BANGKOK (February 19) – SUN Yanan (CHN) would not leave the mat until her challenge was addressed and the officiating crew reviewed the flurry at the end of her semifinal bout with Eri TOSAKA (JPN).

The persistence of the 2013 world champion paid off as the challenge jury saw two points in the review that changed a 4-3 last-second win for Tosaka into a 5-4 triumph for the intrepid Sun.

The win lifted Sun into the gold medal final at 48kg Friday evening, the third day of the Asia wrestling championships at Bangkok Youth Center where she will meet junior world silver medalist Irina BORISSOVA (KAZ).

And while Sun was elated with her win, avenging a loss to the world champ at the Incheon 2014 Asian Games, Tosaka was disconsolate.

In the bout, Tosaka surrendered a point off the 30-second activity clock midway through the first period but scored a double-leg takedown before the break for a 2-1 lead.

In the closing seconds of their bout, Sun scored two points with a counter-throw to Tosaka’s leg attack for a 3-2 lead. Tosaka, however, appeared to get her own two points with exposure for the victory, 4-3.

The officiating crew refused to accept the challenge to the ruling since time had expired, but Sun persisted, standing before the mat chairman and pointing to the monitor over the mat. 

The officials relented and the replay showed that when Tosaka was collecting her two points, she was also knocked off balance briefly exposing her own shoulders to the mat. The final call of the jury was two points for each wrestler and a 5-4 win for Sun.

"We expected a tough match (from Sun),” said Japanese national team coach Hideo SASAYAMA (JPN). “Of course, it is a tough loss but we’re lucky it wasn’t at the Olympic Games.”

“Coaches from other countries scout us and study us all the time, so it keeps getting tougher,” Sasayama added. “But we have time now to go home and prepare for the Olympic Games so this doesn’t happen again.”

Meanwhile, along with Sun’s win at 48kg, PANG Qianyu (CHN) advanced to the final at 53kg opposite 2014 Asian silver medalist NGUYEN Thi Lua (VIE) and HAN Yingyan (CHN) muscled her way into the 60kg finals against 2011 Asia junior champion Ayaka ITO (JPN).

World bronze medalist Sara DOSHO (JPN) held steady at 69kg with a pair of one-sided wins and will face Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) in Friday evening’s finale.

Syzdykova, who finished in seventh place at the world championships last September, will test herself against Dosho before returning home to prepare for the Olympic qualifying tourney in Astana, Kazahkstan, next month.

Women’s wrestling

48kg (10 entries)
Gold – Irina BORISSOVA (KAZ) v SUN Yanan (CHN)
Bronze – KANG Eunju (KOR) v VU Thi Hang (VIE)
Bronze – Dauletbike YAKSHIMUROVA (UZB) v Eri TOSAKA (JPN)

Semifinal – Irina BORISSOVA (KAZ) df. VU Thi Hang (VIE), 16-10
Semifinal – SUN Yanan (CHN) df. Eri TOSAKA (JPN), 5-4

53kg (13 entries)
Gold – NGUYEN Thi Lua (VIE) v PANG Qianyu (CHN)
Bronze – Orasa SOOKDONGYOR (THA) v OH Hyunyoung (KOR)
Bronze – Vinesh VINESH (IND) v PAK Yong-Mi (PRK)
 
Semifinal – NGUYEN Thi Lua (VIE) df. OH Hyunyoung (KOR) by TF, 10-0, 1:50
Semifinal – PANG Qianyu (CHN) df. PAK Yong-Mi (PRK), 5-4

55kg (9 entries)
Gold – Prinyanka PRINYANKA (IND) v DAVAASUKH Otgontsetseg (MGL) 
Bronze –  KIEU Thi Ly (VIE) v Bermet NURLANBEZKYZY (KGZ)
Bronze –  UM Jieun (KOR) v Momoko KADOYA (JPN)
 
Semifinal – Prinyanka PRINYANKA (IND) df. Bermet NURLANBEZKYZY (KGZ) by Fall, 1:38 (2-0)
Semifinal – DAVAASUKH Otgontsetseg (MGL) df. Momoko KADOYA (JPN), 6-5

60kg (8 entries)
Gold – Ayaka ITO (JPN) v HAN Yingyan (CHN)
Bronze – DAO Thi Huong (VIE) v OTGONBAT Oyuntuya (MGL)
Bronze – Madina BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) v Sakshi MALIK (IND)

Semifinal – Ayaka ITO (JPN) df. OTGONBAT Oyuntuya (MGL) by Fall, 4:59 (10-2)
Semifinal – HAN Yingyan (CHN) df. Sakshi MALIK (IND) by TF, 10-0, 0:49

69kg (8 entries)
Gold – Sara DOSHO (JPN) v Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ)
Bronze – PARK Chaerin (KOR) v BOLORTUNGALAG Tsorigt (MGL)
Bronze – Navjot KAUR (IND) v WANG Jiao (CHN)
 
Semifinal – Sara DOSHO (JPN) df. BOLORTUNGALAG Tsorigt (MGL), 13-4
Semifinal – Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) df. WANG Jiao (CHN), 6-6