World champs Fujinami, Sakurai capture Asian Games golds

Friday, October 6, 2023 - 02:57 By Vinay Siwach

LIN'AN, Hangzhou, China (October 5) -- It rarely matters who Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) faces on the mat. But Thursday was a little special for Fujinami as she faced a Chinese wrestler, Qianyu PANG (CHN), for the first time in her career.

Fujinami has been expecting to wrestle a Chinese wrestler for a long time now but has somehow avoided meeting one at the international tournaments she has wrestled.

While Pang could have brought a few new challenges for Fujinami, the result of the bout was rather expected. Fujinami rolled to a 10-0 technical superiority win in the 53kg final to win her first gold medal at the Asian Games.

Despite it being a one-sided affair, Fujinami doesn't play down the final against Pang, the silver medalist in the Tokyo Olympic Games. Fujinami scored the final of the five takedowns in the match with one minute and 24 seconds left on the clock.

"The Chinese opponent [Pang], made it to the final at the Tokyo Olympics, and I had seen live broadcasts of her at global events," Fujinami said. "She was an opponent who I wanted to face. I'm glad I had a chance to wrestle her."

Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) pins ANTIM during the 53kg quarterfinal. (Photo: UWW / Sachiko Hotaka)

The win was more special as Fujinami not only extended her unbeaten run in wrestling to 130 bouts but has now beaten all four Tokyo Olympic medalists with Pang being the final wrestler among the four.

Fujinami had defeated bronze medalist Bortulya BAT OCHIR (MGL) in February at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series. Four months later, she won against Tokyo champion Mayu MUKAIDA (now SHIDOCHI) in the Meiji Cup and defeated the second bronze medalist from Tokyo Vanesa KALADINSKAYA (AIN) two weeks ago en route to her second world title in Belgrade. While Mukaida did score points on Fujinami, the three others failed to do so.

"At the World Championships, the defense was my weak point. So I had to fix this at these Games. I competed with a goal of not letting my opponents touch my legs and the score reflected that."

The Asian Games gold medal is another addition to her two world titles and as many Asian Championships gold medals for Fujinami. But the teenager considers these a stepping stone towards reaching her ultimate goal of winning the gold medal in Paris.

"I'm happy right now to win the title at the Asian Games," she said. "But my ultimate goal is to win at the Paris Olympics. To that end, I want to further raise my wrestling skills."

The 19-year-old will wrestle in Paris after she qualified Japan for the Olympics at 53kg by winning the world title. According to Japan Wrestling Federation rules, a wrestler winning the quota with a medal will be the automatic choice for Paris. Fujinami secured that in Belgrade.

Pang, who still is carrying the hope of winning the Olympic gold, failed to earn the Paris quota for China in Belgrade and will have to travel to Bishkek for the Asian Olympic Qualifiers to earn a spot.

"I still want to win the gold medal," Pang said. "This is the first time competing against each other. I did not perform at my best level and my opponent was very strong. I just thought about how to defend. I need to learn from my opponent."

Fujinami too expressed her gratitude towards Pang for wrestling and said that she was exceeding her own expectations.

"Although I have never competed against her before, I spoke to her and felt that she has a good character," she said. "I really wanted to win this match. I was performing better than I thought in this match too."

That despite the turnaround time from the grueling World Championships being less than two weeks.

"It was only a short time, and there was the difficulty of cutting weight," she said. "But this is a multi-sports event held only once every four years. I entered this tournament wanting it to be a good step toward the Olympics."

An emotional Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) after winning the 50kg gold medal at the Asian Games. (Photo: UWW / Sachiko Hotaka)

While there was calmness about Fujinami and her wins, chaos took over the mat on either side of Fujinami's gold-medal bout.

Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) was in tears and confusion as her hand was raised after the 50kg final while Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) needed a stepout and caution in the final few seconds to win at 57kg.

With the three gold medals, Japan has ended the wait for an Asian Games gold in Women's Wrestling as it failed to win any at the 2018 Games in Jakarta.

Yoshimoto opened the gold account, but not before a heart-in-mouth moment against returning bronze medalist Son Hyang KIM (PRK) in the final seconds.

Kim, trailing 3-2, used a counter lift to expose Yoshimoto who was holding to Kim's left leg. Both Kim and Yoshimoto were awarded two points each and Kim was given one more point for the reverse at the buzzer. But Japan challenged the call. On review, it was confirmed that the time had expired before the reversal was confirmed, giving Yoshimoto a 5-4 win.

"It was my first time facing a DPR Korea wrestler," Yoshimoto said. "If I don't win in Japan, I can't go to overseas tournaments. The next time I face a DPR Korea wrestler, I will reflect on what happened here and use that to my advantage. This time I got in on several tackles, and if I could have solidly gotten the takedowns, the match would have gone easier for me. I will practice hard to improve in this aspect."

Yoshimoto shot numerous times and got to Kim's right leg many times however she did not manage to finish all. She scored the first takedown during Kim's activity period and led 3-0. Kim answered with a double-leg in the second period to close the gap to just one point.

But like most bouts between Japan and DPR Korean wrestlers, there was a twist in the tale. Yoshimoto shot for the single leg and Kim used all her reverse to get the lift. As the challenge decision was announced, Kim began celebrating her win leaving Yoshimoto stunned. It was later when she saw the scoreboard she realized that she won 5-4.

"Up to now, when DPR Korea wrestlers faced the Japanese, they have been able to come back and win matches at the very end," Yoshimoto said. "If I became defensive, it would be the same pattern. So I went on the attack. I got in on a tackle, but I couldn't finish it off. Anyway, it was the right move to attack."

Yoshimoto, a trainee at the Shigakkan University, lost to Yui SUSAKI (JPN) in the Meiji Cup in the final seconds of the 50kg final, leaving her frustrated. Thursday was another example of Yoshimoto failing to finish the last attempt.

"Half of me is relieved, and half is anguish," Yoshimoto said in the post-match interview with tears still rolling down from her eyes. "From the time I lost in June [to Susaki], I worked the whole time on finishing off tackles. This time, the same thing happened and I'm still lagging. That's very frustrating.

"This summer, I was able to train at Shigakkan, but there was no air conditioning. That's pretty rare, but I worked on stamina training. In the final, the DPR Koreans started getting particularly tired, and I thought that put us on the same level and I could outlast her on strength. It was a dangerous match, but I think the result came [from my preparations]."

Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN), blue, survived this fall position for over a minute against In Sun JONG (PRK). (Photo: UWW / Sachiko Hotaka)

The 57kg final was a bout of two halves, World champion Sakurai managed to beat In Sun JONG (PRK) after mounting a comeback from 6-0 down. Jong, who was impressive in her defense using the split, was clearly the better wrestler for five minutes of the bout.

Sakurai's every attempt to score was easily foiled by Jong before she began to get tired. A stepout opened the scoring for Sakurai and the trend would continue with Jong receiving an activity warning and two stepouts with one caution. Sakurai now trailed 6-5 with 20 seconds on the clock. She could go behind Jong who literally walked out of off the mat, receiving another caution, giving up her lead to Sakurai 7-6.

"It's heavy [the medal].," Sakurai said. "It's the heaviest of the gold medals I've received. There's really a difference between winning and second place."

Talking about the final bout, Sakurai said that she believed that she would be able to win despite trailing 6-0 at the break because of the close wins she has managed domestically.

"Mentally, I wasn't beaten and that allowed me to get the win," she said. "I was behind the whole match and I came back in the final minute. In Japan, there are matches where I didn't give up to the very end and I was able t to win at the last second. Because of that, I could win today when my back was to the wall."

Sakurai has dished out wins from the jaws of defeat including her Meiji Cup final win against Sae NANJO (JPN). She used a buzzer-beating headpinch to make the Japan team for the World Championships.

"No matter who the opponent is, no matter how strong, I am mentally strong when I go out on the mat," she said. "Generally, I'm not the strong-minded type, but when I'm on the mat, I stay determined to the end."

Uzbekistan opens account

In the bronze medal bouts, Uzbekistan captured two, their first-ever medals in women's wrestling at the Asian Games.

Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB) was the first bronze medalist at 50kg as she defeated Pooja GEHLOT 9-2. Both wrestlers lost to Yoshimoto in the earlier rounds.

Soon, Asian silver medalist Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB) pinned MANSI in the 57kg bronze-medal bout to claim the second medal for Uzbekistan.

"This the first medal for Uzbekistan in Asian Games," Sobirova said. "So the bronze medal is worth the gold medal."

China claimed the other bronze medals at 50kg and 57kg. The second bronze medal at 50kg was won by Jiang ZHU (CHN) who pinned Miran CHEON (KOR) while Kexin HONG (CHN) rolled to a 10-0 win over Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL).

At 53kg, ANTIM saw off Tokyo bronze medalist Bat Ochir to add a bronze medal to her World Championships bronze medal. A takedown was the difference as she defeated the Mongolian 3-1. The second bronze medal was won by Hyogyong CHOE (PRK) as she beat Thi My Trang NGUYEN (VIE).

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) df. Son Hyang KIM (PRK) 5-4

BRONZE: Jiang ZHU (CHN) df. Miran CHEON (KOR), via fall
BRONZE: Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB) df. Pooja GEHLOT, 9-2

53kg
GOLD: Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) df. Qianyu PANG (CHN), 10-0

BRONZE: ANTIM df. Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL), 3-1
BRONZE: Hyogyong CHOE (PRK) df. Thi My Trang NGUYEN (VIE), 11-0

57kg
GOLD: Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) df. In Sun JONG (PRK), 7-6

BRONZE: Kexin HONG (CHN) df. Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL), 10-0
BRONZE: Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB) df. MANSI, via fall

#JapanWrestling

Murayama upends Kiyooka, twice, to make Japan's world team

Saturday, June 21, 2025 - 16:41 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (June 21) -- When Paris Olympic champion Akari FUJINAMI announced she was moving up to 57kg, it seemed that everyone was ready to bequeath the opening at 53kg to
reigning world 55kg champion Moe KIYOOKA.

On Saturday, Haruna MURAYAMA said not so fast. Not once, but twice.

Murayama defeated Kiyooka in the women's 53kg final at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Championships in Tokyo, then came back a short time later and did it again in a playoff to earn a place on Japan's team and a shot at a fourth world gold at this year's World Championships.

"I only had two matches today, but I totally focused on each one in turn," said Murayama, whose previous world titles came under her maiden name of OKUNO.

"After that, it was important to win, but because I want to keep going at 53kg, this tournament had more meaning. Of course, I was aiming for a good result, but I wanted to get something out of this tournament."

Murayama and Kiyooka had beaten each other a number of times, but Kiyooka got the upper hand when she won a playoff last year for the Non-Olympic World Championships, where she succeeded Murayama as the gold medalist at 55kg.

With Fujinami was still on her post-Olympic hiatus, Kiyooka moved down to 53kg and won the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships last December, the first of two domestic qualifiers for the World Championships along with the Meiji Cup.

Winning both tournaments secured an automatic place on the world team, while a playoff determined the spot if case of different winners.

Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN) Haruna MURAYAMA reacts after beating Moe KIYOOKA in the world team playoff at women's 53kg. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Murayama won the 55kg title at the Emperor's Cup, but took a risk and dropped down to 53kg to challenge Kiyooka at the Meiji Cup, a move that paid off and left her young opponent in tears.

"Olympic weight classes and non-Olympic weight classes are completely different," Murayama said. "I've been in international tournaments as well as domestic meets at various weights, and, I can't really put it into words, but you can feel it in your skin.

"I won at a non-Olympic weight at the Emperor's Cup and if I had entered that weight here and won, I would have gone to the World Championships at 55kg. It would be rude to say it is meaningless, but in a career that is limited, you want to compete at the highest level. So I want to continue at 53kg from here."

The 26-year-old Murayama won her first world title at 55kg in 2017, added a second at 53kg in 2018, then went five years before adding a third at 55kg in 2023. In between she suffered the heartbreak of having her Olympic dreams smashed twice, first by Mayu MUKAIDA (now SHIDOCHI) before the Tokyo Olympics, and then by Fujinami in the runup to Paris.

Her performance at Tokyo Metropolitan Gym -- which included a quarterfinal victory over Shidochi, who was returning after a two-year layoff -- puts her smack in middle of discussions for the 2028 Los Angeles.

Murayama did it with nearly identical victories over Kiyooka, winning 3-1 in the Meiji Cup final and then 4-1 in the playoff.

In both matches, she gained an activity point in the first period, then scored a takedown off a low single in the second. Kiyooka, who wore a headgear after suffering a recent skull injury in practice, was constantly kept at bay and only launched one attack that Murayama fended off.

"The rules now favor the aggressor, and that also leads to activity points," Murayama said. "I'm not the type who goes for tackles much at the beginning. But I came up with a style where my tying up leads to tackles.

"Recently, it wasn't working so well. I've been having more chances to face younger opponents, and they like to go on the attack right away, which makes me feel pressure. There were many matches that went awry at the end that I couldn't finish off. This time, I was able to keep her under control in the first period, then wrestle my way to end the match."

Ironically, Murayama and Kiyooka were teammates at a pair of international tournaments earlier this year, where they had positive results. Murayama won the 55kg title and Kiyooka the 53kg gold at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series tournament in Tirana in February, then took a bronze and a silver, respectively, at the Asian Championships in March in Amman, Jordan.

"I recently was able to go to some international tournaments, and the overseas wrestlers have gotten better," Murayama said. "We're in an era where you can soon view a video of a match and I feel that I have been well scouted. I look forward to using my skills against them."

Ami ISHII (JPN) Ami ISHII secures a fall over Seia MOCHINAGA to secure her ticket at women's 68kg to the World Championships. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Ishii cruises to world berth; Aoyagi bounces back in playoff

In other action on the third day of the four-day tournament, Ami ISHII, who won the women's 72kg gold at the non-Olympic worlds as consolation for missing out on the Paris Olympics, will be heading back to the regular World Championships at 68kg.

Ishii easily won out in a four-women field that was thinned to three by injury, finishing up with a victory by fall over Seia MOCHINAGA in her final round-robin match.

Ishii said she is looking forward to possibly facing Kennedy BLADES (USA), the Paris Olympic silver medalist at 76kg who recently won the U.S. trials at 68kg. And she wants to not only win, but win big.

"I won't be seeded, so I don't know when or if I will face her," Ishii said. "It doesn't have to be the final. I want it to be one of those matches where you go, 'Wow.' I want to win big with a technical fall like Masanosuke ONO. I don't want it to come down to the wire."

One other women's world team spot was filled, with Asian bronze medalist Nodoka YAMAMOTO beating Yasuha MATSUYUKI 3-1 to win the round-robin at 76kg as Paris Olympic champion Yuka KAGAMI continues to remain out of competition.

Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) Yoshinosuke AOYAGI works to turn Shoya MIURA in the world team playoff at freestyle 70kg. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Among the three world team playoffs in freestyle, world silver medalist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI bounced back from his stunning semifinal loss on Friday by romping to an 11-0 victory over Shoya MIURA.

Aoyagi chalked up a pair of takedown-roll combinations in the first period, then ended the match by using his leg to catch Miura on his back during a scramble.

"I was down [after the loss] and still felt that way today," Aoyagi said. "But to do it, I had to pull myself together. I got advice from various people, and keeping in mind all of those supporting me, I was finally able to come around."

Miura had won the title with a 6-5 victory over world U20 champion Ryoya YAMASHITA, who had stunned Emperor's Cup champion Aoyagi in the semifinals. Miura's win can be credited to a 4-point counter throw that could have gone either way but was awarded on challenge.

Aoyagi acknowledged that Miura presented a less formidable foe, although he would have liked to have had a chance to avenge his loss to Yamashita.

"I wanted to get revenge and of course I had come up with a plan and asked around for advice," Aoyagi said. "Next week, we're going to Nittaidai [Nippon Sport Science University] for joint practice and I'll ask him to spar with me. I lost and will be the challenger, but I will turn the tables."

There was one thing that Aoyagi did before the playoff that left many people befuddled.

Normally, a wrestler who goes to a playoff after losing before a final skips the bronze-medal match, which is held a few hours earlier.

But Aoyagi showed up for his match, which he won with an 11-0 victory in 3:44. Why even bother?

The 23-year-old Aoyagi, who joined the corporate team Clean-up out of Yamanashi Gakuin University, said he did it out of loyalty to his company and its employees, who formed a small supporting section in the stands.

"I thought that at the very least, I had to get a medal from the standpoint of my company," Aoyagi said. "There were many people from the company who came in support and I wanted them to know they could believe in me and I would give it my all. If I didn't do that match and only went to the World Championships, it might leave a bad impression."

Aoyagi, who won the Muhamet Malo tournament and finished third at the Asian Championships this year, said he will be confident but wary in Zagreb, which will be his last tournament at 70kg before making a planned move up to 74kg.

"Last year I finished second and I'm currently ranked No. 1, but it's not going to be so easy," Aoyagi said. "I placed third at the Asian Championships and strong opponents are constantly coming up. The luck of the draw is important, but I will practice harder and become a wrestler who doesn't present openings. If I prepare thoroughly for the World Championships, of course I can win the title."

In another playoff, Emperor's Cup champion Ryunosuke KAMIYA avenged a semifinal loss to Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI by beating him 3-0 for the freestyle 79kg ticket to Zagreb. Gharehdaghi had taken the title with a 2-2 win over Subaru TAKAHARA.

At 61kg, Takara SUDA, the Emperor's Cup champion who had to miss the tournament, scored a late takedown to defeat 2021 world bronze medalist Toshihiro HASEGAWA 4-3. Suda was not entered after his school, Yamanashi Gakuin University, reportedly missed the registration deadline.

Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN) Yuri NAKAZATO puts the pressure on Takahiro TSURUDA in the Greco 97kg final of the Meiji Cup. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

In Greco, Yuri NAKAZATO will get a chance to see if he can make a breakthrough for Japan in the upper weights after he defeated Takahiro TSURUDA 4-0 to take the 97kg crown and secure a place on the world team.

The Okinawa native, a 2023 world U23 bronze medalist, showed some potential by winning a silver medal at this year's Asian Championships. That made him the first Japanese to make the final in a weight class 90kg or over in 11 years, and just the ninth ever.

Mayu SHIDOCHI (JPN) Mayu SHIDOCHI, right, assured she would not go home empty-handed from her first tournament in two years by taking a bronze medal at women's 53kg. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Shidochi finishes up comeback with bronze

Tokyo Olympic champion Shidochi bounced back from her loss to Murayama by winning her bronze-medal match at 53kg, beating Saki YUMIYA 5-0.

After gaining an activity point in the first period, Shidochi pulled away in the second with a takedown and gut wrench.

Shidochi was competing for the first time since losing to Fujinami in the semifinals at the 2023 Meiji Cup, giving birth to her first child in the interval.

"When it comes down do it, I lost yesterday and it's really hard to take," Shidochi said. "But I came back and won the third-place match, which I hope will lead to better things. I was able to bounce back and, although it wasn't the gold medal, I could still finish up with a medal."

Shidochi gives herself credit for not taking the easy path in her return to the mat.

"I decided to make a challenge at an Olympic weight and I realize that in reality, it is not so easy," she said. "In the second round I faced world champion Haruna. I had lost to her the last time and wanted to get revenge, but I wasn't able to do it and that's disappointing.

"It was my first tournament in two years. It comes down to getting that match sense again, and I was pretty nervous this time. There are many things I need to work on."

Day 3 Results

Freestyle

57kg (11 entries)
SF 1: Rin SAKAMOTO df. Rikuto NAGAI, 7-4
SF 2: Kento YUMIYA df. Rikuto ARAI, 2-1

61kg (12 entries)
GOLD: Toshihiro HASEGAWA df. Akito MUKAIDA by TF, 15-5, 4:51

BRONZE: Taichi YAMAGUCHI df. Aiki KAWAI, 7-0
BRONZE: Meiryu AKAMINE df. Takuto OSEDO, 5-3

World Team Playoff: Takara SUDA df. Hasegawa, 4-3

65kg (9 entries)
SF 1: Kaisei TANABE df. Ryuto SAKAKI, 5-0
SF 2: Kotaro KIYOOKA df. Yuto NISHIUCHI, 8-1

70kg (12 entries)
GOLD: Shoya MIURA df. Ryoya YAMASHITA, 6-5

BRONZE: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI df. Raita MATSUDA by TF, 11-0, 3:44
BRONZE: Makoto HOSOKAWA df. Yamato FUKUI by TF, 13-2, 3:46

World Team Playoff: Aoyagi df. Miura by TF, 11-0, 3:50

74kg (12 entries)
SF 1: Kota TAKAHASHI vs Hikaru TAKATA by TF, 12-2, 5:40
SF 2: Masaki SATO df. Toki OGAWA, 6-0

79kg (9 entries)
GOLD: Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI df. Subaru TAKAHARA, 2-2

BRONZE: Kohei KITAMURA df. Ryunosuke KAMIYA by Def.
BRONZE: Natsura OKAZAWA df. Hirotaka ABE by TF, 11-0, 3:39

World Team Playoff: Kamiya df. Gharehdaghi, 3-0

Greco-Roman

60kg (8 entries)
SF 1: Kaito INABA df. Seima TOKUHARA by TF, 11-1, 4:32
SF 2: Yu SHIOTANI df. Koto GOMI by TF, 10-0, 1:49

67kg (12 entries)
SF 1: Katsuaki ENDO df. Kensuke SHIMIZU, 7-3
SF 2: Kyotaro SOGABE df. Haruto YABE, 13-6

77kg (10 entries)
SF 1: Kodai SAKURABA df. Shu YAMADA by TF, 9-1, 4:50
SF 2: Nao KUSAKA df. Naoki KADODE by TF, 12-1, 2:04

87kg (7 entries)
GOLD: So SAKABE df. Tatsuya FUJII, 9-0, 2:18

BRONZE: Isshin ONITSUKA df. Genki YAHAGI by Fall, 2:27 (10-0)

97kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Yuri NAKAZATO df. Takahiro TSURUDA, 4-0

BRONZE: Masayuki AMANO df. Ryosei KATAMATSU by TF, 8-0, 1:51
BRONZE: Sorato KANAZAWA df. Asahi IMAMURA by TF, 9-0, 1:51

130kg (7 entries)
GOLD: Yuta NARA df. Sota OKUMURA, 3-1

BRONZE: Shion OBATA df. Ayumu IWASAWA, 6-1

Women's Wrestling

50kg (9 entries)
SF 1: Remina YOSHIMOTO vs Mai OGAWA by TF, 10-0, 5:27
SF 2: Umi ITO df. Miyu NAKAMURA, 6-0

53kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Haruna MURAYAMA df. Moe KIYOOKA, 3-1

BRONZE: Haruna MORIKAWA df. Natsumi MASUDA, 3-0
BRONZE: Mayu SHIDOCHI df. Saki YUMIYA, 5-0

World Team Playoff: Murayama df. Kiyooka, 4-1

57kg (10 entries)
SF 1: Himeka TOKUHARA df. Sara NATAMI, 3-1
SF 2: Sae NANJO df. Ichika ARAI, 9-0

62kg (11 entries)
SF 1: Nonoka OZAKI df. Misuzu ENOMOTO, 10-2
SF 2: Sakura MOTOKI df. Shirin TAKEMOTO by TF, 10-0, 2:23

68kg (4 entries)
GOLD: Ami ISHII (3-0)
SILVER: Seia MOCHINAGA (2-1)
BRONZE: Kaede MATSUYAMA (1-2)

Key match: Ishii df. Mochinaga by Fall, 2:06 (6-0), in Round 3

76kg (4 entries)
GOLD: Nodoka YAMAMOTO (3-0)
SILVER: Yasuha MATSUYUKI (2-1)
BRONZE: Mizuki NAGASHIMA (1-2)

Key match: Yamamoto df. Matsuyuki 3-1 in Round 3

World champs Fujinami, Sakurai capture Asian Games golds

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Murayama upends Kiyooka, twice, to make Japan's world team