Japan Wrestling

Teen Star Fujinami Misses Shutout but Rolls to 2nd National Title at 53kg

By Ken Marantz

TOKYO, Japan (December 19)--Teen phenom Akari FUJINAMI admits she's an attention-seeker who likes to stand out in the crowd, enough so that it motivated her to do something quite surprising after winning a world title in her international senior debut.

Less than three months later, it looks like Fujinami will be having a long stay in the spotlight after capturing a second national title just a month after her 18th birthday.

Fujinami gave up a rare takedown, but was otherwise unchallenged as she cruised to the women's 53kg title at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships with an 8-2 victory in the final over former world silver medalist Nanami IRIE on Sunday at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym.

"To win the title, I'm happy as usual, but looking at how I did it, there were some rough parts that I'll need to work on if I want to improve and get to where I want to be," said Fujinami, who won the gold medal at October's World Championships in Oslo with four straight technical fall victories and without surrendering a point.

Fujinami was one of three reigning world champions in action on the final day of the four-day tournament, which is serving as one of two domestic qualifiers for next year's World Championships in Belgrade, as well as for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. The winners will also likely be selected for the Asian Championships, scheduled for April at a venue to be determined.

The results were mixed for the two other Oslo gold medalists, as Remina YOSHIMOTO managed to successfully defend her Emperor's Cup crown at women's 50kg, but Ken MATSUI went down to a humbling defeat in the Greco 55kg final.

Fujinami, who advanced to the final with a pair of 10-0 technical falls, capped her last tournament as a high schooler by extending a winning streak to 86 matches, dating back to her junior high school days in 2017.

Not that it matters to her. "The winning streak is in the past. I put more importance on now and what lies ahead," Fujinami said.

To qualify for Oslo, Fujinami won her first-ever events on the senior level, last year's Emperor's Cup and this year's Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships, the second qualifier for Japan's world team held in May. She turned heads at both by handily defeating both Irie and two-time former world champion Haruna OKUNO.

This time, Fujinami only had beat the winner of a semifinal between those two, and that became Irie after riding a 4-point pancake to a close 5-4 decision over Okuno. But Irie, the 2019 world silver medalist at 55kg, proved a different foe for Fujinami than the one who was dealt shutout losses the first two times they met.

Fujinami, relying on her lightning-quick single-leg attack, had a 4-0 lead in the second period when Irie used a hard cross face to fend off a tackle and spin behind. It was only the second time in 19 matches this year that someone scored on Fujinami. In the first period, Irie managed to slip out of the grasp of a tackle attempt.

"In the final, there was a time where I had a hold [of a leg] and lost it," Fujinami said. "It was just sloppy. Part of it was that I rushed my tackles, so now I feel like I really have to work on the fine points in practice."

While the takedown might have been a moral victory for Irie, it was hardly enough, especially after Fujinami came back with a pair of takedowns to put the match away. But it makes Fujinami aware that ascending the throne means that others are going to look for ways to knock her off it.

"I'm grateful that people are studying me," Fujinami said. "If I can win even after they study me, then it shows that I am making progress."

Later, Fujinami's father, who is also her coach at Inabe Sogo Gakuin High School in Mie Prefecture, revealed that Akari did not practice in the two days before the tournament because of back pain. He said that that might have affected her movement in the final.

All that Fujinami has accomplished is shadowed by the fact that it has come without the presence of Tokyo Olympic champion Mayu MUKAIDA, who, like all of Japan's gold medalists, skipped the tournament. But Fujinami openly welcomes that battle, whenever it comes.

"I haven't faced her yet, but someday I think we'll meet up, and I believe that I will definitely win," said Fujinami, who has already committed to attending Nippon Sports Science University in the spring. "She's a strong opponent, but I have a strong determination to beat her."

Her fervent desire to be in the spotlight led to a surprise in Oslo beyond her gold-medal run. After her victory, she stunned the Japanese press by bypassing the translator and answering an English question in English. She had gone to an English-language school while in elementary school but had specially prepared for Oslo.

"I'm the type who likes to get attention, and I figured the Japan women's team would win a lot of titles and I had worked hard to be among them," Fujinami said. "But I was thinking, what can I do to stand out among them? I thought if I answer in English to English questions in an interview, that might do it.

"To do that, from about three months before the World Championships, my teacher and I would meet at lunch and practice doing an interview in English."

Asked how being a world champion has affected her life, she replied, "So many people were happy for me, it made me realize how awesome it is to win. I want to get even stronger and win more on the global stage."

YOSHIMOTORemina Yoshimoto, the 2021 world champion, became the national champion at 50kg (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

For Yoshimoto, her victory at 50kg may have best revealed how far she has to go to catch up to Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Yui SUSAKI, who has beaten her in two career meetings.

Yoshimoto won a battle of activity clock points in the final against Umi ITO, receiving two in the second period for a dour 2-1 win over the teammate of Susaki's at Waseda University.

It was a rematch of the Meiji Cup final last spring but was a far cry from the 9-0 technical fall that Yoshimoto chalked up then.

"Without feeling pressure as the world champion, I was confident coming into here," Yoshimoto said. "I was able to win out against the tough competition, and that will be important for the future. That is part of making progress.

"But there were plenty of issues in my execution, and by drawing these out, I can work on them for the next tournament."

Yoshimoto knows she will have to pick up her game to have a chance against Susaki, who says she will enter next spring's Meiji Cup in a bid to earn a ticket to Belgrade and a third-world title.

"She's strong mentally," Yoshimoto said of Susaki. "She easily won at the Olympics, but she can find a way to win any match, even when she is losing. She's really amazing."

ShiotaniYu Shiotani humbled world champion Ken Matsui with an 11-0 win in the 55kg final. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

At Greco 55kg, Matsui's bid for a first career national title in what was billed as a clash of history-makers ended with a pair of thuds, as Asian champion Yu SHIOTANI slammed him to the mat with consecutive 5-point throws in an 11-0 technical fall.

"It was pathetic, I couldn't do anything," Matsui said. "I was on a high after winning at the World Championships, so I took it too lightly and went into the match thinking, 'I've got this won.'"

Shiotani, awarded the top position in par terre, lifted Matsui perpendicular into the air, then just fell forward and dumped him onto the mat. He then repeated the process, ending the match at 1:42.

"It's not that I particularly like [that move], but it's nice to win that way," said Shiotani, a student at Takushoku University.

Shiotani lost a chance to qualify for Oslo when he finished second at last year's Emperor's Cup for the second straight year, then missed this year's Meiji Cup due to injury. That opened the door for NSSU's Matsui, who won the Meiji Cup and then struck gold in Oslo.

"I couldn't compete sometimes or I was always finishing second," Shiotani said. "Matsui went to the World Championships and won the title. That was hard to take. But I was able to face him here and I thought this time I'll beat him."

Both have already earned places in Japanese wrestling history. Matsui's victory in Oslo at age 20 years 8 months made him Japan's youngest-ever world Greco champion, while five months earlier, Shiotani won the Asian title at age 19 years 5 months, making him the nation's youngest-ever continental champion.

Veteran Tomohiro INOUE won his sixth national title and first in three years with a 5-1 victory in the Greco 72kg final over defending champion Shogo TAKAHASHI -- who Inoue coached years ago at Ikuei High School in Hyogo Prefecture.

The 34-year-old Inoue, a member of the Japan team to Oslo, showed the master still had some life left in him by scoring a gut wrench from par terre in the second period, then adding a takedown when Takahashi seemed to lose his balance and fell backward.

The two previously met in the 66kg final in 2015, with Inoue winning by technical fall.

Takahashi, 27, has spent almost all of recent years at 67kg, where he won three national titles and a 2019 Asian bronze medal but came up short in two shots at qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics.

TakataniSohsuke Takatani is now the third wrestler in Japan to win 11 consecutive national titles. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

In freestyle, Sohsuke TAKATANI became the third wrestler in Japanese history to win 11 consecutive national titles and fifth with 11 overall when he successfully defended his 92kg crown.

The 32-year-old Takatani had little trouble storming to a 12-2 technical fall over 2020 Asian silver medalist Takuma OTSU, putting him into an elite group with Yasutoshi MORIYAMA (16 straight titles from 1982-95) and Kyoko HAMAGUCHI (12 straight from 1996-2007).

Takatani, the 2014 world silver medalist at 74kg, put together his streak over four weight classes. This summer, he appeared in his third Olympics at 86kg but fell in the first round. He was the only member of Japan's Olympic team to enter the Emperor's Cup.

HasegawaToshihiro Hasegawa dropped down from 61kg to win the gold at 57kg. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

Toshihiro HASEGAWA, Japan's only freestyle medalist in Oslo when he won a bronze at 61kg, dropped down to 57kg and won his first national title with a 2-1 victory over Asian bronze medalist Yuto TAKESHITA.

Hasegawa, after giving up an activity clock point, used a slick duck under for a takedown with :05 left in the first period, and made that hold up to edge Takeshita, who ousted 2019 world junior champion Toshiya ABE 2-1 in the semifinals.

Day 4 Results

Freestyle

57kg (11 entries)
Final - Toshihiro HASEGAWA df. Yuto TAKESHITA, 2-1
3rd Place - Toshiya ABE df. Rikuto ARAI by TF, 14-4, 5:42
Semifinal - Takeshita df. Abe, 2-1
Semifinal - Hasegawa df. Arai, 4-2

92kg (12 entries)
Final - Sohsuke TAKATANI df. Takuma OTSU by TF, 12-2, 5:53
3rd Place - Yuto ITSUTSU df. Ryoichi YAMANAKA by TF, 10-0, 1:12
Semifinal - Takatani df. Itsutsu by TF, 17-4, 4:12
Semifinal - Otsu df. Yamanaka, 2-1

Greco-Roman

55kg (11 entries)
Final - Yu SHIOTANI df. Ken MATSUI by TF, 11-0, 1:42
3rd Place - Taiga ONISHI df. Kagetora OKAMOTO by Def.
Semifinal - Matsui df. Okamoto by Fall, 2:00 (9-0)
Semifinal - Shiotani df. Onishi by TF, 10-0, 2:15

72kg (12 entries)
Final - Tomohiro INOUE df. Shogo TAKAHASHI, 5-1
3rd Place - Seiya TERADA df. Daigo KOBAYASHI by Inj. Def., 0:44
Semifinal - Takahashi df. Terada, 5-1
Semifinal - Inoue df. Kobayashi by TF, 9-0, 4:23

Women's Wrestling

50kg (12 entries)
Final - Remina YOSHIMOTO df. Umi ITO, 2-1
3rd Place - Miho IGARASHI df. Haruna MORIKAWA by TF, 15-2, 6:00
Semifinal - Yoshimoto df. Morikawa by TF, 10-0, 1:13
Semifinal - Ito df. Igarashi by TF, 10-0, 1:27

53kg (12 entries)
Final - Akari FUJINAMI df. Nanami IRIE, 8-2
3rd Place - Haruna OKUNO df. Yumi SHIMONO, 5-3
Semifinal - Fujinami df. Shimono by TF, 10-0, 4:39
Semifinal - Irie df. Okuno, 5-4

#WrestleZagreb

Motoki works her magic to snatch elusive world gold

By Ken Marantz

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