Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (KGZ)
Dulguun ALTANZUL (MGL)
Batzul DAMJIN (MGL)
Byambadorj ENKHBAYAR (MGL)
Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK)
Jakub SYKORA (SVK)

86kg
Deepak PUNIA (IND)
Hassan YAZDANI (IRI)
Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ)
Nurzhan ISSAGALIYEV (KAZ)
Abylaikhan NURSULTANOV (KAZ)
Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL)
Temuujin MENDBILEG (MGL)
Tsogtgerel MUNKHBAATAR (MGL)
Boris MAKOEV (SVK)
Fatih ERDIN (TUR)
Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB)
Bobur ISLOMOV (UZB)

92kg
Viky CHAHAR (IND)
Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI)
Islyambek ILYASSOV (KAZ)
Adilet DAVLUMBAYEV (KAZ)
Abdimanap BAIGENZHEYEV (KAZ)
Orgilokh DAGVADORJ (MGL)

97kg
Deepak NEHRA (IND)
Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI)
Yunus GAFUROV (KAZ)
Akezhan AITBEKOV (KAZ)
Mamed IBRAGIMOV (KAZ)
Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL)
Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK)
Faizi FAIZZODA (TJK)
Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR)
Mukhammadrasul RAKHIMOV (UZB)
Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB)

125kg
Mohit GREWAL (IND)
Amir ZARE (IRI)
Alisher YERGALI (KAZ)
Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ)
Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ)
Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL)
Batmagnai ENKHTUVSHIN (MGL)
Salim ERCAN (TUR)
Sardorbek KHOLMATOV (UZB)

Reigning world and Olympic champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) headlines the Greco-Roman entries. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Greco-Roman

55kg
Giorgi TOKHADZE (GEO)
Arjun HALAKURKI (IND)
Poya DAD MARZ (IRI)
Marlan MUKASHEV (KAZ)
Alpamys DASTANBEK (KAZ)
Khorlan ZHAKANSHA (KAZ)
Davaabandi MUNKH-ERDENE (MGL)
Aslamdzhon AZIZOV (TJK)
Jasurbek ORTIKBOEV (UZB)

60kg
Marat GARIPOV (BRA)
Gyanender DAHIYA (IND)
Pouya NASERPOUR (IRI)
Ali Reza NEJATI (IRI)
Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ)
Yernar FIDAKHMETOV (KAZ)
Yernur FIDAKHMETOV (KAZ)
Kuttubek ABDYKERIM UULU (KGZ)
Firuz MIRZORAJABOV (TJK)
Mukhammadkodir YUSUPOV (UZB)
Ilkhom BAKHROMOV (UZB)

63kg
Kerim MACHALIKASHVILI (GEO)
Beka GURULI (GEO)
NEERAJ (IND)
Galym KABDUNASSAROV (KAZ)
Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ)
Mirambek AINAGULOV (KAZ)
Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ)
Dastan KADYROV (KGZ)
Ahmet UYAR (TUR)
Kerem KAMAL (TUR)

67kg
Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO)
Sachin SAHRAWAT (IND)
Meysam DALKHANI (IRI)
Sultan ASSETULY (KAZ)
Daniyar KALENOV (KAZ)
Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ)
Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ)
Khalmurat IBRAGIMOV (KGZ)
Kaly SULAIMANOV (KGZ)
Abror ATABAEV (UZB)

72kg
VIKAS (IND)
Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI)
Alikhan KOKENOV (KAZ)
Azat SADYKOV (KAZ)
Abylaikhan AMZEYEV (KAZ)
Sheroz OCHILOV (TJK)
Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB)
Jamol JUMABAEV (UZB)

77kg
Khvicha ANANIDZE (GEO)
Sajan BHANWALA (IND)
Mohammad Reza MOKHTARI (IRI)
Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ)
Tamerlan SHADUKAYEV (KAZ)
Maxat YEREZHEPOV (KAZ)
Renat ILIAZ UULU (KGZ)
Habibjon ZUHUROV (TJK)
Yunus Emre BASAR (TUR)
Dilshod OMONGELDIYEV (UZB)

82kg
Tornike DZAMASHVILI (GEO)
Singh HARPREET (IND)
Pejman POSHTAM (IRI)
Miras BARSHYLYKOV (KAZ)
Rakhmet SAPIYEV (KAZ)
Kalidin ASYKEEV (KGZ)
Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ)
Sukhrob ABDULKHAEV (TJK)
Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR)
Mukhammadkodir RASULOV (UZB)

87kg
Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO)
Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO)
Sunil KUMAR (IND)
Ramin TAHERISARTANG (IRI)
Ali Abdolreza SHARIFI (IRI)
Baurzhan MUSSIN (KAZ)
Azamat KUSTUBAYEV (KAZ)
Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ)
Melis AITBEKOV (KGZ)
Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ)
Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB)

97kg
Aleksi LODIA (GEO)
DEEPANSHU (IND)
Mahdi FALLAHHAMIDABADI (IRI)
Yersaiyn SAIFULLA (KAZ)
Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ)
Sanzhar SERIKKAN (KAZ)
Beksultan MAKHMUDOV (KGZ)
Metehan BASAR (TUR)
Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB)

130kg
Sulkhan BUIDZE (GEO)
Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO)
SATISH (IND)
Aliakbar YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI)
Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI)
Mansur SHADUKAYEV (KAZ)
Anton SAVENKO (KAZ)
Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ)
Murat RAMONOV (KGZ)
Osman YILDIRIM (TUR)

Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) is the biggest star of women's wrestling who'll be in Kazakhstan. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Women’s Wrestling

50kg
Turkan NASIROVA (AZE)
Shahana NAZAROVA (AZE)
NEELAM (IND)
Svetlana ANKICHEVA (KAZ)
Aigul NURALIM (KAZ)
Namuuntsetseg TSOGT-OCHIR (MGL)
Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL)
Jasmina IMMAEVA (UZB)

53kg
Tatyana VARANSOVA (AZE)
Leyla GURBANOVA (AZE)
Pooja GEHLOT (IND)
Zhuldyz ESHIMOVA (KAZ)
Aisha UALISHAN (KAZ)
Anudari NANDINTSETSEG (MGL)
Buman ENKHBOLD (MGL)
Bolortuya BAT-OCHIR (MGL)
Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB)
Dilshoda MATNAZAROVA (UZB)

55kg
Sushma SHOKEEN (IND)
Assylzat SAGYMBAY (KAZ)
Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ)
Ainur ASHIMOVA (KAZ)
Khishigsuren BATBOLD (MGL)
Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB)

57kg
Mansi AHLAWAT (IND)
Emma TISSINA (KAZ)
Laura ALMAGANBETOVA (KAZ)
Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL)
Sumiya ERDENECHIMEG (MGL)
Othelie HOEIE (NOR)
Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB)

59kg
Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE)
Sarita MOR (IND)
Aizhan ISMAGULOVA (KAZ)
Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ)
Shoovdor BAATARJAV (MGL)
Tsogzolmaa DORJSUREN (MGL)
Grace BULLEN (NOR)
Dilfuza AIMBETOVA (UZB)

62kg
Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE)
Tetiana OMELCHENKO (AZE)
Sakshi MALIK (IND)
Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ)
Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL)
Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL)
Gantuya ENKHBAT (MGL)
Rushana ABDIRASULOVA (UZB)

65kg
Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)
MANISHA (IND)
Gaukhar MUKATAY (KAZ)
Yelena SHALYGINA (KAZ)
Purevsuren ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL)
Ariukhan JUMABAEVA (UZB)
Dinora RUSTAMOVA (UZB)

68kg
Divya KAKRAN (IND)
Albina KAIRGELDINOVA (KAZ)
Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL)
Bolortungalag ZORIGT (MGL)

72kg
BIPASHA (IND)
Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL)
Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB)

76kg
Samar HAMZA (EGY)
Pooja SIHAG (IND)
Inkara ZHANATAYEVA (KAZ)
Ainagul ABIROVA (KAZ)
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
Ariunjargal GANBAT (MGL)
Zagardulam NAIGALSUREN (MGL)
Urtnasan GAN-OCHIR (MGL)

#WrestleAlmaty

Iran Fills Remaining Freestyle Spots in Tokyo as Uzbekistan Grabs 4

Sunday, April 11, 2021 - 10:42 By Ken Marantz

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (April 11) --- Iran went into the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament with three holes in its freestyle lineup for the Tokyo Olympics. On Sunday, Amir Mohammad YAZDANI (IRI), Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI) and Mohammadhossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) had little trouble filling the gap.

Yazdani secured a ticket to Tokyo for the Middle East powerhouse by easily advancing to the final at 65kg, while Emamichoghaei and Mohammadian did likewise at 74kg and 97kg, respectively, on the final day of the three-day tournament in Almaty that decided two qualifiers in each weight class.

The big winner of the day was Uzbekistan, which, led by Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) at 97kg, picked up four berths in Tokyo -- after having been shut out at the 2019 World Championships in Nursultan, where six spots per weight class were allocated.

China secured two places, while host Kazakhstan, which had four spots to begin with, grabbed one along with Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. India, which had earned three places in Nursultan, failed to add to its tally, despite putting three wrestlers into the semifinals.

But it was Japan that had the most disastrous day. The Olympic host began the day by seeing Rio Olympic silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) fail to make weight at 57kg, then had two-time Olympian Sohsuke TAKATANI (JPN) miss out by suffering a heartbreaking, last-second loss in his semifinal. Japan came looking to add to its two freestyle spots from Nursultan, but will leave empty-handed.

Yazdani, a distant cousin of superstar and 86kg Olympic favorite Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), certainly made the family proud with a dominant performance that he capped with a 10-0 technical fall in 5:21 over a tenacious Haji ALI (BRN).

"All my bouts were good," Yazdani said. "But the semifinal was the best because I won 10-0. That bout the most important."

For Iranians, earning the Olympic place is only the start. Now they have to go through a difficult national trial process to fill the spots.

"I will go back to Iran and the coaches will decide the team," Yazdani said. "I have to be the best."

In the final to be held later in the night session, Yazdani will face Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ), who pulled off a stunning victory by fall over Ilyas BEKBULATOV (UZB), the 2020 Asian champion at 70kg.

Bekbulatov had stormed to an 8-0 lead when Akmataliev clamped on a headlock and threw the Uzbek to his back. Akmataliev then secured a ticket to Tokyo by securing a fall with 8 seconds left in the first period.

"I wasn’t thinking anything when I was down," said Akmataliev, a fifth-place finisher at the 2019 world U-23. "All I had to do was beat him to qualify. He is the best wrestler but I want to win as well. This feeling, there are no words to explain this. I was just confident to do it. Olympics here I come."

Emamichoghaei, a world and Asian bronze medalist in 2019 at 70kg, had no trouble moving up to the Olympic weight of 74kg, chalking up three straight technical falls without surrendering a point. In the semifinals, he needed just 2:13 to put away Sandeep MANN (INDIA).

In the other 74kg semifinal, 2018 world bronze medalist Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB) earned a second trip to the Olympics by scoring a takedown with :54 left for a 4-2 victory over Elaman DOGDURBEK UULU (KGZ).

"Before I came here, I had injured my knee and I was not training 100%, but it was a good day to qualify," said Abdurakhmanov, a two-time Asian champion who placed fifth at the Rio 2016 Olympics. "In the semifinal, he was coming very hard at me so I had to keep him away."

Abdurakhmanov said he feels ready to make the Olympic podium this time. "I was so close to a medal in Rio, so I think I can medal now," he said. "The problem was that before Rio, I was a regular 70kg guy and 74 was big for me. Now my weight is good for 74. My weight training is top class.

"Hopefully I train harder, smarter because that's how I will medal in Tokyo."

At 97kg, Ibragimov and Mohammadian were both totally dominant in setting up a showdown in the final. Ibragimov advanced with an 11-1 technical fall over Symbat SULAIMANOV (KGZ) that he capped with six points off a lace lock, while Mohammadian followed a takedown against Satywart KADIAN (IND) with four straight gut wrenches to end the match in 30 seconds.

Mohammadian also knows he has opened the door to the Olympics, but is not through yet.

"I have to go back to Iran and have a trial and there are two very good wrestlers in Iran," he said. "The coaches will decide the team to Tokyo. I definitely want to go there."

While getting to the Olympics is the objective, Mohammadian relishes the chance of challenging world and Olympic champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS).

"I wanted to wrestle Sadulaev before, but I have not gotten a chance," Mohammadian said. "He is good wrestler obviously. We analyze him a lot. In Tokyo, I don't care if I win a medal or not, but I want to beat Sadulaev. That's my target."

Japan's worst nightmare on the mat came true in the 86kg semifinals, where two-time Olympian Takatani lost 8-7 to unheralded Zushen LIN (CHN), who capped a comeback from a 6-1 deficit by scoring the winning takedown with :23 left.

Lin's biggest move came on a 4-point counter lift in the first period off a Takatani takedown attempt, as that put him ahead on criteria when he tied the score at 7-7. In the final seconds, Takatani came close to scoring a takedown, but couldn't get Lin's knee down for the points. An unsuccessful challenge gave Lin his final point.

"I was ready for this competition," Lin said. "I am 27 years old and I am going to the Olympics for the first time. I was there in Nursultan but failed to qualify so this was my chance."

Lin has come a long way, considering that at the 2014 World Championships, he finished 22nd at 74kg -- the weight class in which Takatani won the silver medal.

In Sunday's final, Lin will face Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB), who denied Kazakhstan a sixth Olympic place by defeating 2018 Asian bronze medalist Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) by fall at the buzzer while leading 5-2.

"The Uzbek team qualified a lot here because we have good trainers and the federation helps a lot," Shapiev said. "You can see this in the results today."

Uzbekistan secured its first Olympic spot at 57kg, when Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) defeated Bekbolot MYRZANAZAR UULU (KGZ) 8-4 in the semifinals. Opposing him in the final will be Minghu LIU (CHN), a 6-3 winner over Muhammad IKROMOV (TJK).

Japan had one final chance to secure a berth in an unlikely weight class when Tetsuya TANAKA (JPN) made it to the semifinals at 130kg. But his Olympic hopes were dashed when he was overpowered by Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL), who scored six of his points in a 9-0 victory on stepouts.

Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) grabbed the other Olympic berth at 130kg with a 2-0 win over Sumit SUMIT (IND). Both of his points came on stepouts.

Tanaka had been aiming to become the first Japanese wrestler in freestyle to qualify for the Olympics in the heaviest freestyle class since Tamon HONDA (JPN) made it to the Barcelona Games in 1992 at 130kg.

Rio Olympic silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) missed weight on Sunday at the Asian Olympic Qualifier. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

Heavy heartbreak for Higuchi

One of the biggest shocks of the day occurred before the action started when Japan's Higuchi failed to make weight in his bid to return to the Olympics at 57kg.

"When we left the hotel for the weigh-in location in the morning, the mood was that we had some leeway," explained Shigeki NISHIGUCHI, the Japan Wrestling Federation general manager.

"After arriving at the weigh-ins, he was 250 grams over. He tried to lose the weight within the alloted 30 minutes, but came up 50 grams short. 'We regret that we didn't support him enough. We could have done more."

After winning the silver at Rio, Higuchi moved up to 61kg and remained at that weight class through 2017. The following year, he moved up to the Olympic weight of 65kg in an attempt to make the Tokyo Games. He won the 2018 world U-23 gold medal, but eventually failing to unseat world senior champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) on the team to Nursultan.

Having never been fully satisfied with his Olympic silver medal, and despite the fact that at one point his weight had ballooned up to 68 kilograms, Higuchi went on a crash diet with the aim of qualifying again at 57kg and going for the gold.

Subsisting on an all-vegetable diet, he dropped the weight, then gained the right to enter the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament by beating former world champion Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) at the All-Japan Championships in December 2019. The year's postponement of both the Olympics and qualifying tournament did not work out in his favor.

"I took care of everything, including diet, exercise, and caloric intake," Higuchi said in a statement released by the federation. "I've done everything without compromise. But I didn't lose (the last 50 grams) in extreme conditions. It can't be helped. I have no choice but to accept reality. This is the result, it cannot be overturned. I want to engrave it in my heart."

Freestyle

Semifinal Results

57kg
Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) df. Bekbolot MYRZANAZAR UULU (KGZ), 8-4
Minghu LIU (CHN) df. Muhammad IKROMOV (TJK), 6-3

65kg
Amir Mohammad YAZDANI (IRI) df. Haji ALI (BRN) by TF, 10-0, 5:21
Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) df. Ilyas BEKBULATOV (UZB) by Fall, 2:52 (4-8)

74kg
Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB) df. Elaman DOGDURBEK UULU (KGZ), 4-2
Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI) df. Sandeep MANN (INDIA) by TF, 10-0, 3:46

86kg
Zushen LIN (CHN) df. Sohsuke TAKATANI (JPN), 8-7
Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB) df. Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) by Fall, 6:00 (5-2)

97kg
Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) df. Symbat SULAIMANOV (KGZ) by TF, 11-1, 3:59
Mohammadhossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) df. Satywart KADIAN (IND) by TF, 10-0, :30

125kg
Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) df. Sumit SUMIT (IND), 2-0
Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) df. Tetsuya TANAKA (JPN), 9-0

Ranking Series: Bolat Turlykhanov Cup entries

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Iran Fills Remaining Freestyle Spots in Tokyo as Uzbekistan Grabs 4