Japan Wrestling

Takahashi Tops Rio Silver Medalist Higuchi in Playoff for Olympic 57kg Ticket

Saturday, June 12, 2021 - 16:47 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO---The message from his wife on the handkerchief  tucked away in his singlet impelled Yuki TAKAHASHI to be confident and assured him "it was going to be a good day." How right she was.

Takahashi came up with the win he had waited for his entire life--the one that earned him an Olympic ticket--by defeating 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI 4-2 in a wrestle-off Saturday for Japan's freestyle 57kg spot at the Tokyo Games.

Takahashi, the 2017 world champion, filled the Olympic spot he himself had secured at the final world qualifying tournament just over a month ago after scoring a 2-point counter exposure with a minute to go to defeat Higuchi in the special match held at Tokyo's Ajinomoto National Training Center.

"He's the Rio silver medalist and I know he's a strong wrestler," the 27-year-old Takahashi said. "To me, I was the one who got the Olympic berth [for Japan] and making it mine was another step in the process. I didn't want to waste the chance."

Under strict coronavirus protocols with Tokyo still in a third state of emergency, only about 20 people were present at the match in the NTC wrestling room, not unlike the final gladiator fight scene between Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis in Spartacus. The match was livestreamed on Facebook, with a online press conference on Zoom held afterwards.

The match had originally been scheduled to be held on the final day of the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships in late May, but was pushed back as Takahashi had gone through a two-week quarantine upon returning from the final world qualifier in Sofia, Bulgaria.

"I'm more relieved than anything," Takahashi said. "After I got back from the world qualifying tournament, the date [of the playoff] wasn't decided and it made me anxious and things remained tense. I had to maintain my weight that I had just done [in Sofia].

"Anyway, there's only 1 1/2 months until the Olympics. I'll take a little rest, then change gears and do what I have to so I have no regrets."

In the match, Takahashi gained the only point of an action-less first period with an activity point, then added another in the second period for a 2-0 lead.

"In the first period, I was hoping to get a takedown, but I got an activity point with my aggressiveness," Takahashi said. "I was able to control the flow like I wanted."

As Takahashi was being awarded his second point, Higuchi got in on a single leg in the first true shot of the match, which he finished off with 1:43 to go to move ahead 2-2 on criteria.

"The first time he got my leg, and I could get a sense of his strength," Takahashi said. "That was at around two minutes [to go], but I didn't think I would lose. He went for a tackle and I thought, 'If I can turn him, I'll turn him, if I can't, I'll get points from standing.' I never thought I was in any danger."

 

Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) exposes Rei HIGUCHI for two points during Saturday's 57kg special wrestle-off. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation)

Higuchi remained the aggressor and again secured a single leg near the edge. But Takahashi was able to flatten out his opponent and, reaching over and grabbing a leg, levered him over for a 2-point exposure to go up 4-2 with 1:03 left. That's how it ended.

"Wrestling is six minutes and you never know what is going to happen, you can't let up from start to finish," said the 25-year-old Higuchi, who dropped to the mat in despair after the match. "I don't know what left me a step behind. I was able to do my attacking style of wrestling."

Following the match, Takahashi immediately called his wife, Sayaka, who was watching with Takahashi's parents and brother at their home in Yamanashi, a city 100 kilometers west of Tokyo where he is currently coach of his alma mater, Yamanashi Gakuin University.

"She was half-crying, half-ecstatic," said Takahashi, who credits her and his family for their moral support during the tough times when he thought his Olympic dream had been over.

"Seeing them happy makes me happy. Without them, I wouldn't be here. I wanted to thank them...although it's not over yet. There is the wall of getting to the Olympics, the wall of getting a medal and the wall of winning the gold medal. I am over the first wall."

Takahashi later showed the media a handkerchief that Sayaka had made for him bearing a drawing of him with the Olympic rings, and messages from her and the rest of his family such as "Do as you always do!" and "Go, go, go Yuki! Grab the future!"

"With the writing on it, I thought I might not be able to use it because it isn't white," Takahashi joked.

The victory came nearly two years after Takahashi, also a world bronze medalist in 2018, came up short in his first attempt at clinching an Olympic spot, which he could have done by winning a medal at the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan.

Instead, a 10th-place finish left the door open for others to enter the picture, which is what Higuchi did. After an unsuccessful attempt to wrest the 65kg spot from 2018 world champion Takuto OTOGURO---although he did win a world U-23 gold at that weight--- Higuchi went through the grueling process of dropping back down to 57kg, a struggle that cost him dearly at one point.

Higuchi took a huge step forward when he defeated Takahashi at the All-Japan Championships in December 2019, which earned him the right to enter the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament.

Then the global pandemic hit, and the saga took an unexpected twist. The one-year delay in the Tokyo Olympics and the qualifiers only made it harder for Higuchi, who had not wrestled at 57kg since the Rio Games and was constantly fighting a battle with the scale.

"That has always been the biggest issue for me," Higuchi said. "I'm a bit bigger than those in the world of 57kg. I did a lot of research into weight loss and hired a trainer, and talked with other wrestlers and friends. I would never have been able to do it on my own."

At the Asian qualifier in Almaty in April, disaster struck. Higuchi stunned Japan and the wrestling world when he failed to make weight as a prohibitive favorite at 57kg. It might not have been a slam dunk, but with just nine entries, the odds were certainly in his favor.

The Japan federation opted to dispatch Takahashi, the 2020 All-Japan champion, in Higuchi's place to the world qualifier. He lived up to the expectations, emerging from the field of 23 as one of the two finalists to clinch the berth for Japan and set up the playoff with Higuchi.

Before the Rio Olympics, the two went through almost the same scenario. Takahashi suffered a shocking third-round loss of the 2015 All-Japan to an unheralded wrestler, and Higuchi went on to take the title. He then won the Asian Olympic qualifier to earn the ticket to Rio, where he took the silver.

"That was a disappointment, but I was able to put it behind me," said Takahashi, who added he wants to lead by example as a coach. "If you don't give up, it will produce results. That is what I want to show."

As for Higuchi, he remains unsure what the future holds.

"The Tokyo Olympics are over for me," Higuchi said. "With all of the weight loss, I've been through a dark time. I will take some time to refresh myself mentally, get my thoughts in order and decide what to do."

#WrestleZagreb

Motoki works her magic to snatch elusive world gold

Thursday, September 18, 2025 - 22:33 By Ken Marantz

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 17) -- Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) finally has a world gold to go with the one she won at the Paris Olympics. And she did it with another
dramatic victory, this time in the final.

As is becoming her forte, Motoki snatched a victory in the dying seconds of a match, beating Asian silver medalist Ok Ju KIM (PRK) 5-4 in the 62kg final at the World Championships on Thursday, as the women's competition concluded with a banner day for Japan.

"Just like at the Olympics, I went from a point where I thought I would lose, then the outcome suddenly changed and I was able to win," Motoki said. "It's the same feeling of happiness and feeling of relief, and brought me to tears."

Japan won two of the three other golds at stake, with Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN) winning at 53kg for her fourth career world gold, and Ami ISHII (JPN) triumphing
at 68kg to become a two-time world champion.

The fourth and final gold of the night went to Alla BELINSKA (UKR), who repeated her victory over Nesrin BAS (TUR) from the final of the European Championships -- right down to winning by fall.

The three golds padded Japan's total in the team race, as the Asian powerhouse had clinched the title before the night began. Japan, which won five of the 10 golds, finished on top with 162 points, followed by the DPR Korea with 115 points. China edged the United States for third, 87-83.

Motoki made a name for herself around the world at the Paris Olympics, where her hopes of a gold seemed to be over in the semifinals, when she was trailing Grace BULLEN (NOR) 7-2 and was being tripped backwards for what might end the match.

But Motoki suddenly locked Bullen's arms and bridged, then turned her over and recorded a stunning fall to the shock of those in the Champ de Mars Arena and around the world. The next day she defeated Irina KOLIADENKO (UKR) for the gold.

Motoki had to survive a grueling qualifying process just to get to Paris. A world bronze medalist at 59kg, she moved up to the Olympic weight and had to win out among a domestic field that included Tokyo Olympic champion Yukako KAWAI (JPN) and world champion Nonoka OZAKI (JPN).

And she basically had to repeat the process to get to Zagreb. As she did in Paris, Motoki pulled a rabbit out of the hat and defeated Ozaki by scoring a takedown literally in the final second of a playoff for Japan's team.

On Thursday, Kim became the latest to fall victim to the Motoki magic. The Japanese took a 3-0 lead in the first period on an activity point and a sweeping single-leg takedown.

Trying to defend in the second period, Motoki gave up a single-leg takedown to Kim, which the Japanese was willing to concede. But she wasn't prepared for being
gut-wrenched over to suddenly fall behind 4-3 with :35 left.

"I had a three-point lead and when she got in on a single leg, I thought it would be alright to give up two [points]," Motoki said. "But then when I was rolled, I thought, 'This is bad. Once again I'm going to get this far and not win?'"

Ok Ju KIM (PRK)Ok Ju KIM (PRK) turns Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) to take a 4-3 lead in the 62kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

In her two previous trips to the World Championships, Motoki fell short of the gold, taking the bronze in 2022 and the silver in 2023, losing to Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) in the final. Would she miss out on the gold again?

With 12 seconds left, she launched her attack, transitioning from one thing to another in a desperate attempt. First a low single, then an arm throw, then back to
a single. All were defended. Then she tried a headlock throw, and that sent Kim sideway to the mat as time ran out.

The referee gave no points, but on challenge, it was determined that Kim's shoulders broke the 90-degree plane -- with :00.3 seconds on the clock.

"In the last 12 seconds, I launched an attack, and when the tackles failed, I thought, 'Oh no, that's the end,'" Motoki said. "When I looked back, she was on my back. I thought if I threw her, I could make it. I just put everything into the throw, but I didn't know if I turned her. Really, it was lucky."

Sakura MOTOKI (JPN)Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) won her first world gold medal in Zagreb. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Motoki said her earlier losses at the worlds served as incentive to work harder and always give everything up to the final whistle. She told the Japanese press earlier this year that she uses the UWW music played during the medal ceremony as her morning alarm -- a constant reminder of the agony she never wanted to experience again.

"Three years ago and two years ago, I lost on this stage, and the feeling of disappointment and of being inferior, even after winning at the Olympics, did not go away," Motoki said. "But by losing, it made me stronger and made me what I am now. To win here makes me so happy."

Motoki will embark on another quest in a month's time when she competes at the World U23 Championships on October 20-27. Already a world U17 and U20 champion, a victory in Novi Sad, Serbia, will make her just the third member -- along with Yui SUSAKI (JPN) and Amit ELOR (USA) -- of the elite "Golden Grand Slam" club, those who have won on the senior and all three age-group levels as well as at the Olympics.

"One might think that winning on the age-group level would put you at the forefront, but that's not the case," Motoki said. "After I won the U17, I had an injury and became weaker. I lost in the first round at the Inter High. Then I went to college and thought I had progressed, only to have a major injury.

"To achieve the Grand Slam would be due to overcoming the hard times with the support of many others."

Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN)Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN) controls Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) during the 53kg final at the World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 53kg, Murayama established herself as the frontrunner in the weight class in the runup to the 2028 Los Angeles, following the decision by Paris gold medalist Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) to move up to 57kg.

Murayama scored takedowns in each period to defeat Paris silver medalist Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) 5-0 and add to her world golds from 2017, 2018 and 2023, all won under her maiden name of OKUNO.

It marks the continuation of a remarkable turnaround for Murayama, who sank into the depths of despair after losing out on the berth for the Tokyo Olympics to collegiate teammate and eventual gold medalist Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN).

"I had half given up on the idea of competing at events like the World Championships in an Olympic weight class," Murayama said. "So just being able to stand on this stage and leave this kind of result behind -- it’s something that two or three years ago, I couldn’t even have imagined."

It was Yepez who famously scored seven points off Fujinami in the quarterfinals at the 2023 World Championships, albeit the Japanese came back and scored 16 of
her own before winning by fall. But the Ecuadorean, her country's first-ever world and Olympic medalist, established herself as a dangerous foe.

In the final, Murayama wrestled cautiously but methodically, using a front headlock to spin behind for a takedown just as she was receiving an activity point in the first period. She added a second takedown by getting behind again in the second period.

Murayama and Yepez had met once before, with the Japanese winning 10-0 in the final of the U23 World Championships in October 2022.

Ami ISHII (JPN)Ami ISHII (JPN) tries to score on Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) in the 68kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At 68kg, Ishii had plowed through the field to make the final, where she met stiff resistance from four-time European medalist Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) and needed a second-period takedown to secure a 4-2 victory.

It was Yaneva who struck first when she adroitly used a counter lift for a two-point lead. Ishii came back with a stepout, but an apparent takedown was wiped out on challenge as having been completed after the buzzer.

Down by a point, Ishii warily avoided the counter and went with an arm drag to get behind for a takedown to go ahead 3-2. A short time later, Yaneva shot in for a single, but Ishii slipped under and grabbed Yaneva's leg, then clung on to force a stalemate. An unsuccessful challenge at the end gave Ishii her final point.

"I thought I might get countered again," Ishii said of her strategy for the second period. "Still, I had to get points. It would be the end if I lost my nerve. Even if I couldn't get in [on a tackle], I had to find a way to get points."

Ishii has been a workhorse since missing out on the Paris Olympics when she suffered a heartbreaking, last-second loss for the 68kg spot to Ozaki. She won the 72kg gold at last year's Non-Olympic World Championships as a sort of consolation, so winning at 68kg holds more significance.

"Without a doubt, it's getting to a place closer to the Olympics," Ishii said, adding that her mission now will be staying at the top of the division in Japan. "It's tough to be at this level, and I can't just keep going as I am now. I need to raise my level, so I have to train even harder."

In the last match of the night, two-time European champion Belinska, who had received an activity point in the first period, came out in the second and caught Bas in a headlock before securing the fall in 4:25.

"The final was tense, but I had prepared my throw, and I’m very happy that I managed to execute it," Belinska said. "In the first period, I couldn’t make that move, and the tension started to build -- but even in a stressful situation, I was still able to pull it off."

Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL)Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) defeated Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR) to win bronze at 62kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Purevdorj captures bronze 8 years after striking gold

Eight years after winning a world gold, Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) finally picked up her another medal, taking a 62kg bronze by rallying to a nail-biting 6-5 victory over Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR).

After Purevdorj received an activity point in the first period, she fell into a large hole by giving up a 4-point takedown at the edge to open the second period. Purevdorj picked up a 2-point exposure on a scramble, which, after a scramble, revealed a foul by Kolawole. That gave Purevdorj a point and, significantly, put her on top in par terre.

She took advantage by executing a gut wrench and, even though Kolawole reversed, it left the Mongolian with a 6-5 advantage that she maintained through the end.

Amina TANDELOVA (UWW) earned her first world medal when she scored a duck under takedown in the final minute to defeat Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) 4-2 for the other 62kg bronze.

Asian champion Hyongyong CHOE (PRK) added the senior world bronze to her Olympic bronze from Paris with a victory at 53kg by second-period fall over Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB) after building up an 8-0 lead.

Choe went for the kill at all times, scoring two exposures off a head lock, then ending the match when she scored a takedown and immediately applied a half-nelson to turn Akhmedova over.

Two-time Asian bronze medalist ANTIM (IND) gave India its first medal through six days in Zagreb, capping a 9-1 victory over Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) with a 4-point takedown for the other 53kg bronze.

Kennedy BLADES (USA), the Paris silver medalist at 76kg who made the drop all the way down to 68kg but couldn't get past Ishii, assured she wouldn't leave empty-handed when she routed Buse TOSUN (TUR) 12-1 for the bronze medal.

Jia LONG (CHN), last year's champion at 65kg at the Non-Olympic Worlds, defeated Sol Gum PAK (PRK) 6-1 for the other 68kg bronze. Long scored all of her points in the first period, with a takedown-roll combo followed by a go-behind takedown.

China also picked up a bronze at 72kg, when Zelu LI (CHN) fought off her back after a 4-point headlock by Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) to start the match, gradually chipping away until she came away with a 7-4 victory with three takedowns.

Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ) scored a takedown in each period to top Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA) 5-0 for the other 72kg bronze.

Day 6 Results

Women's Wrestling

53kg (23 entries)
GOLD: Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN) df. Lucia YEPEZ (ECU), 5-0

BRONZE: ANTIM (IND) df. Jonna MALMGREN (SWE), 9-1
BRONZE: Hyongyong CHOE (PRK) df. Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB) by Fall, 4:00 (8-0)

62kg (22 entries)
GOLD: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) df. Ok Ju KIM (PRK), 5-4

BRONZE: Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) df. Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR), 6-5
BRONZE: Amina TANDELOVA (UWW) df. Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL), 4-2

68kg (24 entries)
GOLD: Ami ISHII (JPN) df. Yuliana YANEVA (BUL), 4-2

BRONZE: Kennedy BLADES (USA) df. Buse TOSUN (TUR) by TF, 12-1, 5:22
BRONZE: Jia LONG (CHN) df. Sol Gum PAK (PRK), 6-1

72kg (17 entries)
GOLD: Alla BELINSKA (UKR) df. Nesrin BAS (TUR) by Fall, 4:25 (5-0)

BRONZE: Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ) df. Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA), 5-0
BRONZE: Zelu LI (CHN) df. Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU), 7-4

Greco-Roman

55kg (18 entries)
SEMIFINAL: Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) df. Emin CAKIR (TUR) 2-2
SEMIFINAL: Payam AHMADI (IRI) df. Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) 3-1

77kg (33 entries)
SEMIFINAL: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df. Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI), 5-1
SEMIFINAL: Nao KUSAKA (JPN) df. Robert FRITSCH (HUN), 3-1

82kg (26 entries)
SEMIFINAL: Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN), 8-5
SEMIFINAL: Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) df. Karlo KODRIC (CRO), 7-1

130kg (27 entries)
SF 1: Darius VITEK (HUN) df. Pavel HLINCHUK (UWW), 3-1
SF 2: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) df. Wenhao JIANG (CHN), 3-1