#WrestleParis

Valizadeh, Mahdavi named in IOC Refugee Team for 2024 Paris Olympics

Thursday, May 2, 2024 - 16:53 By United World Wrestling Press

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LAUSANNE, Switzerland (May 2) -- Wrestlers Iman MAHDAVI and Jamal VALIZADEH were among the 36 athletes from 11 different countries across 12 sports were named by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach to the IOC Refugee Olympic Team for Paris 2024.

Mahdavi and Valizadeh were selected to the IOC Refugee Olympic Team through the support of the Refugee Athletes Scholarship Programme, funded by the IOC's Olympic Solidarity program. The two wrestlers are supported by the hosting national federations of Italy and France and the United World Wrestling Development Department for Technical Assistance and participation in UWW events.

At the 2024 Paris Games in August, the two will be representing different styles with Valizadeh gearing up for Greco-Roman 60kg and Mahdavi set to compete in Freestyle 74kg.

Mahdavi was born to be a wrestler, following in his father's footsteps. Through his unwavering love for the sport and fierce determination, it was no surprise that success followed the now-29-year-old. He won seven junior national titles and quickly climbed the ranks in his nation.

But in 2020, that was all derailed as Mahdavi fled his country and became a refugee. He moved to Milan, Italy, and applied for asylum. He found a full-time job in Milan and friends that soon became family. Through all the uncertainties, one thing remained – his love for wrestling.

Mahdavi found a practice facility in Milan, one with high-level training partners that helped rekindle his Olympic hopes. He worked out five days a week, and after three years of struggle, Mahdavi returned to the mat under the UWW Refugee team.

Mahdavi's UWW Refugee team debut came at the 2023 European Championships, where he registered a 12th-place finish at 74kg, one of the most competitive brackets of the tournament. After two months of tweaks and improvements, Mahdavi achieved a career-best result – a bronze medal at the City of Sassari Tournament. He continued taking the mat every chance he had, wrestling in the Poland Open and World Championships, where he finished in fifth and 18th, respectively.

This year, Mahdavi's competition calendar will feature three events – two of which will be tune-up competitions. He already participated in the European Championships and will use the World OG Qualifier (May 11-12) as a warm up competition for the Paris Games, where he will compete August 9-10.

It is to be noted that Mahdavi will be in Istanbul on a participating basis and not for qualification. The same is true for Valizadeh who will compete in Istanbul but not to qualify.

Like Mahdavi, Valizadeh shared a similar love for wrestling from a young age. He became one of Iran's brightest talents through his hard work and commitment to wrestling.

Despite having a bright future in the sport, Valizadeh was forced to put wrestling in the rearview and leave Iran in 2014 for a better life. He ended up in Turkiye, where he worked nearly 16 hours a day to make ends meet.

But still, Valizadeh knew there was no way he could reach his ultimate goal – the Olympic Games – living in Turkiye.

After two years, Valizadeh departed Turkiye by boat and arrived in France where he trains with the French Greco-Roman National Team and lives in Metz.

Although he had been away from the sport for many years, Valizadeh regained his passion for wrestling and returned to the mat in 2023 as a UWW Refugee team member. He competed six times last year, including the European and World Championships.

This season, in addition to his appearances at the Henri Deglane and European Championships in GR 60kg, Valizadeh will participate, for experience, in the World OG Qualifier (May 9-10) before wrestling on home soil at the Paris Olympic Games, August 5-6.

For more on the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, visit olympics.com.

#JapanWrestling

Paris champ Kiyooka sets up clash with Tanabe, Motoki faces Ozaki

Saturday, June 21, 2025 - 12:44 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (June 21) -- Before his astonishing run to an unlikely Olympic title, Kotaro KIYOOKA was the one doing the chasing. Now at the forefront and looking over his shoulder, he sees a familiar face bearing down on him whom he now has to confront.

Paris Olympic champion Kiyooka advanced to the freestyle 65kg final at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Championships on Saturday, where he will face former Nippon Sport Science University teammate Kaisei TANABE with a ticket to this year's World Championships on the line.

Kiyooka is one of three Paris gold medalists, along with Sakura MOTOKI at women's 62kg and Nao KUSAKA at Greco 77kg, who are making their full-fledged returns to the mat at the Meiji Cup, the second of Japan's two domestic qualifiers for the World Championships in Zagreb in September.

Both Motoki and Kusaka advanced with little trouble to Sunday's finals at Tokyo Metropolitan Gym, with Motoki setting up a highly anticipated clash with Paris 68kg bronze medalist Nonoka OZAKI -- whom she beat out for the spot in Paris at 62kg but is intent on reclaiming that weight class.

Kotaro KIYOOK (JPN)Kotaro KIYOOKA, left, ended up scoring 4 points off this scramble in his semifinal match at freestyle 65kg with Yuto NISHIUCHI. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Unlike the other two, Kiyooka has never been to a senior World Championships. Standing in his way is a formidable opponent in Tanabe, two years his junior who is coming off an impressive victory at the Asian Championships in March in Amman, Jordan. Tanabe only moved up to 65kg last year, and the two had not crossed paths before.

Following the Olympics, Kiyooka spent some time (with Kusaka) competing in the German Bundesliga. But the Meiji Cup marks his first high-level competition since Paris.

"It's been awhile since I've been in an official tournament," the 24-year-old Kiyooka said. "Looking ahead to the Los Angeles Olympics, I'm still a long way away. What's important at this tournament is to come out with a victory.

"I have to make adjustments and prepare mentally for tomorrow. It's not just a one-and-done final, there is also a playoff so I can make it to the World Championships."

Tanabe, the son of NSSU coach and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Chikara TANABE, captured the title at the first domestic qualifier for the world team, the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships in December, in Kiyooka's absence.

As such, Kiyooka will not only have to beat him on Sunday in the final, but again in a playoff to be held at the end of the session.

As an indication of the depth of Japan in the weight class, even with the retirement of Tokyo Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO, both Kiyooka and Tanabe had to get over tough hurdles to make the championship match.

In the semifinals, Kiyooka struggled to break through the defenses of two-time world U20 champion and current NSSU star Yuto NISHIUCHI. In the end, he used counters to great effect in an 8-1 win, scoring 4 by stepping over during a scramble and 2 more defending against a single leg.

"I'm not usually the type who scores big points," Kiyooka said. "But I have built myself up physically after the Olympics and I think the result was that I could get the big point."

In his opening match, Tanabe needed a stepout with 20 seconds left to get past Shinnosuke SUWAMA 5-4, before topping Ryuto SAKAKI 5-0 to make the final.

While Kiyooka is a bit unsettled about having a target on his back, he seems ready to face whatever comes his way.

"Up to now, it's always been the reverse situation," he said. "I never had the feeling that I was being chased. But I don't want to lose. As being among those who is aiming for the Los Angeles Olympics, I want to be a big barrier for the others. If you give them an opening, they will use it. I don't want to show them any gaps."

Sakura MOTOKI (JPN)Sakura MOTOKI pries over Shirin TAKEMOTO en route to a 10-0 win in their women's 62kg semifinal. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

As surprising as Kiyooka's run to gold in Paris was, the bigger shock likely came during the qualifying process when an underrated Motoki, who was "only" a world bronze medalist at 59kg, had the audacity to move up and challenge the highly touted Ozaki at 62kg.

But the 2022 world U20 champion believed in herself, and keeps making believers of others. She returned to competition earlier this year in order to qualify for the World U23 Championships.

Victories at the U23 and senior worlds will make her just the third person in history to achieve the "Golden Grand Slam" of Olympic gold combined with all four world age-group titles.

On Saturday, Motoki's toughest test in advancing to the final came in the opener, when she used a low single to score a takedown in each period of a 5-0 win over two-time world U23 champion Yuzuku INAGAKI.

"She has a good defense," Motoki said. "Being able to get through a tough match really boosts my confidence. When you're an Olympic champion, it's only natural that [opponents] try to come up with a strategy against you.

"In that light, I have to figure out a way to become stronger from the start of Olympic qualifying. That's still under development."

Like Kiyooka, Motoki will have to beat the Emperor's Cup champion twice to secure a place on the world team, and Ozaki won't make it easy.

"She's a really strong wrestler," Motoki said. "I will have to summon up all of my power and try my best."

Nao KUSAKA (JPN)Nao KUSAKA sets up a 4-point overhead lift of Naoki KADODE during their semifinal at Greco 77kg. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

At Greco 77kg, Kusaka chalked up a pair of technical falls to advance to the final, where he will face the Emperor's Cup champion in Kodai SAKURABA, a 2022 Asian bronze medalist whom he aced out in the qualifying for Paris.

In the semifinals, Kusaka romped to a 12-1 victory over Naoki KADODE. After giving up a stepout, he came back with three of his own. Then he got behind and dropped backwards for 4, then ended the match with a 4-point lift at 2:04.

In other weight classes that will finish with medal matches on Sunday, longtime rivals and former NSSU teammates Katsukai ENDO and Kyotaro SOGABE set up their latest clash in the final at Greco 67kg.

Asian bronze medalist Endo, the Emperor's Cup champion, defeated 2021 world bronze 63kg medalist Kensuke SHIMIZU 7-3 in the semifinals, while Paris Olympian Sogabe rallied for a 13-6 win over 2023 world U23 bronze medalist and fellow NSSU alum Haruto YABE.

With Paris bronze medalist Yui SUSAKI still on post-Olympic hiatus, Remina YOSHIMOTO remained on track for a shot at a second world title at women's 50kg when she stormed to 10-0 victories over a pair of teenagers. She will face Umi ITO in a repeat of the Emperor's Cup final, which she won 3-2.

Emperor's Cup champion Rin SAKAMOTO, who has taken the rare collegiate path of going to the United States to compete at Oklahoma State University, advanced to the final at Freestyle 57kg and a showdown with Kento YUMIYA.