#EmperorsCup

World Bronze Medalist Matsumoto Regains National Title, But Falls Short of Own Standards

Thursday, December 20, 2018 - 14:47 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO---Regaining his national title was not too much of a problem for Atsushi MATSUMOTO. But trying to live up to the high standard he has set for himself as a newly minted world medalist left him feeling less than thrilled with his performance.

Matsumoto captured the only title at stake on the opening day of the four-day All-Japan Championships on Thursday in Tokyo, defeating Ryoichi YAMANAKA 11-4 in the 92kg final for his first freestyle title since 2014 and fourth overall.

Matsumoto, who won a bronze at the Budapest world championships to end a long global medal drought by Japanese men in the upper weights, spotted Yamanaka a 4-point lead before storming back for the victory with a combination of points from both the standing and ground positions.

“I feel a sense of relief, but I can’t be satisfied with my performance,” said Matsumoto. 

Matsumoto had Yamanaka’s leg in the air when his former Nippon Sport Science University teammate executed a twisting flip that sent Matsumoto to his back for 4 points. Later, Matsumoto countered a leg attack with a 2-point lift, then added a takedown to make it 4-4 going in the second period. A nifty ankle pick for a 2-point takedown put him ahead for the first time, and he built on the lead to clinch the victory.

“I had trained almost every day with my opponent at [college],” Matsumoto said of Yamanaka, who is now a high school teacher. “But now, he was finishing up school, went back home and probably didn’t train fully. To have a close match with someone like that, it was pitiful and hard to take. I’m not happy.”

Matsumoto’s bronze in Budapest made him the first Japanese male to win a global medal in a weight class at 90kg or over since Akira OTA won a silver at the Seoul 1988 Olympics. The last world medal was a bronze won by Makoto KAMATA in 1970.  

“After the tournament, the phrase ‘world No. 3’ was in my head,” Matsumoto said. “But I had an injury, and I couldn’t get my mind and body in sync. I couldn’t move like I wanted to, I couldn’t train like I wanted to. To compete in that condition is, in a word, difficult.”

That Matsumoto was competing at 92kg was somewhat of a surprise, as this year’s tournament, also called the Emperor’s Cup, is the first stage of qualifying for what is every Japanese wrestler’s goal---a place on Japan’s team to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He said he will eventually move up to the Olympic division of 97kg. 

“In my mind, I’m not yet ready to compete at 97kg,” said Matsumoto, who spent 1 1/2 years in Greco after failing to make the Rio 2016 Olympics, but returned to freestyle this spring. “That’s my self-analysis. First, I’ll get prepared physically and compete at the next world championships at 92kg.”

Yukako KAWAI, U23 world champion and senior-level world runner-up will wrestle U23 bronze medalist Yuzuru KUMANO for the 62kg gold medal. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka) 

All other top Japanese wrestlers have crammed into the six Olympic weight classes for each of the three styles, leading to potential matchups between world and/or Olympic champions, while conversely, some non-Olympic divisions have just a handful of entries. 

The other weight classes in action Thursday will be held over two days, even the three that have just four entries and are using a round-robin format. The competition ran through the semifinals, or through two rounds in the case of  round-robins.

Yukako KAWAI, the Budapest 2018 silver medalist and world U23 champion, advanced to the women’s 62kg final, where she will face Yuzuru KUMANO, a U23 bronze medalist at 59kg. 

This weight class was expected to feature a clash between Kawai and Ayana GEMPEI, like Kawai a senior world medalist and U23 champion who had dropped down to the Olympic division from 65kg. But Gempei suffered a knee injury in practice five days ago---while sparring with Shigakkan University teammate Kawai, no less---and made a game-day decision to withdraw.

While Gempei absolved Kawai of responsibility for the injury, Kawai said tearfully, “Two years ago, I got hurt just before a tournament and was out for a year. Thinking about that, I really feel I need to apologize. But life is not so easy in this competitive world, so if someone gets injured, you have to try and get over it and not let it steer you away from your goal.” 

Kawai made Friday’s final by beating world 65kg junior champion Miyu Imai by 14-3 technical fall in the semifinals. Kawai had built an 8-0 lead, but a flurry of points delayed her from finishing off the match sooner. 

“At a point where I could end it with 1 or 2 points, I got caught in a wild move,” Kawai said. “I need to stay calmer up to the end.”

Commenting on her selection as the UWW U23 Wrestler of the Year, Kawai said, “At first, I thought it was a mistake. I was tagged on Instagram and that’s how I found out, but I thought it was a mistake that I was tagged. When I realized that it was me, I was surprised.”

Yuka KAGAMI, the 17-year-old cadet, defeated the top-seed Naruha MATSUYUKI to make the 72kg gold-medal bout. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka) 

Japan’s other UWW award winner, Cadet Wrestler of the Year Yuka KAGAMI, got off to a good start in her Emperor’s Cup debut, winning both of her matches in the round-robin at 72kg. The 17-year-old will win the gold Friday with a victory over winless Mai HAYAKAWA.

“I had two matches today and I won both, so I’m happy,” said Kagami, a two-time world cadet champion who put herself in line for the gold with a 2-1 victory over top-seed Naruha MATSUYUKI, a Budapest 2018 team member.

Kagami said she is motivated by the memory of a loss at the Youth Olympics in October in Buenos Aires, where she had to settle for the bronze medal. “The Youth Olympics was really disappointing,” she said. “I don’t want to feel that again, so I remind myself before every match of that memory.”


Sosuke TAKATANI, 2014 74kg world silver medalist bumped up to 86kg and made the finals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Meanwhile, Sosuke TAKATANI, the 2014 world silver medalist at freestyle 74kg, made a solid start in his debut at the next Olympic weight of 86kg by advancing to the final. 

Takatani, who spent last year at 79kg as a stepping stone to 86kg, scraped out a 2-1 win in the semifinals over last year’s runner-up Masao MATSUSAKA. Both of Takatani’s points were scored with Matsusaka on the activity clock, and he had to survive a step-out in the final seconds that was overturned by video review. 

“I didn’t really feel the difference in weight,” said Takatani, who will face defending champion Shota SHIRAI in the final as he bids for an eighth straight national title.

Takatani has practiced with Shirai, and even had his nose broken by him during a sparring session in October. “I beat him in practice matches, but tomorrow I will be nervous, so I’ll go in regarding myself as the challenger,” he said.

Day 1 Results

Freestyle
86kg (15 entries)
Semifinals
Shota SHIRAI df. Hayato ISHIGURO, 4-3
Sosuke TAKATANI df. Masao MATSUSAKA, 2-1 

92kg (11 entries)
Final: Atsushi MATSUMOTO df. Ryoichi YAMANAKA, 11-4
3rdPlace: Keiwan YOSHIDA df. Kazuma SHIBATA by TF, 10-0, 1:41 
3rdPlace: Takuma OTSU df. Akinobu TAKEUCHI by TF, 11-0, 2:37

Semifinals
Matsumoto df. Yoshida, 7-2
Yamanaka df. Otsu, 10-1

97kg (12 entries)
Semifinals
Takeshi YAMAGUCHI df. Yuji FUKUI, 3-2
Naoya AKAGUMA df. Takashi ISHIGURO, 5-0

125kg (14 entries)
Semifinals
Katsutoshi KANAZAWA df. Tetsuya TANAKA, 2-1 
Nobuyoshi ARAKIDA df. Takuya HIGUCHI, 4-2 

Greco-Roman

63kg (18 entries)
Semifinals
Katsuaki ENDO df. Ryota KOSHIBA by TF, 8-0, 1:06
Yoshiki YAMADA df. Shintaro YOSHINAGA, 2-2 

72kg (16 entries)
Semifinals
Tomohiro INOUE df. Nao KUSAKA, 5-0
Takuya TOMIZUKA df. Masaki KONDO, 5-4 

87kg (13 entries)
Semifinals
Masato SUMI df. Shuhei SAKANO by TF, 8-0, :30
Takahiro TSURUDA df. Ryota NASUKAWA, 4-0 

97kg (15 entries)
Semifinals
Yuta NARA df. Masayuki AMANO, 7-0
Masaaki SHIKIYA df. Takuya YAMASHITA by TF, 8-0, 2:40 

130kg (13 entries)
Semifinals
Arata SONODA df. Shoma SUZUKI by TF, 8-0, :29
Ryota KONO df. Keita BANCHI by Fall, :44 (4-0)

Women’s Wrestling
 

55kg (4 entries)
Round-Robin Group (through 2 rounds)
1. Nao TANIYAMA (2-0, 6 pts); 2. Saki IGARASHI (1-1, 6); 3. Sena NAGAMOTO (1-1, 3); 4. Kana HIGASHIKAWA (0-2, 1)

59kg (4 entries)
Round-Robin Group (through 2 rounds)
1. Yuzuka INAGAKI (2-0, 6 pts) 2. Kiwa IWASAWA (1-1, 4); 3. Kumi IRIE (1-1, 4); 4. Yumeka TANABE (0-2, 2)

62kg (11 entries)
Semifinals
Yukako KAWAI df. Miyu IMAI by TF, 14-3, 4:57
Yuzuru KUMANO df. Yurika ITO, 3-2 

72kg (4 entries)
Round-Robin
Through 2 rounds
1. Yuka KAGAMI (2-0, 6 pts); 2. Mei SHINDO (1-1, 5); 3. Naruha MATSUYUKI (1-1, 4); 4. Mai HAYAKAWA (0-2, 0)

#WrestleParis

Paris 2024 Wrestling Day 2 Preview: GR 77kg, 97kg; WW50kg

Tuesday, July 23, 2024 - 09:25 By Ken Marantz

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PARIS (July 23) -- Yui SUSAKI (JPN) and Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) are at different stages in their storied careers as they both head to Paris with the aim of winning a second Olympic gold medal.

Susaki, at 25, is one of the biggest stars of the generation now in its prime, having four world titles at women's 50kg to go with the gold she won at the Tokyo Olympics. The endearing dynamo has still never lost to a non-Japanese opponent in nearly 100 matches.

PARIS 2024 SCHEDULE | PARIS 2024 NEWS

The 32-year-old Aleksanyan could be regarded as being on the tail end of a career that includes an Olympic medal of every color, with the gold having come at Rio 2016, and with four world golds of his own. He remains the face of the Greco 97kg weight class.

The two will command the spotlight when those divisions begin action on Day 2 at the Paris Games along with Greco 77kg, in which an unheralded compatriot of Susaki's has suddenly emerged as a gold-medal contender.

"To win consecutive Olympics, or to win just one, is not something that comes easily," Susaki said in an interview with Japanese media in April after returning from a tougher-than-expected title run at the Asian Championships in Bishkek.

"It makes me again aware that [wrestling] is a tough world. How I spend the next three months will decide what happens in three months. I will prepare so that I can win a wonderful gold and leave with a smile."

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)Four-time medalist Mariya STADNIK (AZE) will wrestle at her fifth Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

While Susaki will enter as the overwhelming favorite to flash her pearly whites on top of the medal podium, sentiment will be on the side of veteran Mariya STADNIK (AZE), the 35-year-old mother of two who is a good bet to make history by winning an unprecedented fifth Olympic medal.

Can this one finally be a gold for Stadnik? That would likely entail having to pull off a major upset of Susaki, an opponent she has not beaten in three career meetings, most recently in the semifinals at the Tokyo Olympics.

Aleksanyan would have been going to Paris as a five-time world champion had he not been dealt a stunning last-second defeat in the final at last year's World Championships in Belgrade by Gabriel ROSILLO (CUB). Look for the Armenian to avoid any more mistakes like that.

Nao KUSAKA (JPN)Nao KUSAKA (JPN) is a strong gold medal favorite in Paris. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At Greco 77kg, top seed Nao KUSAKA (JPN) seems to be peaking at just the right time after winning a surprising bronze medal in Belgrade, which he followed up by stunning two-time reigning world champion and Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Akzhol MAKHUMUDOV (KGZ) before the latter's home crowd at the Asian Championships.

Makhmudov, the Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, will look to bounce back and become Kyrgyzstan's first-ever Olympic champion -- assuming compatriot Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) doesn't beat him to it at Greco 60kg.

Here's a look at each weight class:

 

WW 50kg: Susaki, the one to beat

When a longtime champion is dealt a rare defeat, they are often told, "It may be the best thing that could have happened," because they become less complacent and more determined. They go back to the basics and come back even stronger.

That's the experience that Susaki went through at the Asian Championships, except that it didn't entail actually losing. Just having fallen behind in a match for the first time in who knows how long was enough of a wake-up call in her declared quest to eventually win four Olympic gold medals.

In the final against Ziqi FENG (CHN), Susaki got stopped on an attempted front headlock roll to put her behind 4-2. From her gold-medal run at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics to that point, Susaki had given up a total of only 11 points in 41 matches, and no one had scored four points on her.

Susaki being Susaki, she managed to come back and win the match and the gold 8-4. That gave her three wins in three career meetings with Feng, who will be in Paris after winning a world bronze in 2023. Susaki would say that while happy with the victory but far from satisfied with the performance, it made her aware of issues that she needed to address.

 

"I think that more of my opponents will use the strategy of trying to keep the score low and have the match come down to the last 30 seconds," Susaki said. "I want to practice so that my wrestling will get me past that type of opponent."

Susaki said she is not concerned that opponents are studying her every move, looking for any cracks in the armor. "The opponents will be doing that, but first, it's a problem with myself. I have to look into myself and to be assured of winning the gold in Paris, I have to decide what I need to do. I have to set a straightforward goal and advance toward it."

Since her first international tournament -- the 2014 Klippan Lady, in the cadet division -- Susaki has compiled a 94-0 record against non-Japanese foes while piling up 24 consecutive tournament titles. In fact, she has lost only three times in her entire career dating back to junior high school, all of which came at the hands of the same opponent, compatriot Yuki IRIE (JPN).

Stadnik showed she could still hold her own on the world stage by capturing a third straight European title in February. She was dealt a surprising loss by Oksana LIVACH (UKR) at the European Olympic Qualifier, but earned her ticket to Paris at the World Qualifier, although that venture included a defeat by 2023 Asian Games silver medalist Son Hyang KIM (PRK). Both Livach and Kim will also be in Paris.

 

The most intriguing entry is Vinesh PHOGAT (IND), whose path to Paris was filled with pain and adversity. For years a top competitor at 53kg, she was forced by circumstances to drop down to 50kg for the first time since 2018 in a desperate bid to win an elusive medal at her third Olympic Games.

A 2022 world bronze medalist at 53kg, her conflict with the Indian federation over accusations of sexual harassment by its president and a subsequent public protest with other top wrestlers drew vilification from within and without the federation. As if that wasn't bad enough, she suffered a severe knee injury in August 2023 that required surgery.

Vinesh was just able to recover in time for the Olympic qualifiers, but the 53kg slot had already been filled by world bronze medalist ANTIM (IND). She decided to take the extreme route of moving down to 50kg, where she prevailed at the Asian Qualifier.

 

"I have fought two battles -- one regarding weight cut and the other is the competition,” Vinesh told UWW after winning the quota from the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Bishkek. "Many people had suggested not to take part at 50kg because it might lead to an injury relapse, but I didn’t have an option. It was a do-or-die situation for me."

For the seven-time Asian medalist, the desire to become India's second female wrestling medalist has been a powerful driving force. "The focus will be on trying my best," she said. "I’ve been doing this for 20 years and the hopes of winning an Olympic medal keeps me going. It’s been difficult so far, but when you win, it seems like all the struggles were worth it."

Others with viable medal ambitions are Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist and three-time world medalist Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA), two-time world silver medalist Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL) and world bronze medalist Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER).

Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM)Gabriel ROSILLO (CUB) scored a late takedown to beat Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) at the World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

GR 97kg: Aleksanyan looks to go out in blaze of glory

It wasn't the food that left a bad taste in Aleksanyan's mouth when he left Tokyo with a silver medal. The combination of being visibly hampered by a leg injury and giving up a 2-point penalty that he is still not convinced about made it hard to swallow a 5-1 loss in the final to Musa EVLOEV (ROC).

"I got a very serious injury during the fight with the Iranian in the semifinals of the Olympic Games in Tokyo. And in the final I fought on one leg," Aleksanyan said in an interview with
Armenpress. "But even in this state, I was ready to win, if not for the bias of the judges.

"To this day, I tell everyone that I did not touch my opponent's leg with my hand. There is no one in the world who would show me that I touched his leg with my hand. If it hadn't been for the injury, I'm sure I would have won."

That has motivated him to make sure nothing goes wrong as he attempts to add a second gold to the one he captured at the 2016 Rio Olympics. "I know exactly what I am preparing for, what path I have traveled, what path I am going through now and how I will go to the end to achieve my goal," he said.

 

Aleksanyan will also have to avoid letting down his guard, as he did in the final at last year's World Championships in Belgrade, where he lost to unheralded Gabriel ROSILLO (CUB) 3-3 on last-point criteria after giving up an arm-drag takedown with 21 seconds left.

For Aleksanyan, Paris could mark the end of an illustrious career that includes an Olympic bronze from London 2012 and four world titles, most recently from 2022. If he leaves, he wants to go out in triumph.

"I'm thinking to end my career after the Games, but I still can't imagine myself without wrestling," he said. "I put my life into this sport. However, I am striving to end my career with a victory, but I cannot say when this will happen."

Rosillo will be on hand to try to prevent that, but Aleksanyan's main competition is expected to come from Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI), a bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics and a former world champion. The two have met three times, most recently in the semifinals at the 2022 World Championships, with Aleksanyan winning all three by decisions.

 

Also in the medal hunt will be world bronze medalist Artur OMAROV (CZE), five-time Asian medalist Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ), and 40-year-old Rustan ASSAKALOV (UZB), who has a pair of eighth-place Olympic finishes on his long resume.

Aleksanyan, asked how he would like to be remembered after he retires, replied, "As a two-time Olympic champion. But I would like the next generations to strive to surpass these results... For me, wrestling is a way of life, and what I like most about this sport is the sense of kinship that is present both in our generation and among our elders."

 

GR 77kg: 'Ordinary' Kusaka aims for extraordinary achievement

It was quite a proud and unexpected moment for host Japan when Shohei YABIKU (JPN) won a Greco 77kg bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics that few if any had foreseen. It was just as surprising that within two years, he would no longer even be the best in the country due to the rapid rise of Kusaka.

Kusaka, like Yabiku a product of powerhouse Nippon Sports Science University, added two strong results at UWW Ranking Series tournaments -- a third place at the Zagreb Open and a gold in Budapest -- to his Asian title to secure the top seed in Paris.

It's been quite a whirlwind ride for the 23-year-old, who credits his new-found success to going the extra mile in training. "I'm just an ordinary person," he said in an interview with broadcaster NHK Takamatsu in his hometown in western Japan. "I have no more talent than anyone else."

He started wrestling at age 3 but never really stood out until he got to high school, where he blossomed under the tutelage of a coach who instilled words of wisdom that he lives by to this day.

"He taught me, 'Effort will always surpass talent,'" he said. "He would always say that giving your all in practice is a given. If you don't give extra in all the other things, you will never become stronger than the others."

Among the "extra" things Kusaka does is stay behind after practice to work out on his own and cook for himself to ensure proper nutrition. He also boldly ventured to Germany -- and on his own dime -- for a month of intense training late last year. He competed in the Bundesliga and traveled to Hungary, where he practiced with Tokyo Olympic champion Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) and 2022 world silver medalist Zoltan LEVAI (HUN).

Levai, who defeated Kusaka at the Zagreb Open, is among the 15 others in the Paris field who will be aiming for the gold themselves. As the No. 7 seed, he will not be able to face Kusaka except in the final.

Makhmudov is the third seed, and looks headed for a semifinal encounter with No. 2 seed Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE), the Zagreb Open champion and 2021 world silver medalist.

Makhmudov still feels the sting of his loss in the Tokyo Olympic final to Lorincz. Asked what his biggest regret has been during a UWW interview, he replied, "The fact that I relaxed in Tokyo
before the final. I was quite ready to win the Olympics. I lost because I relaxed."

He added that he expects to have a "minimum of four" Olympic medals before he retires, which means he will need to start the collection in Paris.

 

Others worth watching will be three-time European champion Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM), former Asian champion Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) and four-time Asian medalist Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ).