#Trnava2018

Susaki, Larroque Headline Trnava World C'ships

Thursday, September 13, 2018 - 13:52 By Eric Olanowski

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TRNAVA, Slovakia (September 13) - Yui SUSAKI (JPN), the reigning 48kg senior-level world champion, will head to Trnava, Slovakia for her first-ever junior-level competition before putting her Paris World title on the line at the Budapest World Championships. 

Susaki, Japan's 19-year-old superstar won three straight Cadet World Championships before heading to Paris last year to claim her first senior-level World gold medal. 

The Junior World Championships will be Susaki’s second individual international tournament of the year after she suffered a devastating 10-0 loss to Asian Championship/ Asian Games representative, Yuki IRIE (JPN) at Japan’s Emperor’s Cup. That loss ultimately kept Susaki off of Japan’s continental championship teams. 

To make up for the Asian Championships and Asian Games absence, the Waseda University freshman traveled to Klippan, Sweden to wrestle in the first Ranking Series Event of the year, the Klippan Lady Open.

At the Klippan Lady Open, Susaki defeated current World No. 2, Mariya STADNIK (AZE), 2-2 in the gold-medal bout. She handed Stadnik her only defeat of the season. In 2018, Stadnik is 12-1, with 12 technical superiority victories while outscoring her opponents 128-5, and has gold medals at the Poland Open and the European Championships. 

Fast forward to July, Susaki avenged her loss to Irie, rallying from a four-point deficit with 30-seconds left to win the special wrestle-off, 6-4, ultimately making Japan’s Budapest World Team for the second straight year. 

If Susaki, the clear favorite at 50kg was to make the finals, she’d wrestle on Thursday night for the gold medal.


Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) looks to finish a single-leg in the bronze medal bout of the Paris World Championships. (Photo by Martin Gabor) 

Another superstar that’ll be in attendance will be France’s Koumba LARROQUE. 

Since 2015, Larroque has reached the top of the podium at the Cadet World Championships, Junior World Championships, and U23 World Championships. 

In addition, Larroque bumped up to the senior-level in her home country a season ago and captured a bronze medal at the Paris World Championships. 

Larroque is entered at 72kg and will compete on Thursday, with the potential to make Friday nights finals. 

Reigning Tampere champions Sae NANJO (JPN) and Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) also make their return to the Junior World Championships with hopes of winning back-to-back gold medals.

Nanjo is entered at 59kg, while Velieva is registered at 68kg. 


Cadet World champion, Anshu ANSHU (IND) will wrestle at 62kg. (Photo by Martin Gabor) 

Other World Medalists in Action 
50kg 
Stefania PRICEPUTU (ROU)  - Junior World bronze 

53kg
Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) - Junior World bronze

57kg  
Viktoriia VAULINA (RUS) - Junior World bronze

59kg
Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)  - Junior World runner-up 
Erika BOGNAR (GER) – Cadet World bronze 

62kg 
Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) – Junior World runner-up 
Anshu ANSHU (IND)  - Cadet World champion 
Krystsina SAZYKINA (BLR) – Cadet World bronze 

65kg 
Alena TIMOFEEVA (RUS) – Cadet World runner-up
Wiktoria CHOLUJ   (POL) – Cadet World bronze

72kg 
Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE) - Junior World bronze

76kg 
Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN) -  Junior World runner-up
Denise MAKOTA STROEM (SWE)  – Junior World bronze 
Bernadett NAGY (HUN) – Cadet World bronze 


In addition to their gold medal, each World Champion will receive a belt. (Photo by Justin Hoch)

SCHEDULE 
Wednesday 
10:30 - Qualification rounds WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg
17:15 - Semifinal WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg

Thursday 
10:30 - Qualification rounds WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg
10:30 - Repechage WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg
17:15 - Semifinal WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg
18:00 - Finals WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg

Friday 
10:30 - Repechage WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg
18:00 - Finals WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg

#WrestleTirana

WATCH: Shiotani's signature move - Reverse Lift or Tawaragaeshi

Monday, March 3, 2025 - 10:38 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (March 3) -- Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) has done it many times domestically in Japan. On Sunday, he showed it to international fans.

As soon as he get the par terre position, instead for the typical gut-wrench, Shiotani goes for the reverse lift.

The reverse lift, known as Tawaragaeshi in Japanese, majorly seen in Greco-Roman wrestling when the wrestler on top in par terre jumps to face the grounded wrestler and the locks his hands around the opponents waist to throw him over his own head, or sometimes sideways.

That Aleksandr KARELIN photo in which he is clenching his teeth as he lifts his opponent like a sack. Exactly, a reverse lift.

Shiotani, former Asian champion, has mastered that move. And a reverse lift masterclass was on display on the final day of the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series 2025 in Tirana.

Out of the 53 points he scored on Sunday, Shiotani got 33 points from his signature reverse lift. Match after match, he would try the move and succeed as if the opponents did not how to defend it.

"There's not much to think about during a game like this. I do the Tawaragaeshi as if my body were moving on its own," Shiotani said.

Yu SHIOTANI (JPN)Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) performs a reverse lift during the 60kg semifinal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostandin Andonov)

The Japanese federation Instagram page is full of Shiotani's reverse lift videos. Despite his go-to move, Shiotani is shy to explain his obsession with the move which he performs even when he is in a position to pin or roll his opponent.

"I'm trying to switch things up and try to lift the wrestlers rather than trying to hold him down," Shiotani said. "I'm always practicing so I am able to do it in any situation."

Shiotani doesn't hide it that he is going for the reverse lift. He ideally starts from a chest wrap and quickly moves his grip to waist. If the opponent tries to raise his head to defend, Shiotani scores an exposure, opening more scoring options.

This was the first time Shiotani was wrestling at 60kg in a UWW event, up from 55kg but he said that he always remained in shape for wrestling.

"I always keep in shape," he said. "Ever since moved up the weight class, I've always believed that I could win by building my body, so I'm glad I was able to do that."