Seven Olympic Medalists Eye #Tokyo2020 Berth in Sofia

Friday, April 30, 2021 - 12:38 By Eric Olanowski

SOFIA, Bulgaria (April 29) --- More than 400 wrestlers from 84 countries have entered next week's World Olympic Games Qualifier in a final hope to qualify their nation for the Tokyo Olympic Games. Each of the 18 categories will have two tickets up for grabs, with semifinal winners securing their spots. Wrestling will begin May 6th and end May 9th.

While new stars have emerged in the extended five-year cycle, seven Olympic medalists have yet to qualify and will be in Sofia to make sure they have the chance to find Olympic glory once again. A total of seven previous medalists will return headlined by two-time medalists Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR) and Jackeline RENTERIA CASTILLO (COL).

Rio Olympic champion and London silver medalist Vladimir KHINCHIGISHVILI (GEO) withdrew from the tournament this week after testing positive for COVID-19. The Georgian star had planned to compete at 65kg.

"I can just say that in life no one knows what awaits us. I am grateful for everything.' said Khinchigishvili. "I hope that my countryman can still capture the license."

Kim won his Olympic medals at the London and Rio Games, while Renteria Castillo won her medals at the Beijing and London Games.

Kim, who'll wrestle on Sunday, is on a quest to get back to the Olympic Games to potentially grab a third Greco-Roman medal. From late-’17 to the Nur-Sultan World Championships, the first-ballot Hall-of-Famer reached the podium at nine consecutive competitions – five of which were golds – but is still looking to find his stride in ‘21. Since falling to Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) in his opening match at the ’19 World Championships, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kim has only competed once. That was at last month’s Asian Olympic Qualifiers, where he fell to Asian champion Singh GURPREET (IND), (who is also registered at 77kg) and finished in seventh place.

The biggest threats stopping Kim from reaching the 77kg finals are world bronze medalists Fatih CENGIZ (TUR) and Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL), two-time U23 world champion Daniel CATARAGA (MDA) and newly-minted European champion Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO).

Two-time Olympic bronze medalist Jackeline Renteria Castillo is trying to join Tonya VERBEEK (CAN) as the only Pan-American woman to win three Olympic medals. The Colombian is registered at 62kg. Other wrestlers entered alongside Renteria Castillo include world silver medalists Elif YESILIRMAK (TUR) and Liubov OVCHAROVA (RUS).

Other Olympic Medalists in Action
Greco-Roman Rio gold medalist Davit CHAKVETADZE (RUS), and Rio bronze medalists Stig Andre BERGE (NOR) and Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) will all be action on Sunday.

Chakvetadze will replace Russia’s European Olympic Qualifier and European championship representative Milad ALIRZAEV (RUS) at 87kg. Alirzaev took bronze at the European Championships but dropped to a fifth-place finish at the European Olympic Qualifier.

The World Olympic Qualifier will be Chakvetadze’s first competition back since falling in the finals of December’s Individuals World Cup in Belgrade. Prior to his loss, he picked up convincing victories over defending European champion Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) and world bronze medalist Hossein NOURI (IRI), before running into the red-hot Kiril MASKEVICH (BLR) in the gold-medal match.

The top threat that’s on Chakvetadze’s radar is Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB), who just last weekend won European gold. Another threat to pay attention to is two-time world champion Metehan BASAR (TUR).

Berge, the Rio Olympic bronze medalist, is entered at one of Greco-Roman’s most loaded weight classes, 60kg.

In his two appearances down at the Olympic weight class, the 38-year-old Norwegian has struggled mightily, going 0-2 and dropping his first-round matches to Sailike WALIHAN (CHN) Erik TORBA (HUN). Berge’s loss to Walihan dropped him to a 24th-place finish at the World Championships, and his loss to Torba left him finishing in 14th at the European Olympic Qualifier.

Some roadblocks that Berge will have to navigate through to reach the finals are world champion Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) and European champions Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) and Victor CIOBANU (MDA).

Chunayev, who will compete at 67kg, will be making his first appearance since falling to two-time world champion RYU Hansu (KOR) at the ’19 World Championships. Other wrestlers that Chunayev will have to get past included four-time world medalist Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ), world bronze-medal winner Gevorg SAHAKYAN (POL) and European champion Morten THORESEN (NOR).

Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) and Albert SARITOV (ROU) are the pair of freestyle Olympic medalists registered for Sofia.

Demirtas will wrestle in freestyle's cant-miss weight-to-watch, 74kg.

To earn an Olympic berth, Demirtas will have to put an end to Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV’s (SVK) hot streak that he’s looking to carry over from last weekend’s European Championships. The Slovakian became his nation’s third-ever European champion. Salkazanov defeated two-time world champion Frank CHAMIZO, world runner-up Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) and U23 world champion Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS) en route to winning the 74kg title.

Other guys who can make some noise at 74kg are former Russian-turned Serbian world champion Hetik CABOLOV (SRB), African champion Ogbonna JOHN (NGR) and European champion Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (BLR)

Albert SARITOV (ROU) is the final Olympic medalist that’ll be in action. It’ll be his third competition of the season. He’s wrestled at the International Ukrainian Tournament, European Olympic Qualifier and European Championships and finished with a bronze medal in Ukraine.

The Rio Olympic bronze medalist finished with a bronze medal at the International Ukrainian Tournament. In addition to Erik THIELE (GER), the guy who beat Saritov for bronze at the European Olympic Qualifier, world bronze medalist Abraham CONYEDO (ITA), is another guy the Romanian will have his eyes on.

Freestyle
74kg - Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR): Rio bronze medalist
97kg - Albert SARITOV (ROU): Rio Olympic bronze medalist

Greco-Roman
60kg - Stig Andre BERGE (NOR): Rio Olympic bronze medalist
67kg - Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE): Rio Olympic bronze medalist
77kg - Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR): London gold and Rio bronze medalist
87kg - Davit CHAKVETADZE (RUS) - Rio Olympic gold medalist

Women’s Wrestling
62kg - Jackeline RENTERIA CASTILLO (COL): Beijing and London Olympic bronze medalist

#WrestleHangzhou

In comeback, Mun makes Asian Games golden for DPR Korea

Friday, October 6, 2023 - 11:34 By Vinay Siwach

LIN'AN, Hangzhou, China (October 6) -- After two heartbreaking losses to Japan in the finals of Women's Wrestling, DPR Korea finally got the better of arguably the best wrestlers in the world.

Hyon Gyong MUN (PRK) stunned world champion Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) with a comeback victory in the 62kg in the final at the Asian Games to make sure that her country finished Women's Wrestling with at least a gold medal.

A day before, wrestlers from the country suffered final-second losses to Japanese wrestlers. In the 50kg final, Son Hyang KIM (PRK) lost 5-4 to Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) while In Sun JONG (PRK) fell to world champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) 7-6.

But Mun changed the script, giving DPR Korea something to cheer about on their comeback after four years. The country has not wrestled globally since the 2019 World Military Games.

In the 62kg final, Mun, down 6-0 at the break, came alive in the second period. She scored a counter exposure to make it 6-2 before an arm-lock throw in the final minute saw Ozaki, who wrestled like a world champion till then, fall on her back.

Though Ozaki kept her one shoulder from touching the mat, Mun was happy to hold her in danger for the remainder of the clock to win 6-6 as she had a four-point move over Ozaki's two-pointers.

A stunned Ozaki took her own time to get up from the mat while Mun jumped around in joy and finished her celebrations with a somersault.

Hyon Gyong MUN (PRK) in action against Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) in the 62kg final. (Photo: UWW / Sachiko Hotaka)

"I was in a situation where I didn't know anything about the DPR Korean wrestler," Ozaki said after the final. "In that context, the biggest thing is the mentality. I felt that I was prepared. After I beat Tynybekova, I knew that the job wasn't finished. I got my mind focused on the final. I wasn't feeling overconfident. I didn't think about being defensive. The problem was that I didn't get off to a good start that I wanted to."

This is not the first time Mun has troubled a Japanese wrestler. Back in 2019 at the Asian Championships in Xi'an, Mun led 4-3 against Yukako KAWAI (JPN) in the semifinal and with 12 seconds left, she tried a headlock throw which Kawai defended and scored a takedown. Mun would go on to lose that semifinal 5-4.

Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) defeated Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) 3-1 in the 62kg quarterfinals. (Photo: UWW / Sachiko Hotaka)

While the 20-year-old Ozaki could not win her first Asian Games gold, she did have a mini-achievement in Hangzhou. Ozaki defeated Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) 3-1 in the quarterfinals, their fifth career meeting in two years. A takedown from Ozaki in the second remained the difference between the two wrestlers after passivity points. Ozaki now leads the head-to-head 3-2. The two exchanged titles in 2021 and 2022 and Asian titles in 2022 and 2023.

Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) scores a takedown against Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) in the 76kg final. (Photo: UWW / Sachiko Hotaka)

While Tynybekova, the Asian Games champion from 2018, could not defend her title, bronze medalist from Jakarta Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) improved to gold after beating the Asian champion at 72kg Zhamila BAKBERGENOV (KAZ) in the 76kg final.

Medet Kyzy had injured her knee in the final of the World Championships in Belgrade two weeks ago but showed little signs of injury winning the final 7-4. Not only was her offense on point, but the Kyrzgy wrestler was up to the mark in defense as well.

"After the World Championships, my goal was this tournament," Medet Kyzy said. "After Belgrade, I thought that I would not wrestle in the Asian Games but we discussed with the coaches and they said you can win the Games with one leg and decided to wrestle."

Feng ZHOU (CHN) defended her Asian Games title at 68kg. (Photo: UWW / Sachiko Hotaka)

The third gold medal in Women's Wrestling was captured by home favorite and defending champion Feng ZHOU (CHN) at 68kg. After Greco-Roman and Women's Wrestling, Zhou was the only wrestler to defend the title from Jakarta.

Zhou was up against a surprise finalist in Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ) who defeated world silver medalist Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) in the semifinal. The former Asian champion launched a barrage of high gut wrenches to beat Nurtaeva 13-2.

"I feel quite emotional right now," Zhou said. "I did better in the second round. I was quite nervous in the first and was a big tight. But I was able to let things go from there. I took my chance and successfully extended the gap."

The gold medal is Zhou's third of the Asian Games as she won the title in 2014 as well at 75kg as only four weight classes were included in the Games back then.

"I never thought about the two previous Asian Games gold. I just took it one bout at a time," she said. "I overcame myself. I didn't do well at the World Championships just before the Asian Games. To b able to recover from that, pick myself up and regain confidence, wasn't that easy to do."

The 30-year-old two-time world medalist was wrestling at home for the first time in a while and expressed that the cheers from the crowd was the extra motivation she needed.

"It's definitely more motivation," she said. "It's so different competing at home. I hear everyone cheering for me and that helps drive me. It's so much nicer to compete at home."

Tynybekova wins bronze

World champion Tnynbekvoa returned to win the bronze medal at 62kg, beating Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ) 2-1. The three-time world champion and Olympic silver medalist relied on her strong defense to see off Kuznetsova.

"I weighed around 60kg as I fell sick when I came here," Tynybekova said. "I have not eaten in three days. I am a little tired and I think I need a holiday."

The other bronze medal went to SONAM who defeated the world silver medalist from 2022 Jia LONG (CHN) 7-5 with a takedown in the last 30 seconds.

At 68kg, Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN) completed a fall over KANHA CHEA (CAM) to win the medal while Enkhsaikhan pinned 2010 Asian Games champion Yelena SHALYGINA (KAZ) after an action-packed bout in which Enkhsaikhan led 10-6 before getting the fall.

The bronze medals at 76kg went to KIRAN who managed to beat Ariunjargal GANBAT (MGL), 6-3, and Juan WANG (CHN) who won 6-0 against Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE).

RESULTS

62kg
GOLD: Hyon Gyong MUN (PRK) df. Nonoka OZAKI (JPN), 6-6

BRONZE: SONAM df. Jia LONG (CHN), 7-5
BRONZE: Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) df. Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ), 2-1

68kg
GOLD: Feng ZHOU (CHN) df. Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ), 13-2

BRONZE: Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN) df. KANHA CHEA (CAM), via fall
BRONZE: Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) df. Yelena SHALYGINA (KAZ), via fall

76kg
GOLD: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), 7-4

BRONZE: KIRAN df. Ariunjargal GANBAT (MGL), 6-3
BRONZE: Juan WANG (CHN) df. Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE), 6-0

Seven Olympic Medalists Eye #Tokyo2020 Berth in Sofia

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In comeback, Mun makes Asian Games golden for DPR Korea