Tynybekova rises again to win 62kg Asian title; Fujinami repeats

Wednesday, April 12, 2023 - 16:42 By Ken Marantz

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (April 12) -- To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the sporting demise of Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) have been an exaggeration.

The former two-time world champion Tynybekova showed she was alive and kicking in the athletic sense when she captured the gold medal in a formidable 62kg weight class as women's wrestling concluded at the Asian Championships on Wednesday in Astana.

Tynybekova came away with her fifth career Asian gold and 10th medal overall with a gutsy 9-5 victory over former world champion Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) in the final at the Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace.

That victory came hours after Tynybekova eked out a 2-2 victory in the semifinals over defending champion and reigning world champ Nonoka OZAKI (JPN), avenging a pair of losses to the young Japanese in 2022 that included the final at last year's Asian Championships.

"I am very proud of myself," Tynyvekova said. "Last year was super tough for me. Right from the beginning of the year, it was super tough. Now I am happy that I was able to overcome it all. I wish everyone to keep dreaming and believing in themselves."

While Tynybekova was re-establishing her status as a world elite, teen phenom Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) was solidifying her credentials as a budding superstar by storming to her second straight title at 53kg, racking up three one-sided victories that extended her winning streak in domestic and international competitions to 119 in a row.

Japan, which won three titles on Tuesday, also got a gold medal from Sae NANJO (JPN) at 57kg but saw its wrestlers in the two heaviest of the five weight classes in action both fall in the finals.

World silver medalist Jia LONG (CHN) gave China its second gold in Astana with a victory over Mahiro YOSHITAKE (JPN) at 65kg, while hometown favorite Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) successfully defended her 76kg title by beating Sumire NIIKURA (JPN) in a rematch of the 2022 championship bout.

Not surprisingly, Japan ran away with the team title with 205 points, while China finished second with 149 and India, with no champions overall but five medalists on Wednesday, edged host Kazakhstan by two points for third with 143.

Tynybekova, who had been recovering from a knee injury suffered during a loss to Ozaki at last year's Asian Championships in Mongolia, struggled to fifth place at the 2022 World Championships. She then started this year with a first-round loss at the Zagreb Open to Xiaojuan LUO (CHN), who would lose a bronze-medal match here on Wednesday.

Tynybekova showed some of her old form three weeks later by winning the Ranking Series tournament in Egypt with a win over Luo in the final, but there were questions about how she would perform when the stakes were higher in Astana.

The 29-year-old national hero wiped away the doubts with a vintage performance, keeping her cool in desperate situations and relying on her experience to take advantage of every opening.

In the 62kg final, Tynybekova twice gave up points to counters by Purevdorj that would put her behind, but quickly scrambled for a reversal after each, with the second one putting her ahead 5-4. She put the match away with a double-leg takedown and 2-point exposure in the last minute.

"I am very happy to be back at the top of the podium," Tynybekova said. "I am glad this day had finally come. I also would like to note that I have become a five-time Asian champion. Maybe there was no one before. I am proud to be the first one in our country."

Tynybekova was denied her dream of striking Olympic gold when she lost to Japanese rival Yukako KAWAI (JPN) in the final at the 2021 Tokyo Games. As Kawai went on hiatus, Tynybekova regained the world title later that year that she previously won in 2019. Her first-round opponent at the 2021 Worlds was the then-teenaged Ozaki, whom she beat in a struggle.

Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) scoring a counter over Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) which proved crucial in the win. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Fast-forward to April last year in Mongolia, where Ozaki gained revenge with a victory over Tynybekova by injury default in a match the Japanese seemed to be dominating. Ozaki made sure it was no fluke in their next meeting at the 2022 Worlds in Belgrade, posting a one-sided 11-5 win in the semifinal.

In their clash in the afternoon session on Wednesday, Tynybekova made a 2-point counter lift in the first period hold up for a 2-2 win over Ozaki. In the second period, Ozaki received an activity point, then nearly got the go-ahead takedown, but Tynybekova fought to limit it to a stepout.

"I am happy I managed to beat Ozaki, to whom I lost twice last year," Tynybekova said. "Also, back in 2018, I lost to the Mongolian wrestler in the final match in Indonesia at the Asian Games. That was a 10-0 loss. Today I proved to myself that I deserve this gold."

Ozaki was left to rue her missed opportunities.

"I got in on a high crotch tackle and she turned me over for the first two points," the 20-year-old Ozaki said. "It's very disappointing in one aspect because I was the aggressor and she scored off it. The fact that I couldn't finish it off is something I have to fix. It was the first time a foreign wrestler had countered for points against me."

Ozaki added that having to settle for a stepout after getting in so deep on the takedown attempt "was really big."

Looking ahead, Ozaki has other issues to address besides Tynybekova. Back home, she faces a difficult path in a bid to get back to the World Championships, where the first berths at the 2024 Paris Olympics will be up for grabs.

Japan has two domestic qualifiers for the world team, and Ozaki lost last December to Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) at the first one, the All-Japan Championships. The second qualifier will be the All-Japan Invitational Championships, also known as the Meiji Cup, which Ozaki will need to win to force a playoff.

At 53kg, Fujinami methodically piled up points against the fellow teenager and world U20 champion Antim PANGHAL (IND) en route to a 10-0 technical fall in 3:11 in the final. It was Fujinami's third technical fall of the day, but the first that made it into the second period.

"I wanted to try things other than my specialty of low tackle," Fujinami said. "I found some good things and some things I want to work on. I want to put what I gained here to use going into the Meiji Cup and the World Championships."

Fujinami is set on regaining the world crown that she won in 2021 but was forced to abdicate last year due to a foot injury, then winning the gold in Paris.

At the Meiji Cup, she faces a possible clash with Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI (JPN), who won the gold in Tokyo under her maiden name of MUKAIDA.

On top of her amazing streak, Fujinami has now not given up a point in 29 matches over a span of more than two years. The last opponent to score on her was Nanami IRIE (JPN), who managed to get a takedown in the final at the All-Japan Championships in December 2020 -- a match that Fujinami still won 8-2 for her first national title.

In Japan, the streak takes more importance because it now equals that of one of the country's most beloved sporting legends, three-time Olympic champion and fellow Mie Prefecture native Saori YOSHIDA (JPN). Yoshida put together 119 wins from 2001 to 2008.

Japan's longest winning streak is held by four-time Olympic gold medalist Kaori ICHO (JPN), who won 189 straight from 2003 to 2016 before losing to Purevdorj at the Yarygin Grand Prix.

Her mark comes with a caveat, however, as it does not include a loss by default that she purposely took at the 2007 Asian Championships, when she was injured but had to enter the tournament to be eligible for that year's World Championships.

In the 57kg final, Nanjo added to the Asian gold she won in 2017 with a victory by fall in 2:16 over Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB). Nanjo was leading 11-4 when she ended the match.

Nanjo, last year's world bronze medalist and world U23 champion, was up 8-0 when she got a little overexuberant in trying to gain the clinching points. She got in deep with a duck under, only for Sobirova to use her momentum for a 4-point counter lift. But Nanjo quickly recovered, gaining a reversal then locking up both of Sobirova's arms and levering her over for the fall.

Like her compatriots, Nanjo is looking ahead to the road to the Olympics. "This year, the Meiji Cup is an important domestic tournament heading to the Olympics," she said. "I only looked at this as a step toward the Meiji Cup, so from that aspect, it is not so important."

Nanjo advanced to the final with a 5-1 victory in the semifinals over 2022 silver medalist Anshu MALIK (IND), a match that she had been looking forward to.

"At the last World Championships, I was third and she was second, so I had wanted to have one match against her," Nanjo said. "When I actually faced her, she was tough."

Jia LONG (CHN) won her first Asian title. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 65kg, Long scored a reversal and two back exposures in the second period for a 5-3 win over Yoshitake, the world U20 champion who was coming off a victory at the Zagreb Open.

Long, who won all three of her Nordic group matches and her semifinal by 10-0 technical falls, gave up an activity point in the first period, then fell behind in the second when Yoshitake caught her with an elbow roll. But the Chinese squirmed out for a reversal, then scored with a gut wrench and tilt to go ahead 5-3.

The match ended with Long using a whizzer to stave off a double-leg takedown attempt by Yoshitake, who last December won her first national title after world champion Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) moved up to the Olympic weight of 68kg.

Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) defended her 72kg gold medal in Astana. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Bakberbergenova gave the host country a sweep of the two heaviest weights when she scored all of her points in the second period to defeat Niikura 5-1 and retain the 72kg title.

After Niikura received an activity point in the first period, Bakberbergenova went ahead when she scored a takedown off a single-leg attempt after fighting off a counter-lift by Niikura. An activity point made it 3-1 and then Bakberbergenova put it away with exposure as Niikura attempted another counter-lift.

Her victory followed the gold-medal run at 76kg of compatriot Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) the previous night, much to the delight of the partisan crowd.

Ozaki settles for bronze; India takes home 4

Ozaki will not leave Astana empty-handed, as she bounced back from her disappointing loss to Tynybekova by winning a bronze medal that likely will be less than satisfying.

Ozaki went out the back door on a single-leg attempt against Dilfuza AIMBETOVA (UZB) and ended up between her legs, then simply pressed forward to score a fall in 40 seconds.

The other bronze at 62kg went to world U20 silver medalist Sonam MALIK (IND), one of four won by India along with Malik at 57kg, MANISHA (IND) at 65kg and Reetika HOODA (IND) at 72kg.

Sonam scored a 4-point double-leg tackle to the back in the first period of a 5-1 victory over China's Luo, a two-time former Asian champion and last year's world bronze medalist.

Malik, shrugging off a knee injury suffered during her semifinal loss to Nanjo, had no trouble cruising to a 10-0 technical fall over Erdenesuvd BAT ERDENE (MGL).

Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ) won the other 57kg bronze, scoring 4 with a spinning arm throw in the second period to defeat Bermet NURIDIN KYZY (KGZ) 7-0.

Manisha won her second straight bronze and the only one at stake in the seven-woman 65kg weight class by overwhelming Albina KAIRGELDINOVA (KAZ), building up a six-point lead before stuffing a lateral drop attempt and clamping down for a fall in 2:15.

Hooda, a world U20 bronze medalist, scored a takedown in each period in posting a 5-1 victory over Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB).

Mongolia picked up a pair of bronze medals as Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) and Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL) both crushed Taiwanese opponents with 11-0 technical falls. Bat Ochir crushed Meng HSIEH (TPE) at 53kg and Enkh Amar took the other 76kg bronze with a shellacking of Ping HUNG (TPE).

Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB) picked up the third Asian bronze of her career when she rallied from a five-point deficit to defeat Li DENG (CHN) 9-6 at 53kg, going ahead with a 4-point driving takedown with 1:30 left.

Day 4 Results

Women's Wrestling

53kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) df. Antim PANGHAL (IND) by TF, 10-0 (2:48)

BRONZE: Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB) df. Li DENG (CHN), 9-6
BRONZE: Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) df. Meng HSIEH (TPE) by TF, 11-0 (3:53)

Semifinal: Antim PANGHAL (IND) df. Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB) by Fall, 5:52 (8-1)
Semifinal: Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) df. Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) by TF, 10-0 (2:32)

57kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Sae NANJO (JPN) df. Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB) by Fall, 2:16 (11-4)

BRONZE: Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ) df. Bermet NURIDIN KYZY (KGZ), 7-0
BRONZE: Anshu MALIK (IND) df. Erdenesuvd BAT ERDENE (MGL) by TF, 10-0 (3:20)

Semifinal: Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB) df. Bermet NURIDIN KYZY (KGZ) by TF, 11-0, 1:22
Semifinal: Sae NANJO (JPN) df. Anshu MALIK (IND), 5-1

62kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) df. Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL), 9-5

BRONZE: Sonam MALIK (IND) df. Xiaojuan LUO (CHN), 5-1
BRONZE: Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) df. Dilfuza AIMBETOVA (UZB) by Fall, :40 (2-0)

Semifinal: Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) df. Xiaojuan LUO (CHN), 7-3
Semifinal: Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) df. Nonoka OZAKI (JPN), 2-2

65kg (7 entries)
GOLD: Jia LONG (CHN) df. Mahiro YOSHITAKE (JPN), 5-3

BRONZE: MANISHA (IND) df. Albina KAIRGELDINOVA (KAZ) by Fall, 2:15 (8-0)

Semifinal: Jia LONG (CHN) df. Albina KAIRGELDINOVA (KAZ) by TF, 10-0 (1:38)
Semifinal: Mahiro YOSHITAKE (JPN) df. Manisha MANISHA (IND) by Fall, 4:07 (2-1)

72kg (8 entries)
GOLD: Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) df. Sumire NIIKURA (JPN), 5-1

BRONZE: Reetika HOODA (IND) df. Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB), 5-1
BRONZE: Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL) df. Ping HUNG (TPE) by TF, 11-0 (1:44)

Semifinal: Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) df. Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL) by TF, 11-1, 4:23
Semifinal: Sumire NIIKURA (JPN) df. Reetika HOODA (IND) 5-4

#WrestleTirana

World Championships: Sadulaev caps golden return with 92kg title

Friday, November 1, 2024 - 00:20 By Ken Marantz

TIRANA, Albania (October 31)--After a long absence from the mat forced by a combination of injuries and extenuating circumstances beyond his control, two-time Olympic champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) returned in triumph.

It wasn't at his usual weight class and he has no plans to remain there, but for now the Russian great can be satisfied with adding yet another global gold medal to his formidable collection.

Sadulaev won his sixth world title in a third different weight class when he defeated Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) 6-0 in the final at freestyle 92kg on Thursday, the final day of the Non-Olympic Weight Categories in Tirana.

"I can’t express what I feel yet," Sadulaev said. "I am very happy to be back on the top place of the podium of the world championships. This time it was a bit more difficult than the previous ones. There were many things that didn’t depend on me. I am glad."

Meanwhile, up-and-coming Masanosuke ONO (JPN), following up on Japan's success in the lightest weights at the Paris Olympics, completed a dominant run to the 61kg gold, while Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) and Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) ended long waits to return to the medal podium by making it to the top step at 70kg and 79kg, respectively.

Sadulaev, wrestling at 92kg for the first time in his career and down from 97kg for the first time since winning the 86kg gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, put up his usual granite wall of defense, while also showing the combination of speed, power and agility on the attack that sets him apart from his peers.

"I was about 98kg when I started the preparation," Sadulaev said. "The weight cut was not so difficult. I stopped eating flour and sweets, and the weight started to go down. Only the last two kilograms were a bit difficult to cut.

"The only problem was that I had the weigh-ins at 8 a.m. in the morning, then we arrived at the venue and I started wrestling in 30 minutes, I didn’t even have any time to rest. All the matches were just happening one by one with no rest. That’s why I got a bit tired in the semifinal match."

In the final, Sadulaev was on the activity clock in the first period when he scored a takedown, then added a pair of gut wrenches to build a 6-0 lead. From there, he held off everything that Maisuradze threw at him to add to the five world titles he won starting in 2014.

The last time the world saw Sadulaev, he suffered a serious neck injury and was beaten in the semifinals at the 2023 World Championships in Belgrade by Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN), a former member of Sadulaev's wrestling school in Dagestan now competing for Bahrain who won the gold in Paris.

Sadulaev was declared ineligible to defend his Olympic 97kg title in Paris as part of sanctions on Russia and Belarus, and skipped what would have been his return at this year's European Championships in February due to injury.

"I found out that I will be wrestling at 92kg at the worlds only at the end of September," Sadulaev said. "I talked to the president of the federation. I was preparing to compete at the Olympic Games, but unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to enter, that’s why I decided to give it a try here...One and a half months was enough for me to prepare."

But as he showed over the two days in Tirana, he could be as competitive as ever. He started by handily defeating fellow superstar David TAYLOR (USA) in a classic matchup in the first round, then showed that his fire for success still burned bright within him when he scraped together a 4-point takedown in the final seconds to edge Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) 5-3 in the semifinals.

"It didn’t really matter if I had to wrestle Taylor in the final match or in the qualification round," Sadulaev said. "It would have been more interesting if it was a final match. It would have been very spectacular if we wrestled in the final.

"In the semifinal match, I missed an attack, and in the end, I had to get a last-second score. I think it made the match even more interesting."

Looking ahead, Sadulaev said he will be heading back up to 97kg. "This was the only one time for me wrestling at 92kg. This is not my weight class, I will be back at 97kg again. I just used this opportunity not to lose another year. I had to make history to win the world championships in three different weight classes."

The dynamic Ono, who won the world U20 gold in September, never let up on the gas in storming to a quick 10-0 victory in the 61kg final over Ahmet DUMAN (TUR).

As he did throughout the tournament, Ono transitioned immediately to a gut wrench from a takedown, scoring six quick points before Duman knew what hit him. Ono then used a snap-down to a low ankle for another takedown, then a gut wrench to finish the rout in 1:22.

Ono, who started his golden run with a 10-2 win over Tokyo Olympic and former two-time world champion Zavur UGUEV (AIN), reeled off 12-0, 11-0 and 12-0 victories to advance to the final.

The senior Asian bronze medalist this year at 65kg, he later revealed that an injury had hampered his preparations. "One month ago, I broke my ankle and I couldn't practice at all," Ono said. "The Uguev match was my first live wrestling after the fracture, and I was very unsure how I would do."

For Ono, currently a student at Yamanashi Gakuin University, the school that produced Tokyo Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN), the question is where does he go from here?

Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN), who followed Otoguro by winning the 65kg gold in Paris, beat Ono in the final at the 2023 All-Japan Championships during the Olympic qualifying process. Going down to 57kg, where Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) won the Paris gold, seems unlikely.

Wherever he ends up, he will go with confidence. "I don't know if I'll go to 65kg and face him [Kiyooka]," Ono said. "If I do, I'm definitely going to win."

As for celebrating his triumph in Tirana, that will have to wait. "In five days, I have the Japan University championships," he said.

In the 70kg final, Kaipanov scored all of his points in the second period to defeat Asian silver medalist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) 5-3 and add the gold to the world silver he won in 2019 and become just the second world freestyle champion in Kazakhstan history -- and second in two years.

Kaipanov, a two-time former Asian champion, twice scored 2-point exposures by stopping body-lock throw attempts by Aoyagi, a former teammate of Ono's at Yamanashi Gakuin who was coming off a bronze-medal finish at the World U23 Championships held a week ago in the same venue.

Kaipanov's victory came a year after Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) captured the 92kg title in Belgrade to become their country's first-ever freestyle gold medalist.

Kentchadze, a four-time European bronze medalist whose only previous world medal was a 74kg silver won in 2015, scored six takedowns in a 13-4 victory over 2023 world U23 champion Magomed MAGOMAEV (AIN) to take the 79kg gold.

Kentchadze, who was fifth at the 74kg at last year's worlds in Belgrade, gave up an opening takedown, but responded by scoring two himself to go ahead. After the second, however, he got stuffed attempting a roll to go behind 4-4, but righted the ship and added two more takedowns before the break to lead 8-4.

In the second period, Kentchadze sandwiched two more takedowns around a stepout to pull away and emerge victorious in the tournament's most crowded weight class with 33 entries.

Taylor claims emotional bronze

Taylor didn't get the gold that he came out of retirement to get in Tirana, but he did show a bit of his old magic in claiming a bronze medal at 92kg with an impressive 6-2 comeback victory over Ghasempour.

"When you're good for so long, you never know when it's time to be done," said an emotional Taylor, the Tokyo Olympic and three-time world champion at 86kg. "I just got an opportunity to go out the way I wanted to."

Ghasempour, the 2021 and 2022 world champion at 92kg, opened the scoring with a takedown while on the activity clock to lead 2-0 at the break. In the second period, Taylor went on the offensive and scored three takedowns against the tough Iranian, the last coming with two seconds left to preserve the victory.

After the match, Taylor remained on the mat for a short while, drinking in the atmosphere and the applause of the crowd. Later, he smile broadly on the medal podium and posed for photo together with Sadulaev.

The 33-year-old had retired after failing to make the U.S. team to the Paris Olympics and took the head coaching job at powerhouse Oklahoma State University. But the chance to face Sadulaev for the first time and possibly add to his gold medal collection was incentive enough to bring him back to the mat. The luck of the draw saw him face Sadulaev in the first round, where he lost 7-0.

"It was a tough decision to wrestle, but I didn't want it to end the way it did in April," Taylor said. "Going into this, I was hyperfocused on wrestling Sadulaev. The game script didn't go as I thought. I should have wrestled [him] like I did [against Ghasempour]. [The bronze-medal match] was a match of redemption. It was a world-final caliber match."

Although they met just that one time, Sadulaev had kind parting words for Taylor. "I want to congratulate Taylor on an amazing career," he said. "He was one of the best wrestlers of the modern time. I wish him good luck. Sooner or later, I will retire as well. But not now."

In the other 92kg bronze-medal match, Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) gave Slovakia a second bronze of the night when he rode a six-point lead to an 8-6 victory over a spirited Benjamin HONIS (ITA), who had been aiming to become Italy's first world medalist not named Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) since 2018.

Vito ARUJAU (USA), denied the chance to defend his world 61kg title by Ono in the semifinals, came away with a bronze medal by taking one of the biggest scalps of his career, beating Ugaev 8-3.

Arujau, shaking off a painful finger injury that caused him to need treatment during the second period, scored four takedowns in toppling the normally 57kg Uguev, who had obvious trouble handling the extra weight.

The other 61kg bronze went to Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL), who came up with a big move to defeat Nuraddin NOVRUZOV (AZE) by fall. Tseveensuren started with a 4-point pancake that Norvuzov reversed for 2, then countered a takedown attempt by locking the Azeri in a cradle and securing the fall at 2:30.

Russian-born Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK) ended Tajikistan's 17-wait for a second world medal when he broke open a tight match with a 10-point flurry in the second period to defeat Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO) 13-2 in a 70kg bronze-medal match.

Kudiev, a bronze medalist at this year's Antalya Ranking Series at 65kg, followed in the footsteps of another native Russian, Yusup ABDUSALOMOV (TJK), who won a silver at freestyle 84kg in 2007.

European U23 champion Inalbek SHERIEV (AIN), last year's world U23 gold medalist, claimed his first senior world medal with a 10-0 victory in the other 70kg bronze-medal match over Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR). Sheriev scored three takedowns in the second period to end the match with :08 left.

At 79kg, Asian champion Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI), who knocked off six-time world champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) before losing to Kentchadze in the semifinals, overwhelmed young Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) 10-0 to take home a world medal for the third consecutive year.

Takahashi, the world U23 champion at 74kg a week ago in Tirana, did a remarkable job of making it to the bronze-medal match, having come back from massive deficits in both of his repechage matches just a few hours earlier.

Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK), the 2021 European champion, scored a 2-point exposure on a counter in the second period to edge Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL) 2-1 for the other 79kg bronze.

Freestyle Results

61kg (27 entries)
GOLD: Masanosuke ONO (JPN) df. Ahmet DUMAN (TUR) by TF, 10-0, 1:22

BRONZE: Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL) df Nuraddin NOVRUZOV (AZE) by Fall, 2:30 (8-2)
BRONZE: Vito ARUJAU (USA) df. Zavur UGUEV (AIN), 8-3

70kg (25 entries)
GOLD: Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) df. Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN), 5-3

BRONZE: Inalbek SHERIEV (AIN) df. Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) by TF, 10-0, 5:52
BRONZE: Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK) df. Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO) by TF, 13-2, 4:39

79kg (33 entries)
GOLD: Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) df. Magomed MAGOMAEV (AIN), 13-4

BRONZE: Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) df. Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) by TF, 10-0, 3:49
BRONZE: Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) df. Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL), 2-1

92kg (29 entries)
GOLD: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) df. Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), 6-0

BRONZE: David TAYLOR (USA) df. Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI), 6-2
BRONZE: Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) df. Benjamin HONIS (ITA), 8-6

Tynybekova rises again to win 62kg Asian title; Fujinami repeats

Comments

World Championships: Sadulaev caps golden return with 92kg title