INCHEON, Korea (September 28) – Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) will attempt to become the first wrestler in history to win gold medals at four consecutive Asian Games, when competitors step onto the mats Sunday, September 28.

Previous winners of four gold medals at the Asian Games – Yutaka KANEKO (JPN) and Eskander FILABI MOSLEM (IRI) – each won at three Asian Games in a row, but took gold medals in both events their third time out.

Kaneko prevailed in both styles at the 1962 Games in Jakarta and Filabi Moslem doubled up on the gold medals at the 1974 Asiad in Tehran.

Also, on the second day of wrestling at Dowon Gymnasium in Incheon, two-time world champion Reza YAZDANI (IRI) will attempt to win a gold medal for the third straight Asian Games in freestyle at 97kg. 

The field is more open at 65kg where Olympic Games bronze medalist Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) and Asian championships silver medalist KANG Jin-Hyeok (PRK) are featured in the absence of world silver medalist Sayed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI).

At 75kg in the women’s events, two-time Olympic Games medalist Guzel MANYUROVA (KAZ) tries for her first Asian Games gold medal after winning a bronze at Guangzhou 2010.

65kg -- Freestyle (12 entries)

London 2012 bronze medalist Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) and Asian championships runner-up KANG Jin-Hyeok (PRK) square off in the quarterfinals in a bout that could well decide the gold medal.

Asian bronze medalist BATCHULUUN Batmagnai (MGL) and 2013 bronze medalist Tomotsugu ISHIDA (JPN) could meet in the quarterfinals in the lower half of the bracket with the winner meeting another 2013 bronze medal winner Ulukman MAMATOV (KGZ) in the semifinals. 

97kg -- Freestyle (11 entries)

Reza YAZDANI (IRI), who lost his world title in Tashkent two weeks ago, is back to try and win his third Asian Games gold medal in a row.  He opens in the quarterfinals against Asia champion DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL). Dorjkhand and Yazdani finished eighth and ninth, respectively, in Tashkent.

In the lower half of the bracket, Asian championships runner-up Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) as well as bronze medalists Satyavart KADIAN (IND) and Rustam ISKANDARI (TJK) will battle of a berth in the finals.

55kg -- Female Wrestling (12 entries)

Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) opens her bid for a fourth Asian Games gold medal in a row against Asia champion ZHONG Xuechun (CHN), who fell to Yoshida by technical fall in their meeting at the World Cup in March.

Asian bronze medalist Aiym ABDILDINA (KAZ) or 2013 bronze medal winner Kumari BABITA (IND) are possible opponents for Yoshida in the semifinals.

In the upper half of the bracket, JONG In-Sun (PRK) could well be the Asia champion at 55kg in April, but is listed in the international wrestling database at Jong Sun-In. Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) was Asian runner-up at 60kg.

75kg -- Female Wrestling (7 entries)

Asia champion and London 2012 bronze medalist Guzel MANYUROVA (KAZ) is featured in the upper half of the bracket, while Asia runner-up ZHOU Feng (CHN) in the lower half.

World bronze medalist Burmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) could challenge Zhou in the semifinals.