Teen phenom Fujinami excited, not nervous, about global senior debut

Thursday, September 30, 2021 - 08:11 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (September 30) -- Teenager Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) was bred to wrestle for fun as much as victories. She's had an awful lot of both in her budding career.

Fujinami, regarded as one of Japan's top future prospects, will face the toughest test of her young life when she makes her international senior debut at the World Championships in Oslo in the women's 53kg division, which gets underway October 5.

Fujinami, still a month shy of her 18th birthday, stormed her way onto a young but not-to-be-underestimated Japanese team by winning the two national championship tournaments that served as the domestic qualifiers. Those were her first-ever senior-level competitions.

The 2018 world cadet champion says she has no jitters about about making the jump directly from cadet to senior, following a route previously taken by recently crowned Olympic champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN).

"My feelings right now are that I'm excited," Fujinami said in a telephone interview from her home in central Japan. "I really want the tournament to start soon. I'm don't feel nervous at all. I'm fired up. I'm looking forward to seeing how I can do."

Leave it to Japan, the preeminent powerhouse in women's wrestling, to be missing the Olympic champion and still have a wrestler of her caliber to take her place.

Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) addressing the media after the Emperor's Cup in December, 2020. (Photo: UWW / Ken Marantz)

Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) was busy preparing for her gold-medal run at 53kg at the Tokyo Olympics and did not enter the two national tournaments -- the All-Japan Emperor's Cup in December 2020 and the All-Japan Invitational Meiji Cup last May. In fact, none of Japan's Olympians, including the four other gold medalists, will be making the trip to Oslo.

But it cannot be said that Fujinami had an easy path to Oslo. At both tournaments, she encountered both two-time world champion Haruna OKUNO (JPN) and 2019 world silver medalist Nanami IRIE (JPN) -- and won each time. And quite handily, in fact.

"It gives me a lot of confidence," said Fujinami, who beat Irie in both finals without conceding a point.

Fujinami is yet to face Mukaida in an official match, but seeing her fellow Mie Prefecture native win the Olympic gold medal has stoked a fire in Fujinami. If Mukaida (now Shidochi following her recent marriage) intends to defend her Olympic title, she will likely have to get past Fujinami first.

"I watched [her matches]," Fujinami said. "I thought she was fantastic, but my stronger feeling was that I have to beat this person and win the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics."

Fujinami, a senior at Inabe Gakuen High School, has not lost a match since the national junior high school championships in June 2017, and is currently on a 79-match winning streak. Of those 79 wins, put together while accumulating 20 tournament titles, all but 15 were by fall or technical fall.

Fujinami has appeared in five international tournaments, and has yet to lose to a non-Japanese opponent. In 2018, she reeled off victories at the Klippan Lady (cadet division), Asian cadet, World cadet and Asian U15 championships.

She won a second straight Klippan Lady title in February 2019 -- with four straight technical falls -- but with the start of the worldwide pandemic, that would prove to be her last international competition until Oslo.

"It will be the first time in two years for me to face a foreign opponent," Fujinami said. "But I don't think there will be any big difference from what I normally do."

Akari FUJINAMI (JPN), right, during the U15 Asian Championships in 2018. (Photo: UWW / Ken Marantz)

Along with Mukaida, the Oslo field will also be missing Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Qianyu PANG (CHN). But Fujinami might have to contend with bronze medalist Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL), along with newly crowned world junior champion Emma MALMGREN (SWE).

She's ready for the challenge. "I'd really like to face them," she said.

Fujinami said she is well prepared for the World Championships, and will be heading to Oslo coming off a national team training camp. Prior to that, she was able to practice even though her school was still having only online teaching. The wrestling team was able to use the school's wrestling room.

Obviously too dominant for her female teammates, Fujinami spars with the boys at Inabe Gakuin. "They are around the same weight," she said. "It's a hard workout that's like matches."

Fujinami has also been invited in the past to train with the team at Nippon Sports Science University, where four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO (JPN) is currently an assistant coach.

"I haven't gone there recently because of the coronavirus," said Fujinami, who has not officially committed to a university after graduation next March, but said she will likely go to NSSU.

Fujinami started wrestling at age three, following her older brother Yuhi into the kids wrestling club run by her father Toshikazu, who is still her coach at Inabe Gakuen. Yuhi went on to win a bronze medal at the 2017 world championships at freestyle 70kg.

"I wanted to imitate what my brother was doing, so that's why I started wrestling," said Fujinami.

While Japanese wrestling often has a Spartan image, such was not the case at the Inabe Club. It would not be until her third year of elementary school that she would win her first national schoolgirls title.

"In the beginning, I was actually weak," Fujinami said. "My mother and father, and they'll say it even now, they wanted me to have fun wrestling, and I think they thought I wouldn't be an athlete with high aims.

"But as I stayed with it, I really got into it and wanted to become a world-beater. But I didn't feel that way when I was little."

With their mutual success, Fujinami and her brother developed a sibling rivalry that was, and still is, always friendly.

"I got along well with my brother and still do now," Fujinami said. "In 2017 he won a bronze medal at the World Championships, but I want to better his record and win a gold medal."

On the mat, Fujinami's main weapon is a lightning-quick single-leg takedown, which, like many Japanese, she quickly transitions to a lace-lock. She has recently focused on improving her ground wrestling, both offensively and defensively.

While she said she did not have a favorite wrestler growing up -- despite the fact that superstar Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) is also a Mie native -- Fujinami mentioned Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) when asked during a Zoom press conference whose style of wrestling she liked.

"I often watch and learn from his videos," she said of the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist at freestyle 65kg. "He can score a tackle from anywhere. He's really amazing. Like that, I want to do wrestling that's fun to watch, where a lot happens."

In Oslo, Fujinami plans to maintain her pre-match routine of eating "sekihan," a dish of rice boiled with red beans that she will bring with her. What won't be routine these days is competing in front of a crowd.

In the few domestic tournaments that weren't canceled amid the pandemic, fans and friends were not allowed.

"Having a crowd really livens up the matches, and for us athletes, its raises our motivation," Fujinami said.

#WrestleOslo

#WrestleOslo: Sadulaev Maintains Dominance Over Snyder to Grab 5th World Title

Tuesday, October 5, 2021 - 19:01 By Ken Marantz

OSLO, Norway (October 5) -- With a second victory in two months, Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RWF) has turned the sport's most high-profile rivalry into an increasingly predictable one-sided affair. (Sadulaev vs Snyder All Photos)

Sadulaev was never in danger in rolling to a 6-0 victory over Kyle SNYDER (USA) in the freestyle 97kg final at the World Championships in Oslo on Tuesday night, a win that also propelled the Russian Wrestling Federation to the team title over the United States.

In the fourth edition of the series dubbed "Snyderlaev," Sadulaev looked even more invincible than he did when he notched a 6-3 victory over Snyder in the final at the Tokyo Olympics in August.

"The matches against Snyder are always tough, at the Olympics it was really tough and today I got pretty worn out," Sadulaev said.

Sadulaev, in capturing a fifth career world title, has now won his last three encounters with Snyder since losing their first clash at the 2017 World Championships in Paris. That remains the most recent defeat for the wrestler nicknamed "The Russian Tank."

"I don’t know yet how it feels," Sadulaev said. "I have just won it. I really wanted to win because five-time world champion sounds better than four-time world champion, that’s why many years of hard work have paid off, thank God I’ve got another gold medal."

Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RWF) celebrates with the Russian Wrestling Federation contingent. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

In Tuesday's match, neither wrestler was willing to risk going on the offensive and the first period ended with no shots and Sadulaev up 1-0 after receiving an activity point.

Soon after receiving a second activity point in the second period, Sadulaev scored the first technical points with a takedown off a duck under, which he followed with a gut wrench that further displayed his exceptional power.

For Snyder, a world champion in 2015 and 2017, it gives him a fifth world medal to go with his two Olympic prizes.

The two, born six months apart, both won gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics, a 19-year-old Snyder at 97kg and a 20-year-old Sadulaev at 86kg. They became linked in history when Sadulaev moved up to 97kg the following year.

With a combined seven world and Olympic golds, Sadulaev remains on pace to match at the 2024 Paris Olympics the all-time freestyle record of 10 set by Soviet legend Aleksandr MEDVED.

Sadulaev Snyder Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RWF) blanked Kyle SNYDER (USA) in the 97kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

For the third time in their careers, the team title was also on the line in the clash between Sadulaev and Snyder in the final. The two teams were tied going into the match after the Russian federation got a bronze medal at 70kg earlier in the night.

Sadulaev's win gave the Russian Wrestling Federation the title with 173 points, followed by the United States with 168. Iran was third at 162. All three countries had three gold medalists each.

In other action on Day 4 at Jordal Amfi arena, history was destined to be made for one country in the 70kg final, and it became Poland's with a victory by Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL).

Magomedmurad GHADZIEV Magomedomurad GHADZHIEV (POL) become the first freestyle champion from Poland. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The Russian-born Gadzhiev become Poland's first-ever world freestyle champion when he scored a stepout with 1:16 left and held on for a 2-1 victory over Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) -- who was looking to become his country's first-ever male world champion.

"I am really glad for myself, for my coach, for all the coaches who supported me in Poland, in Europe, in Russia," Gadzhiev said. "I feel like I have fulfilled my duty. I planned that match to go in a little different way, but now only the result matters."

Akmataliev, who lost a close 3-3 decision in the first round at 65kg at the Tokyo Olympics to Bajrang PUNIA (IND), had been ahead 1-1 on criteria after getting the second activity point of the match.

With the victory, Gadzhiev, who placed seventh at the Tokyo Olympics at 65kg, completed the world medal set, adding to his silver from 2017 and bronze in 2019. He is a two-time European champion and six-time medalist.

"I am 33 years old, I’ve been to world championships many times, I got gold silver and bronze medals, I’ve been to the Olympics two times," Gadzhiev said. "Now I am finally the world champion. I glad I made my dream come true. It was my dream of my dad as well, unfortunately he is not alive anymore."

Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) claimed her second consecutive World title at 62kg. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

In the women's finals, Aisululu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) successfully defended her 62kg title, relying on her defense to stifle 2019 world U23 silver medalist Kayla MIRACLE (USA) 7-0 in the 62kg final.

Limited to an activity point in the first period, Tynybekova got a 2-point exposure on a counter to a Miracle single, plus a point for an unsuccessful challenge of the call, to go ahead 4-0. She added a stepout, then a takedown in the final seconds.

Tynybekova did not have to contend with nemesis Yukako KAWAI (JPN), who beat her in the final at the Tokyo Olympics and, like all of Japan's medalists, did not make the trip to Oslo.

Tynybekova Worlds Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) won the 62kg title after beating Kayla MIRACLE. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

But that's not to say that Tynybekova had it much easier. In the first round, she fell behind 4-0 against two-time world cadet champion Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) before rallying to a 6-4 win. She also had a close call in the quarterfinals.

"Today's final match was easier than any other match during this championships," Tynybekova said. "Yesterday, all the three matches were really tough, I can say I could barely win them in the last seconds.

"I wrestled the American girl at the international tournament in Italy and I know the way she wrestles. We figured out her technique together with the coach and I just followed everything he told me."

In the end, winning is all that counts for the woman who became the first wrestling world champion in her country's history, male or female. She was also one of two wrestlers who became Kyrgyzstan's first-ever female Olympic medalists in any sport at the Tokyo Games.

"As soon as I stepped out of the mat, my coach praised me," Tynybekova said. "It's most important for me to make my coach glad. I think all the people from Kyrgyzstan are glad as well. Talking about being a two-time world champion, I can say that I proved it to myself that I could make it. Of course, it makes me happy. Especially after losing at the Olympics, I could prepare well and win. It means a lot to me."

At 55kg, 2016 world cadet champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) started what Japan hopes will be a gold rush with her most dominant victory of the tournament, a 10-0 technical fall over two-time European bronze medalist Nina HEMMER (GER).

Sakurai Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) won her debut senior World title in Oslo. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

"There were wrestlers who appeared in the Olympics and have had good results, and I was able to compete against them and beat them," the soft-spoken Sakurai said of winning at her first senior World Championships. "It gives me confidence."

Sakurai, whose limited international experience includes a victory at the 2020 Klippan Lady, jumped out to a 4-0 lead with a nifty ankle lift that sent Hemmer to her back, which she then followed with a 2-point lace lock.

Using a 2-on-1 arm hold, Sakurai ripped off a pair of takedowns to finish the match in 2:08 and relegate Hemmer to a silver medal -- nothing to scoff at, she had never finished higher than eighth in five previous World Championships.

"First of all, I'm very thankful that this tournament was held," Sakurai said. "I was nervous, but I just thought to do the same wrestling that I always do, and I felt that I did that."

Regarding being Japan's first gold medalist, she said, "I was the first, but the women just started and we have some in the finals already. Japan women's wrestling is strong and we always take gold medals at the championships, so I prepared with the aim of winning a gold medal."

The 20-year-old Sakurai has already made history of sorts in Japan. By winning the title at the All-Japan Championships last December, one of the qualifiers for Oslo, she became the first-ever national champion from Ikuei University, which was founded in 2018.

Now she is the school's first world champion as well. "There are many people who supported me and many who trained with me and taught me, so I am blessed with a good environment," she said. "That's why I could do well here."

Evgenii ZHERBAEV (RWF) won a bronze medal at 70kg. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

In the bronze-medal matches, Evgenii ZHERBAEV (RWF), making his first-ever appearance at a major championship at age 31, came away with a bronze at 70kg by grinding out a 6-0 victory over Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM).

Zherbaev, who has never even won a national title, scored all of his points in the first period to deny Andreasyan, a bronze medalist this year at both the European senior and U23 tournaments.

The other match at 70kg ended with a confusing flurry, and when the dust cleared and a replay confirmed a challenge, former world champion Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) had a 4-3 victory over two-time world junior bronze medalist Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE).

With the Georgian holding a 2-1 lead in the final seconds, Bayramov cross-faced him for an exposure, but, as the replay showed, Iakobishvili leaned back and forced Bayramov to his back for 2 of his own at the buzzer.

It gave Iakobishvili his third world medal, adding to the gold he won in 2017 and bronze in 2018.

At 97kg, 2020 Asian champion and two-time world U23 gold medalist Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) overwhelmed Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL) with a 10-0 technical fall in 4:16.

Mahamed ZAKARIIEV (UKR), nursing a one-point lead late against Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR), unleashed a 4-counter lift with :17 left en route to a 9-3 victory for the other bronze medal at the 97kg category.. It gave Zakariiev his first-ever major medal on any level.

In the women's matches, European junior champion Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) won a 10-8 shootout at 55kg with the continental senior champion Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RWF).

Khomenets went up 6-4 in the first period with 4-point throw, and that gave her the lead on criteria when Khoroshavtseva came back to tie it at 8-8. With the Russian pressing for a winning score, Khomenets came away with a takedown with :05 left to take the bronze.

Jenna BURKERT (USA) secured an elusive medal, scoring a takedown and two stepouts in a solid 5-2 victory over 2020 Asian champion PINKI (IND) in the other 55kg match.

Burkert, a member of the U.S. military, had won just one match in three previous trips to the World Championships. To get to Oslo, she had to win out in an intense best-of-3 battle at the U.S. team trials with 2019 world champion Jaccara WINCHESTER (USA).

At 62kg, two-time world cadet champion Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) capped her international senior debut with a 12-0 technical fall over 2019 world bronze medalist Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR).

As she did in her first-round loss to Tynybekova, the 18-year-old Ozaki took a 4-0 lead with a pair of first-period takedowns. But instead of squadering the chance, as she did in falling 6-4 to Tynybekova, Ozaki had a pair of 4-point moves on double-leg takedowns to the back to finish off the Ukrainian.

In the other match, 2018 world U23 bronze medalist Gantuya ENKHBAT (MGL) survived a late surge by Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) to notch a 7-6 victory.

Nunes de Oliveira, looking for her first medal in seven trips to the World Championships, had a four-point takedown to assure she would have the criteria advantage. But after scoring two stepouts in the last 30 seconds to cut the lead to one, Enkhbat avoided giving up another one to take the bronze.

Podium 97kg The four medalists of the 97kg weight class in Oslo, Norway. (Photo: UWW / Tony Rotundo)

Day 4 Results

Freestyle

70kg (26 entries)
GOLD: Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) df. Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ), 2-1

BRONZE: Evgenii ZHERBAEV (RWF) df. Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM), 6-0
BRONZE: Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) df. Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE), 4-3

97kg (22 entries)
GOLD: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RWF) df. Kyle SNYDER (USA), 6-0

BRONZE: Mahamed ZAKARIIEV (UKR) df. Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR), 9-3
BRONZE: Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) df. Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL) by TF, 10-0, 4:16

Women's Wrestling

50kg (20 entries)
Semifinal: Sara HILDEBRANDT (USA) df. Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RWF) by TF, 12-1, 5:43
Semifinal: Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) df. Emilia VUC (ROU) by TF, 11-0, 3:50

53kg (17 entries)
Semifinal: Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) df. Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) by TF, 10-0, 3:04
Semifinal: Iulia LEORDA (MDA) df. Khrystyna BEREZA (UKR) by Fall, 5:45 (6-10)

55kg (14 entries)
GOLD: Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) df. Nina HEMMER (GER) by TF, 10-0, 2:08

BRONZE: Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) df. Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RWF), 10-8
BRONZE: Jenna BURKERT (USA) df. Pinki PINKI (IND), 5-2

62kg (17 entries)
GOLD: Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) df. Kayla MIRACLE (USA), 7-0

BRONZE: Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) df. Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) by TF, 12-0, 5:15
BRONZE: Gantuya ENKHBAT (MGL) df. Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA), 7-6

65kg (19 entries)
Semifinal: Irina RINGACI (MDA) df. Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) by Fall, 2:42 (4-8)
Semifinal: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Forrest MOLINARI (USA), 6-2

76kg (18 entries)
Semifinal: Adeline GRAY (USA) df. Samar HAMZA (EGY) by Fall, 3:59 (11-1)
Semifinal: Epp MAEE (EST) df. Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), 3-3

Teen phenom Fujinami excited, not nervous, about global senior debut

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#WrestleOslo: Sadulaev Maintains Dominance Over Snyder to Grab 5th World Title