#WrestleTokyo Olympic Games Preview: 53kg

Wednesday, July 21, 2021 - 18:05 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO, Japan (July 23) – Vinesh PHOGAT (IND) got over the physical pain she suffered at the Rio 2016 Olympics long before the emotional scars healed. Five years later, that bitter memory is fueling her quest to become India's first-ever Olympic wrestling gold medalist.

Phogat is the top seed in the women's 53kg division at the Tokyo Olympics, but that hardly lessens the difficulty of the task that lies ahead of her in a field that might be missing the reigning world champion, but little else in terms of quality.

"The journey to Tokyo has been long, bittersweet and difficult at times,” Phogat wrote on social media last week while training in Hungary, as reported in north India's Tribune. "The injury in Rio was easily one of the lowest moments in my career, and even had me questioning whether I would ever be able to wrestle again."

Arguably Phogat's biggest barrier to Olympic glory will be 2019 world silver medalist Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN), the No. 2 seed and two-time former world champion who has some issues of her own to work out.

An array of past and present world champions and medalists will also be looking to make their mark on the mat at Makuhari Messe, including fourth-seeded Qianyu PANG (CHN), veteran Sofia MATTSON (SWE), Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) and Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA), the reigning world 55kg champion who moved down to the Olympic weight.

Phogat is already making Indian history as the first woman from her country to be appearing in a second Olympics. The Asian nation was a bit late to the women's game, and did not qualify a woman for the Olympics until 2012 and has had just four in total. That number has been doubled in Tokyo.

At the Rio Olympics, Phogat advanced to the quarterfinals at 48kg, only to suffer a severe knee injury against Yanan SUN (CHN) that required her to be taken off the mat on a stretcher. She returned to competition the following May at the Asian Championships, where she won a silver medal at 55kg.

The 26-year-old Phogat has accumulated quite a haul of medals on the senior level at the Asian Championships, eight in total, although her gold medal in April in Almaty was the first of that color and came in the absence of the Japanese and Chinese. She also won a gold from the 2018 Asian Games, where she defeated Yuki IRIE (JPN).

But Mukaida has been a particular thorn in her side in recent years. The two met in the quarterfinals at the 2019 Asian Championships, the first round at the 2019 World Championships and the quarterfinals of the 2020 Asian Championships, with Mukaida winning all three encounters.

Phogat arrives in Tokyo coming off a confidence-boosting two years of success. She won the 2020 Matteo Pellicone Tournament, which included victories over Pang and Tokyo No. 3 seed Luisa VALVERDE (ECU), and repeated her Rome triumph this year. She also won the Poland Open in June, making her 3-for-3 for 2021.

Whether she can keep the momentum going in Tokyo against the world's elite remains to be seen, but in a message to her Indian fans, she is aiming to "put a smile on all your faces with my performance on the mat."

The 24-year-old Mukaida has been thrilling Japanese fans since her younger days, when she was being compared to another native of Mie Prefecture in central Japan, the legendary Saori YOSHIDA (JPN). In fact, as she began piling up the titles, including world cadet and Youth Olympic championships, she was dubbed the "second generation Yoshida."

It was a tough reputation to live up to, but the product of the JOC Elite Academy did it with world titles at 55kg in 2016 and 2018. But on several occasions, Mukaida was her own worst enemy, looking like Yoshida until the final five seconds of matches.

That is the biggest knock against Mukaida--her inability at times to finish off what should be easy victories. It happened in three major finals, all at 53kg, over the past four years.

At the 2017 World Championships, Mukaida gave up a 4-point move at the buzzer to Kaladzinskaya and lost 8-6. At the 2019 Asian Championships, she gave up takedown in the final seconds to Yongmi PAK (PRK) in a 4-3 loss. And at the 2020 Asian Championships, she was leading 8-0 and trying to score a gut wrench that would end the match when Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ) stepped over and caught her for a victory by fall.

"I do alright in the first half of the match, but I often get attacked by the opponent in the second half and start watching the opponent's movement," Mukaida recently told the Japanese press. "When I lose, my movement stops completely. That's the thing I need to fix the most."

One thing going for Mukaida is that she does not have to contend with Pak, as DPR Korea will not be sending a contingent to the Tokyo Games. Mukaida had a chance to avenge her loss in Xi'an to Pak when the two met in the final of the 2019 World Championships, but instead Pak handed her one of the worse defeats of her career with a 12-1 technical fall.

Mukaida will be on guard not to make similar mistakes at the Tokyo Games.

China's Pang was a 2019 world bronze medalist along with Phogat, the second straight year that she finished third. She and Phogat have split four matches between them from 2016 to 2020, while Pang is 0-4 in career clashes with Mukaida.

The 31-year-old Mattson she was dealt a one-sided loss by Phogat early at the 2019 World Championships, and earned her fourth trip to the Olympics by winning the European Olympic qualifying tournament. She will be aiming to add to the bronze medal she won at Rio 2016.

Mattson won world titles in 2006 and 2009, and is a four-time silver medalist, including losing to Yoshida in three straight finals from 2013 to 2015. In January this year, she took the gold at the Grand Prix de France, beating Winchester in the final 7-4.

Winchester's move down to 53kg coincided with a drop to 50kg by Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA), who had failed to earn an Olympic place at 53kg at the 2019 worlds. Like Hildebrandt, Winchester secured her ticket to Tokyo for the USA at the Pan American Olympic qualifying tournament, then won the U.S. Olympic trials. Prior to 2020, she had competed anywhere from 55kg to 59kg during her career.

Wrestling at the Tokyo Olympic Games kicks off August 1-7 at the Makuhari Messe with 65kg action beginning on August 5.

53kg
No. 1 Vinesh VINESH (IND)
No. 2 Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN)
No. 3 Luisa Elizabeth VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU)
No. 4 Qianyu PANG (CHN)
Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE)
Joseph Emilienne ESSOMBE TIAKO (CMR)
Rckaela Maree Ramos AQUINO (GUM)
Roksana Marta ZASINA (POL)
Laura HERIN AVILA (CUB)
Jacarra Gwenisha WINCHESTER (USA)
Sofia Magdalena MATTSSON (SWE)
Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR)
Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL)
Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ)
Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS)
Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU)

#WrestleTokyo

Otoguro, Susaki Give Host Japan Golden Ending to Olympic Wrestling

Saturday, August 7, 2021 - 19:18 By Ken Marantz

CHIBA, Japan (August 7) -- While the wrestling world was anticipating the big showdown at 97kg, Japanese eyes were focused on the two other finals on Saturday night, and they provided a double thrill for the host country.

Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) and Yui SUSAKI (JPN), both 2018 world champions, captured gold medals in their Olympic debuts as Japan brought the curtain down on the wrestling competition at Makuhari Messe Hall A with a bang.

Otoguro gave the Japanese men their lone wrestling gold medal of the Tokyo Games with a masterful performance against Rio 2016 bronze medalist Haji ALIYEV (AZE), winning the stacked freestyle 65kg class with a 5-4 win in the final.

"I overcame a lot of difficulties, but because of the people around me, I made progress litle by little," said Otoguro, who finished fifth at the 2019 World Championships. "It's a dream come true, I'm really happy."

Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) defeated Haji ALIYEV (AZE) in the 65kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Otoguro got the go-ahead points with 20 seconds left, as well as one for an unsuccessful challenge that made it 5-2, then survived being assessed a pair of penalty points for fleeing to hold off the ever-dangerous Aliyev.

Aliyev took a 2-2 lead into the second period after scoring a takedown with 8 seconds left in the first. Otoguro appeared to have a chance to score early in the second period, but Aliyev forced a stalemate.

But Otoguro was not to be denied, and got in deep with a single-leg. As he did in the first period, he got 2 points by rolling through and keeping his own back unexposed when Aliyev rolled back in an attempted counter lift.

"When the Olympics were postponed, my coach said that there might not be an Olympics, but to believe that there will be and stay prepared," Otoguro said. "I put that preparation to use in the last 30 seconds and was able to get it in the end."

Otoguro burst upon the international scene at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest where, at age 19 years 10 months, he became the youngest-ever Japanese to win a men's world title. That broke the previous record held by 1976 Olympic champion Yuki TAKADA (JPN), who became his mentor at Yamanashi Gakuin University.

65kg podium Tokyo Olympics 65kg medal winners. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

After graduating in March, Otoguro followed his older brother into the sports division of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Among his coaches is London 2012 champion Tatsuhiro YONEMITSU (JPN), who, until Otoguro's victory Friday night, had been the last Japanese male to win an Olympic wrestling title.

"I spar with coach Yonemitsu every day, I admire him and learn so much from him," Otoguro said. "All those that I so admire, like Mr. Takada, I'm really happy to win the same gold medal as them."

Otoguro acknowledged that he felt under the gun to give the Japanese men a gold, after the host nation won a silver and bronze in Greco and the three others in freestyle, including brother Keisuke at 74kg, came up empty-handed.

"There was pressure," Otoguro said. "In other sports, [Japanese] athletes were winning gold medals. But freestyle had none and my turn came up on the last day. It was a really tough tournament. But everyone came together as one, and helped me get this win."

Yui SUSAKI (JPN) is the Olympic champion at 50kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Susaki gave Japan its fourth gold medal of the Games in women's wrestling--matching the total won at Rio--with a 10-0 technical fall over Rio 2016 bronze medalist Yanan SUN (CHN) in the 50kg final.

"The person I am here now is because of the support of everyone around me," said Susaki, who grew up about 30 kilometers away from the wrestling venue in Matsudo city. "I feel so grateful. Their power became my power."

Susaki, who had beaten Sun in all three of their previous meetings, posted her most one-sided victory over the 2013 world champion by spinning behind for a takedown, then ripping off two lace locks.

Sun temporarily broke the hold, but Susaki reapplied the ankle hold and rolled two more times for a 10-0 technical fall in 1:36.

For the 21-year-old Susaki, who won the first of her two senior world titles in 2017, the year after taking her third world cadet gold, the Olympic gold was the fulfillment of a dream that seemed all but ended two years ago.

In fact, it was Sun who indirectly reopened the door to the Tokyo Olympics for Susaki, who hardly seemed grateful when she manhandled Sun in the last match of the wrestling competition at Makuhari Messe.

Yui SUSAKI (JPN) defeated Yanan SUN (CHN) to win the 50kg gold medal. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Dating back to junior high school, Susaki has lost just three times in her life -- all to compatriot Yuki IRIE (JPN). One loss came at the domestic qualifying tournament for the 2019 World Championships, where winning a medal would mean an automatic place on Japan's team to
Tokyo 2020.

But Irie was dealt a stunning 13-12 loss in the quarterfinals in Nur-Sultan by Sun, who then lost in the semifinals, thus keeping Irie out of the repechage. With Japan failing to earn an Olympic berth at 50kg, the process started all over again, and Susaki made the most of the second chance.

She beat Irie for the right to represent Japan at the Asian Olympic qualifier, which she won easily to earn her ticket to the Tokyo Games.

Susaki, who was one of Japan's flag-bearers at the opening ceremony, remained unbeaten against foreign foes by blasting through the Olympic tournament with four straight technical falls, all without conceding a point.

"It's like a dream," Susaki said. "My family, friends and others believed in me. That I can show them my gold medal makes me so happy."

During the medal ceremony, the presenter of the floral bouquet was Japanese legend Kaori ICHO, the lone wrestler in history with four Olympic gold medals.

Asked if Icho said anything to her, Susaki replied, "She said, 'Good luck for the next one also.' It gives me a stong feeling to go for the next [Olympics]."

With Susaki's victory, Japanese had now won 15 of the 24 gold medals awarded since women's wrestling was added to the Olympic program in 2004.

Stadnik secures 4th Olympic medal

Mariya STADNIK (AZE), right, won a bronze medal. (Photo: UWW / Tony Rotundo)

In the bronze-medal matches, reigning world champion Mariya STADNIK (AZE) joined an elite group of four-time Olympic medalists -- albeit none of hers are gold--when she manhandled Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL) at 50kg.

The 33-year-old Stadnik struck early and often, rolling to a 10-0 technical fall in 1:47 to add to her silver medals from London 2012 and Rio 2016 and bronze at Beijing 2008. Her world title in 2019 came a decade after her first and only other one.

American Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA), the 2018 world silver medalist at 53kg who was dealt a last-second loss in the semifinals by Sun, came away with the other 50kg bronze.

Hildebrandt broke open a close match in the second period and finished off a 12-1 technical fall in 5:49 over 2018 world bronze medalist Oksana LIVACH (UKR) with three lace locks.

At freestyle 97kg, London 2012 champion Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) was denied a third Olympic medal when Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) scored a stepout with 30 seconds left for a 3-3 victory.

Sharifov, who also owns a bronze medal from the Rio Olympics, led 2-0 in the second period when he gave up a counter lift that put the Cuban ahead 2-2, but regained the lead with a stepout on the same scramble.

The 34-year-old Salas Perez, who announced he would retire after the Tokyo Games, adds the Olympic bronze to two world silver medals he won back in 2014 and 2015.

The other bronze went to Abraham CONYEDO RUANO (ITA), who pulled off a desperation counter back trip for 4 points late in the second period to defeat Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR) 6-2 and give Italy its lone wrestling medal in Tokyo.

At freestyle 65kg, Bajrang PUNIA (IND) avenged a semifinal loss to Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) from the 2019 worlds by scoring three takedowns in the second period for an 8-0 victory.

The two had a tempestuous battle in the third-place match at the 2019 worlds, which Niyazbekov barely won 9-9 on criteria after squadering a 9-2 lead. Among Punia's points during his comeback was a penalty point for an eye gouge.

Reigning world champion Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (ROC) scored three of his points on stepouts in outlasting Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) 5-0 for the other bronze in a battle of two wrestlers who had both beaten Otoguro at the 2019 worlds but lost to him in Tokyo.

Rashidov had also beaten Muszukajev 3-2 in the semifinals in Nur-Sultan en route to his first world title after winning consecutive silvers at 61kg.

With the conclusion of eight days of competition, host Japan finished with the most golds with five, while the United States had the most overall medals with nine, one more than the Russian Olympic Committee.

A total of 26 countries won at least one medal, with Nigeria and San Marino winning their first- ever in Olympic wrestling.

Day 7 Results

Freestyle

65kg
GOLD - Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) df. Haji ALIYEV (AZE), 5-4

BRONZE - Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (ROC) df. Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), 5-0
BRONZE - Bajrang PUNIA (IND) df. Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ), 8-0

97kg
GOLD - Abdulrashid SADULAEV (ROC) df. Kyle SNYDER (USA), 6-3

BRONZE - Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) df. Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE), 3-3
BRONZE - Abraham CONYEDO RUANO (ITA) df. Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR), 6-2

Women's Wrestling

50kg
GOLD - Yui SUSAKI (JPN) df. Yunan SUN (CHN) by TF, 10-0, 1:36

BRONZE - Mariya STADNIK (AZE) df. Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL) by TF, 10-0, 1:47
BRONZE - Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) df. Oksana LIVACH (UKR) by TF, 12-1, 5:49

#WrestleTokyo Olympic Games Preview: 53kg

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Otoguro, Susaki Give Host Japan Golden Ending to Olympic Wrestling