INCHEON, Korea (September 28) – Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) survived a first-round scare and stormed back to win the gold medal in an unprecedented fourth straight Asian Games as the women’s wrestling events came to a close in Incheon.

Yoshida was tripped to her back early in her opening bout with Asian championships winner ZHONG Xuechen (CHN) and nearly saw her 184-match winning streak come to an end.

Yoshida, however, managed to escape and opened the second period with an arm throw of her own, and then found her rhythm and range in the final minute to win going away, 12-9. 

“I thought it was over,” Yoshida admitted. “But, I got out. When we get back home, I will have to correct the mistakes and work even harder.”

After her win over Zhong, Yoshida notched a fall and a pair of technical falls to claim her fourth Asian Games gold medal.

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 then took gold medals in freestyle and Greco-Roman 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.

Meanwhile, Asian championships runner-up in April ZHOU Feng (CHN) reversed the tables on Guzel MANYUROVA (KAZ) with an 11-0 technical fall in the 75kg final.

In the men’s events, former world champion Reza YAZDANI (IRI) capped his run to a third Asian Games gold medal with a technical fall triumph in the 97kg final and Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) made it back-to-back gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in July and Asian Games at 65kg.

Wrestling continues Monday, September 29, with the final four weight categories in freestyle – 61kg, 74kg, 86kg and 125kg.

Summaries of the medal finals: 

65kg – Freestyle (12 entries)

London 2012 bronze medalist Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) received a point off a single-leg attack in the first period and made it stand with some creative wrestling and Houdini-like escapes in the second to hang onto a 1-0 decision over Zalimkhan YUSUPOV (TJK).

In the bronze medal bouts, Kata YEERLANDIEKE (CHN) rallied from 2-6 down to KANG Jin-Hyeok (PRK) in the second period with single-leg and ankle pick takedowns for a 8-6 win. Tomotsugu ISHIDA (JPN) lost his second 5-5 decision of the day to London Olympian Ikhtyor NAVRUZOV (UZB).

Gold: Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) df. Zalimkhan YUSUPOV (TJK), 1-0
Bronze: Katal YEERLANDIEKE (CHN) df. KANG Jin-Hyeok (PRK), 11-6
Bronze: Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB) df. Tomotsugu ISHIDA (JPN) via criteria, 5-5 

Semifinals: Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) df. Katal YEERLANDIEKE (CHN) by FALL, 5:14 (9-7) 
Semifinals:  Zalimkhan YUSUPOV (TJK) df. Tomotsugu ISHIDA (JPN), 5-5 via criteria

97kg – Freestyle (11 entries) 

Reza YAZDANI (IRI) was dumped to his back by Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) early in the first period and that was the Asian championships runner-up last chance to score as the former world champion ripped off 12 unanswered points for the technical fall at 3:23.

Asia champion DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL) raced out to a 6-0 lead in the first minute of his bronze medal bout with YOON Cha-Nuk (KOR) and then eased home with a 7-2 victory.

Former Asian junior bronze medalist Mamed IBRAGIMOV (KAZ) kept the pressure on Asian championships bronze medal winner Satywart KADIAN (IND) and forged a 3-0 win for the other bronze. 

Gold: Reza YAZDANI (IRI) df. Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) by TF, 14-4
Bronze: DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL) df. YOON Cha-Nuk (KOR), 7-2 
Bronze: Mamed IBRAGIMOV (KAZ) df. Satywart KADIAN (IND), 3-0

Semifinals: Reza YAZDANI (IRI) df. YOON Cha-Nuk (KOR), 6-1
Semifinals: Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) df. Mamed IBRAGIMOV (KAZ), 6-2

55kg – Female Wrestling (12 entries)

After her opening round scare, Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) was herself again with single-leg trips and double-leg blasts on her way to a 12-1 technical fall over SUNDEV Byambatseren (MGL) at 4:07.

In the bronze medal bouts, Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) caught JONG In-Sun (PRK) in a takedown attempt and whipped her to her back for the fall at 5:59. 

Asia champion ZHONG Xuechen (CHN) used her outside leg trap for the first takedown and added a pair of gut wrenches on her way to a 10-2 win over Kumari BABITA (IND).

Gold: Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) df. SUNDEV Byambatseren (MGL) by TF, 12-1
Bronze: Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) df. JONG In-Sun (PRK) by FALL, 5:58 (3-1)
Bronze: ZHONG Xuechen (CHN) df. Kumari BABITA (IND), 10-2 

Semifinals: SUNDEV Byambatseren (MGL) df. JONG In-Sun (PRK) by FALL (6-0)
Semifinals: Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) df. Kumari BABITA (IND) by TF, 14-4 (2:49)

75kg – Female Wrestling (7 entries)

In the bronze medal matches, HWANG Eun-Ju (KOR) stuck YU Ting (TPE) with a pair of penalty points, then spun behind for a 4-0 win. Burmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) earned a penalty point off the 30-second clock in the first period against Kyoko HAMAGUCHI (JPN) and avoided going out of bounds in the finals seconds for a 2-2 criteria win.

Gold: ZHOU Feng (CHN) df. Guzel MANYUROVA (KAZ), 11-0 in 5:22
Bronze: HWANG Eun-Ju (KOR) df. YU Ting (TPE), 4-0 
Bronze: Burmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) df. Kyoko HAMAGUCHI (JPN) via criteria No.2, 2-2

Semifinals: Guzel MANYUROVA (KAZ) df. YU Ting (TPE) by TF, 12-2 (4:02)
Semifinals: ZHOU Feng (CHN) df. Burmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL), 3-2