Younger Kawai Finally Gets Best of Rival Tynybekova with Dramatic Win in Possible Olympic Prelude

Friday, February 21, 2020 - 10:33 By Ken Marantz

NEW DELHI (Feb. 21)— The minuscule amount of time on the clock was less significant than the location on the mat as Yukako KAWAI (JPN) pulled off a last-second victory over nemesis and world champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) in what could be regarded a prelude to the 2020 Olympic final.

Kawai, who had lost two previous meetings with Tynybekova within the past year, pulled off a dramatic lateral drop at the edge to notch a 4-1 victory in their quarterfinal match to start the women’s 57kg competition on the fourth day of the Asian Championships.

Kawai, a 2018 world silver medalist who had to settle for a bronze last September in Nur-Sultan, followed up her win by defeating up-and-coming teenager Sonam SONAM (IND) in the semifinals as all five Japanese in action made it to the finals, to be held in the night session at K.D. Jahrav Wrestling Stadium.

In another high-profile match early in the program, world silver medalist Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) made it 3 for 3 in meetings with bronze medalist and local star Vinesh VINESH (IND) with a 6-2 win in their quarterfinal clash at 53kg.

Rio 2016 Olympic and three-time world champion Risako KAWAI (JPN) took some time to get in gear, but joined younger sister Yukako in the finals with two solid victories at 57kg.

Yukako Kawai had lost to Tynybekova in the final of the 2019 Asian Champi0nships in Xi’an, China, then again in the second round at the World Championships in Nur-Sultan.

“At the World Championships, I didn’t wrestle my match and ended up losing,” Kawai said. “So I focused on wrestling in my style.”

Until the dramatic finish, the only points came on the activity clock, with Tynybekova earning hers in the second period to be ahead on criteria. Kawai got nowhere with a front headlock, then worked to secure a double underhook as the seconds ticked off. She then hit the lateral drop to slam Tynybekova to her back with :02 on the clock.

The big issue was whether the move was launched outside of the circle, but it was upheld on video challenge, giving Kawai her final point.

“I was aware of the time, and if I was going to lose anyway, I thought I have to just give something a shot,” Kawai said. “It was all or nothing.”

Kawai regards the victory as giving her a psychological edge going into the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“She’s an opponent whom I have never beaten, so I wanted to beat her once going into the Olympics,” Kawai said.

Kawai still had to get past Sonam, who ousted veteran Sakshi MALIK (IND) from the national team spot at 62kg. Trailing 1-0 going into the second period, Kawai scored a stepout point while on the activity clock, then added a takedown en route to a 5-2 victory.

“Looking at her videos, I had the image that she was very powerful, and in reality, she was really strong, and she made it difficult for me,” Kawai said. “From that match I saw things I need to work on when I get back home in practice.”

In the final, Kawai will face 2017 Asian bronze medalist Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ) in an attempt to capture her first senior continental title.

Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) won her third straight match against Vinesh VINESH (IND) with a 6-2 opening round win. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

At 53kg, Mukaida used a nifty sweeping single-leg attack to both sides to get past Vinesh. After the second, she added a gut-wrench to go-ahead 6-0. While Vinesh scored her first-ever points against the Japanese with a sweeping single of herown, her attacks were effectively shut down.

“This was our third meeting and Vinesh is really a strong competitor,” Mukaida said. “I had to be wary of her. I’m sure she did her homework as well, so it was difficult, but I was able to get in [on my attacks].”

Indian women’s team coach Andy COOK said he was encouraged by what he saw from Vinesh.

“The game plan we had worked, for the time we were in it,” Cook said. “As we switched up a little bit, we got caught up, and we gave up really one takedown and two gut wrenches.

“We have to work on a different par terre defense, just make a small adjustment so she doesn’t make any big body movements. That’s what caught us, when she went from a lace to a gut and then, bam!”

Mukaida, who made the final with an 10-0 technical fall of Thi Ly KIEU (VIE), will aim to regain the Asian title she won in 2017 in New Delhi when she faces Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ) in the final.

“This time, the big match was at the beginning,” Mukaida said. “It’s also my first competition in a while. To get back my match sense, I thought all the time before coming that I want to have a good tournament.”

Risako KAWAI (JPN) is on a quest to win her fourth Asian gold medal. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Risako Kawai, the Asian champion in 2015, 2016 and 2017, will try for title No. 4 when she faces Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL) in the final.

Kawai opened with a 7-0 win over Sevara ESHMURATOVA (UZB), in which she had just an activity point in the first period, then overwhelmed Anshu ANSHU (IND) by 10-0 technical fall in the semifinals.

“I was nervous,” Kawai admitted. “It’s my first overseas tournament since the World Championships, so I was a bit nervous, and a little tight. The first match went like it did, but in the second match I was moving much better.”

Japan’s other finalists are 2019 Asian silver medalist Naomi RUIKE (JPN) at 65kg and world U-23 bronze medalist Mei SHINDO (JPN) at 72kg.

Ruike will face Malik for the gold in a rematch of their preliminary group match, which Ruike won 2-1 with all points scored on the activity clock. Malik has already improved on the bronze medals she won the past two years.

Shindo’s last barrier on the path to gold comes in the form of Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), also a bronze medalist from 2019.

Day 4 Results

Women’s Wrestling

53kg (10 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) df. Thi Ly KIEU (VIE) by TF, 10-0, 2:09
SEMIFINAL – Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ) df. Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA by Fall, 4:48 (11-0)

57kg (8 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Risako KAWAI (JPN) df. Anshu ANSHU (IND) by TF, 10-0, 1:10
SEMIFINAL – Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL) df. Altynay SATYLGAN (KAZ) by Fall, 5:16 (4-3)

62kg (8 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Yukako KAWAI (JPN) df Sonam SONAM (IND), 5-2
SEMIFINAL – Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ) df. Nomin Erdene PURVEE (MGL) by Fall, 3:31 (4-0)

65kg (6 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Naomi RUIKE (JPN) df. Bolortungalag ZORIGT (MGL) by Fall, 5:59 (11-3)
SEMIFINAL – Sakshi MALIK (IND) df. Nabira ESENBAEVA (UZB), 5-4

72kg (6 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) df. Tsevegmed ENKHBAYAR (MGL) by TF, 10-0, 3:31
SEMIFINAL – Mei SHINDO (JPN) df. Preet Kaur GURSHARAN (IND) by Fall, 3:46 (12-1)

#WrestleTirana

U23 Worlds: Tirana triumph for O'Toole, Brooks; Gimri wins Turkiye's first gold

Tuesday, October 24, 2023 - 21:31 By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (October 24) -- When Keegan O'TOOLE (USA) gets to a cradle, it's game over for his opponents.

Many in the United States have witnessed O'Toole win school and college titles on the back of his go-to move. International fans first saw it in 2021 as he stunned a strong 74kg field to win the U20 world title.

Two years since winning his first and only international competition, O'Toole and his cradle were on display and were good enough to win another world title. The American won the 74kg gold medal at the U23 World Championships on Tuesday, leading to a strong performance from the United States as the first set of medals were awarded on the second day of the tournament.

The U.S. won three of the five gold medals on offer on Tuesday while Turkiye crowned its first-ever Freestyle U23 world champion with Muhammed GIMRI (TUR) winning gold at 92kg. The fifth gold of the night was captured by Bashir MAGOMEDOV (AIN), winning the title at 61kg.

This is also the first time the U.S. has more than one Freestyle world champ at the U23 level. It drew a blank last year despite three finalists.

Keegan O'TOOLE (USA) won the 74kg gold after beating Imam GANISHOV (AIN). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

O'Toole had shown a glimpse of his funkiness on Monday as he made his way to the final using a cradle to pin Hikaru TAKATA (JPN) in the quarterfinals and then got Sonny SANTIAGO (PUR) in the semifinal.

Given his preferred move and crafty wrestling, it was understandable that Imam GANISHOV (AIN) came prepared for the 74kg final and to not get caught in the move. But what he was not prepared for was O'Toole's defense as the American denied Ganishov any points apart from a stepout in the first period. That was the only point O'Toole gave in a 6-1 victory that saw him score three takedowns.

"It feels really good," O'Toole said. "I trained super hard for this. I wasn't sure where I would be as the location got changed. The level is harder at the U23 Worlds but I prepare for challenges and for the worst but I hope for the best."

Keegan O'TOOLE (USA), blue, cradles Sonny SANTIAGO (PUR) in the semifinals on Monday. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Both wrestlers were cautious at the start but O'Toole scored by elevating Ganishov's leg when the latter was attempting a lift. He then caught Ganishov by surprise with a single-leg and though Ganishov defended for some time, O'Toole scored a takedown and led 4-0.

Ganishov did try some duckunders and go-behinds but O'Toole was up for the task, defending with ease. A split defense from Ganishov delayed O'Toole's takedown but when he got it, he led 6-1 with just over a minute remaining in the final. O'Toole was happy to play the clock from there on.

The gold medal also qualifies O'Toole for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for the Paris Games and he is not shying away from giving it a shot despite his NCAA season.

"That [to qualify for OTT] pressure is gone," he said. "I am going to take some time off. I got to heal up my body a little bit and jump into the college season. NCAA season is good preparation for the Olympic trials but in my head, I am always going for "how am I going to win a gold medal? How am I going to make the Olympic team? I am really confident and excited going forward. I have got eight [six] months for the Olympic trials and each day I am going to do something to prove myself."

Aaron BROOKS (USA) defeated defending champion Tatsuya SHIRAI (JPN) to win the 86kg gold. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

If cradle was O'Toole's move in Tirana, Aaron BROOKS (USA) was chasing ankle picks all day as he stormed to the 86kg world title beating returning champion Tastsuya SHIRAI (JPN) 11-0 in the final.

Shirai had become the first world champion for Japan in over 80kg weight classes and became the first to return to the final at U23 Worlds in Freestyle. A record second straight, however, wasn't to be.

Brooks was on the offense right in the first minute, using collar ties against Shirai. He got the first takedown just as the clock hit the one-minute mark, catching Shirai in a leg attack. After some attempted leg attacks, Brooks ankle-picked Shirai who fell on his back, giving four points to Brooks. A similar pick and one turn on the lace earned him a 10-0 win in two minutes and 39 seconds.

"I am blessed and fortunate," Brooks said. "I trained hard, keeping my mind and spirit in alignment with God. A lot of stuff goes on in the world that can affect us."

Like O'Toole, Brooks will be going for the Olympic Team Trial with the aim of upsetting world champion David TAYLOR (USA).

"Of course [I will challenge for the team spot]," he said. "Just wrestle and get better every day, focus on that. Not just in wrestling but better in every aspect of life and it transcends into wrestling. Just me being me in the present. If that comes, it comes."

Wyatt HENDRICKSON (USA) battled an injured knee and Adil MISIRCI (TUR) to win the 125kg title. (Photo: UWW / Ulug Bugra Han Degirmenci)

The U.S. surged further as Wyatt HENDRICKSON (USA) won the 125kg gold medal after not only battling Adil MISIRCI (TUR) but also an injured knee that "may heel in a long time."

Hendrickson, who could barely walk to the medal ceremony stage, showed extreme courage to beat Misirci 13-3 in the final despite being in clear pain.

He began the final aggressively, almost pinning Misirci, jumping to a 5-0 lead. A scramble saw both wrestlers twist their knees which further made things worse for Hendrickson, before the referee called neutral. The American then decided to keep his injured right leg out of the attack but did not drop his offense.

He scored two takedowns and a gut to build a 12-1 lead when Misirci stopped him in a turn and scored two points to remain in the match as the score became 12-3. Hendrickson, however, continued the scramble and scored a reversal to win 13-3 with 1:34 still left on the clock.

The 125kg wrestler will also join the star-studded superheavyweight line-up at the Olympic Team Trials next year.

Muhammed GIMRI (TUR) became Turkiye's first-ever U23 world champ in Freestyle. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Gimri's historic gold

One of Muhammed GIMRI (TUR) and Ion DEMIAN (MDA) was certain to create history in the 92kg final. Neither Turkiye nor Moldova had won a U23 world title in Freestyle and by the end of the 92kg final, it was Gimri who wrote his name in history books, becoming Turkiye's first-ever U23 world champion in Freestyle. He defeated Demian 4-3 in a tense final.

Demian led 1-0 at the break after Gimri failed to score any point in the 30-second activity period. But the match sprung to life in the second period as Gimri scored a takedown on the edge to take a 2-1 lead. That was short-lived as Demian blocked Gimri's spin and landed on top of him to get two points.

The Moldovan was 20 seconds away from history but Gimri spoiled his party. He shot for Demian's legs and got hold of the left to score a takedown. He tried a lace to kill the remaining time even as Demian smashed his hand on the mat in disappointment.

At 61kg, Bashir MAGOMEDOV (AIN) denied Assylzhan YESSENGELDI (KAZ) and Kazakhstan a gold medal, winning the final 4-0, with two activity period points and two stepouts.

Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) won the bronze medal at 61kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Bronze results

In the bronze medal bouts, returning silver medalist at 61kg Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) added a bronze medal by beating Akash DAHIYA (UWW) 7-0. Zhumashbek Uulu suffered a 9-7 semifinal loss to Yessengeldi. The other bronze medal at 61kg went to Mezhlum MEZHLUMYAN (ARM) who steamrolled Ivan HRAMYKA (AIN), 11-0.

Hikaru TAKATA (JPN) and Sonny SANTIAGO (PUR), both of whom lost to O'Toole at 74kg, clashed for the bronze medal with Takata beating Santiago 11-0 to capture the gold medal. The other bronze-medal bout was a humdinger with NAVEEN (UWW) scoring a stepout with five seconds left to beat Vasile DIACON (MDA), 7-7, and return home with bronze.

At 86kg, Arslan BAGAEV (AIN) and Joshua MORODION (GER) defeated Ivan ICHIZLI (MDA), 6-1, and Benjamin GREIL (AUT), 9-2, respectively to claim third spots on the podium.

The U.S. also got a bronze medal as Jacob CARDENAS (USA) scored a takedown late in the bout against Pruthviraj PATIL (UWW) and eked out a 4-3 win. Abduljalil SHABANOV (AZE) and Andro MARGISHVILI (GEO) were involved in a 25-point bout with the former coming out on top 14-11.

2021 U23 silver medalist Azamat KHOSONOV (GRE) managed to pull off a strong win as he defeated World Championships fifth-placer Abdulla KURBANOV (AIN), 5-4, for the bronze medal at 125kg. Khosonov trains at the same center as world champion Zaurbek SIDAKOV (AIN).

The other bronze medal at 125kg was won by Vakhit GALAYEV (AZE) was managed to beat Anirudh KUMAR (UWW), 10-0, with ease.

RESULTS

61kg
GOLD: Bashir MAGOMEDOV (AIN) df. Assylzhan YESSENGELDI (KAZ), 4-0

BRONZE: Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) df. Akash DAHIYA (UWW), 7-0
BRONZE: Mezhlum MEZHLUMYAN (ARM) df. Ivan HRAMYKA (AIN), 11-0

74kg
GOLD: Keegan OTOOLE (USA) df. Imam GANISHOV (AIN), 6-1

BRONZE: NAVEEN (UWW) df. Vasile DIACON (MDA), 7-7
BRONZE: Hikaru TAKATA (JPN) df. Sonny SANTIAGO (PUR), 11-0

86kg
GOLD: Aaron BROOKS (USA) df. Tatsuya SHIRAI (JPN), 10-0

BRONZE: Joshua MORODION (GER) df. Benjamin GREIL (AUT), 9-2
BRONZE: Arslan BAGAEV (AIN) df. Ivan ICHIZLI (MDA), 6-1

92kg
GOLD: Muhammed GIMRI (TUR) df. Ion DEMIAN (MDA), 4-3

BRONZE: Abduljalil SHABANOV (AZE) df. Andro MARGISHVILI (GEO), 14-11
BRONZE: Jacob CARDENAS (USA) df. Pruthviraj PATIL (UWW), 4-3

125kg
GOLD: Wyatt HENDRICKSON (USA) df. Adil MISIRCI (TUR), 13-3

BRONZE: Vakhit GALAYEV (AZE) df. Anirudh KUMAR (UWW), 10-0
BRONZE: Azamat KHOSONOV (GRE) df. Abdulla KURBANOV (AIN), 5-4

Younger Kawai Finally Gets Best of Rival Tynybekova with Dramatic Win in Possible Olympic Prelude

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U23 Worlds: Tirana triumph for O'Toole, Brooks; Gimri wins Turkiye's first gold