#WrestleTokyo Olympic Games Preview: 97kg

Friday, July 30, 2021 - 12:29 By Eric Olanowski

TOKYO, Japan (July 21) – Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS), Kyle SNYDER (USA) and Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) head into the Tokyo Olympic Games looking to add a second Olympic title to their storied resumes. Sadulaev and Snyder won Olympic titles in Rio while Sharifov claimed his gold at the London Olympic Games.

Sadualev is unbeatably the world's top wrestler across all styles. The 25-year-old, who hails from the village of Tsurib, Dagestan, is up a weight class from his Rio title-winning weight of 86kg.

Sadulaev, known worldwide as "The Tank," defeated fellow Olympic champions Snyder and Sharifov in back-to-back world finals and brought his overall world gold medal tally to four.

But, those wins came after a heartbreaking loss to his American rival in the '17 world finals, dubbed as #SnyderLaev.

In '18, Sadualev avenged that Paris loss in spectacular fashion. In the opening minute of the long-awaited second meeting, he pinned Snyder, the then-reigning two-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist. The following year, he shutout Sharifov, 4-0, in the 97kg gold-medal match and captured his fourth world title. In total, he's claimed world gold in '14, '15, '18 and '19.

Sadualev is the top-seeded wrestler at 97ig and is trailed by Snyder, Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) and Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD).

Yergali is seeded third at the weight. The 22-year-old from the Kulan, Merke Region of Kazakhstan, comes into Tokyo riding a four-tournament medal streak. He finished in second place at this year's Asian Championships. He ended his campaigns with bronze medals at the '21 Poland Open Ranking Series event and '20 Asian Championships and Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series event.

Nurov is seeded fourth and will sit on the same side of the bracket as the man who ended his quest to reach the world finals, Sadulaev. Although he dropped his semifinals match in Nur-Sultan to "The Tank," Nurov won four matches and defeated Yergali in the bronze-medal match at the '19 World Championships.

In addition to the three Olympic champions entered, Rio Olympic bronze medalists Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) and Albert SARITOV (ROU) are other names to highlight on the 97kg entry list.

Meanwhile, there's a long list of former world medalists that also have Tokyo medal aspirations. Abraham de Jesus CONYEDO RUANO (ITA), Mohammadhossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI), Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) and Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) are four medal hopefuls who can disrupt the pecking order.

Mohammadian, a '14 world bronze medalist, showed in early '20 that he's worthy of sharing the mat with the heavy hitters at the weight. At the '20 Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series event, he outscored his five opponents 41-0 en route to winning gold. His day was highlighted with a seismic win by pin over Snyder, but he also scored wins over a U23 world champion, a world bronze medalist and a world fifth-place finisher.

Since that Roman win last year, Mohammadian, the son of two-time Olympic silver medalist Askari MOHAMMADIAN (IRI), has continued his hot streak. He's won gold in the other two competitions he's entered. He won the Asian Olympic Qualifier and the Poland Open and earned the Iranian Olympic nod over Ali SHABANI (IRI) and Alireza KARIMI (IRI).

Odikadze is a guy who is always in the medal hunt. After consecutive World and Olympic fifth-place finishes '14, '15, '16 and '17, he finally broke down that wall and claimed a world bronze at the '18 World Championships. Since his fifth-place Tokyo Olympic qualification finish at the '19 World Championships, the 32-year-old Georgian won back-to-back bronze medals at the European Championships.

Conyedo Ruano, a '18 world bronze medalist, won the World Olympic Qualifier and punched his ticket to Tokyo. But, the former-Cuban-turned-Italian has struggled to put together back-to-back top-five finishes. In his last six appearances, he's struggled to put together consecutive podium finishes.

Cuba's explosive Salas Perez has a sneaky shot to pull an unexpected upset. He's a three-time world medalist. He made back-to-back world finals appearances in '13 and '14, but fell in both of those bouts. The 34-year-old will be wrestling in his second Olympic Games. He finished in fifth place at the '16 Rio Olympic Games.

Although Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR) is relatively inexperienced at 97kg, he's a guy to keep on your radar. He finished in eighth place at 92kg at the '19 World Championships but has wowed in his move up to 97kg. He made his initial ascent up to the Olympic weight at the '20 Individual World Cup. He won a bronze in Belgrade, then won gold at the International Ukrainian Tournament and silvers at the European Championships and European Olympic Qualifier.

Wrestling at the Tokyo Olympic Games kicks off August 1-7 at the Makuhari Messe with 97kg action beginning on August 6.

97kg
No. 1 Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS)
No. 2 Kyle Frederick SNYDER (USA)
No. 3 Alisher YERGALI (KAZ)
No. 4 Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD)
Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE)
Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO)
Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN)
Mohammed FARDJ (ALG)
Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB)
Jordan STEEN (CAN)
Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR)
Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR)
Mohammadhossein Askari MOHAMMADIAN (IRI)
Magomed Idrisovitch IBRAGIMOV (UZB)
Abraham de Jesus CONYEDO RUANO (ITA)
Albert SARITOV (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: 97kg

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Otoguro, Susaki Give Host Japan Golden Ending to Olympic Wrestling