#MidYearReview

#MidYearReview: Top seven wrestling upsets of 2022

Thursday, July 21, 2022 - 14:22 By Eric Olanowski

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COSIER-VEVEY, Switzerland (July 21) --- We've witnessed unimaginable upsets through the first seven months of the season and have them all in one place.

Here are UWW's Top Seven Upsets of 2022 (so far):
1. Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET ?? df. Mohammadreza GERAEI ??
2. Lais NUNES ?? df. Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA ?? 
3. Beka KANDELAKI ?? df. Riza KAYAALP ?? 
4. Rahman AMOUZADKHALILI ?? df. Bajrang BAJRANG ??
5. Alla BELINSKA ?? vs. Irina RINGACI ?? 
6. Givi MATCHARASHVILI ?? df. Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV ?? 
7. Yelena MAKOYED ?? df. Epp MAE ??

Here's the playlist to watch all seven of the biggest upsets from 2022 -> FULL PLAYLIST OF MATCHES

Obituary

Japanese legend and Olympic champ Obara passes away aged 44

Saturday, July 19, 2025 - 11:00 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (July 19) — Former Japanese great Hitomi OBARA, a 2012 London Olympic gold medalist and eight-time world champion, died on Friday, Japanese media reported on Saturday. She was 44.

Obara won six world titles at women's 51kg between 2000 and 2008 under her maiden name of SAKAMOTO, but lost out to Saori YOSHIDA in an attempt to make Japan's team at 55kg to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

She retired after that disappointment, but returned to mat and cut down to 48kg in a bid for the London Olympics. She won world titles at 48kg in 2010 and 2011, then defeated Mariya STADNIK (AZE) in the London final for the Olympic gold. 

Born in the powerful wrestling city of Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, in northern Japan, Obara had been appointed as coach of the national women's team in January along with fellow Hachinohe native and Olympic champion Kaori ICHO.