Teen Star Fujinami Misses Shutout but Rolls to 2nd National Title at 53kg

Sunday, December 19, 2021 - 16:00 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO, Japan (December 19)--Teen phenom Akari FUJINAMI admits she's an attention-seeker who likes to stand out in the crowd, enough so that it motivated her to do something quite surprising after winning a world title in her international senior debut.

Less than three months later, it looks like Fujinami will be having a long stay in the spotlight after capturing a second national title just a month after her 18th birthday.

Fujinami gave up a rare takedown, but was otherwise unchallenged as she cruised to the women's 53kg title at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships with an 8-2 victory in the final over former world silver medalist Nanami IRIE on Sunday at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym.

"To win the title, I'm happy as usual, but looking at how I did it, there were some rough parts that I'll need to work on if I want to improve and get to where I want to be," said Fujinami, who won the gold medal at October's World Championships in Oslo with four straight technical fall victories and without surrendering a point.

Fujinami was one of three reigning world champions in action on the final day of the four-day tournament, which is serving as one of two domestic qualifiers for next year's World Championships in Belgrade, as well as for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. The winners will also likely be selected for the Asian Championships, scheduled for April at a venue to be determined.

The results were mixed for the two other Oslo gold medalists, as Remina YOSHIMOTO managed to successfully defend her Emperor's Cup crown at women's 50kg, but Ken MATSUI went down to a humbling defeat in the Greco 55kg final.

Fujinami, who advanced to the final with a pair of 10-0 technical falls, capped her last tournament as a high schooler by extending a winning streak to 86 matches, dating back to her junior high school days in 2017.

Not that it matters to her. "The winning streak is in the past. I put more importance on now and what lies ahead," Fujinami said.

To qualify for Oslo, Fujinami won her first-ever events on the senior level, last year's Emperor's Cup and this year's Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships, the second qualifier for Japan's world team held in May. She turned heads at both by handily defeating both Irie and two-time former world champion Haruna OKUNO.

This time, Fujinami only had beat the winner of a semifinal between those two, and that became Irie after riding a 4-point pancake to a close 5-4 decision over Okuno. But Irie, the 2019 world silver medalist at 55kg, proved a different foe for Fujinami than the one who was dealt shutout losses the first two times they met.

Fujinami, relying on her lightning-quick single-leg attack, had a 4-0 lead in the second period when Irie used a hard cross face to fend off a tackle and spin behind. It was only the second time in 19 matches this year that someone scored on Fujinami. In the first period, Irie managed to slip out of the grasp of a tackle attempt.

"In the final, there was a time where I had a hold [of a leg] and lost it," Fujinami said. "It was just sloppy. Part of it was that I rushed my tackles, so now I feel like I really have to work on the fine points in practice."

While the takedown might have been a moral victory for Irie, it was hardly enough, especially after Fujinami came back with a pair of takedowns to put the match away. But it makes Fujinami aware that ascending the throne means that others are going to look for ways to knock her off it.

"I'm grateful that people are studying me," Fujinami said. "If I can win even after they study me, then it shows that I am making progress."

Later, Fujinami's father, who is also her coach at Inabe Sogo Gakuin High School in Mie Prefecture, revealed that Akari did not practice in the two days before the tournament because of back pain. He said that that might have affected her movement in the final.

All that Fujinami has accomplished is shadowed by the fact that it has come without the presence of Tokyo Olympic champion Mayu MUKAIDA, who, like all of Japan's gold medalists, skipped the tournament. But Fujinami openly welcomes that battle, whenever it comes.

"I haven't faced her yet, but someday I think we'll meet up, and I believe that I will definitely win," said Fujinami, who has already committed to attending Nippon Sports Science University in the spring. "She's a strong opponent, but I have a strong determination to beat her."

Her fervent desire to be in the spotlight led to a surprise in Oslo beyond her gold-medal run. After her victory, she stunned the Japanese press by bypassing the translator and answering an English question in English. She had gone to an English-language school while in elementary school but had specially prepared for Oslo.

"I'm the type who likes to get attention, and I figured the Japan women's team would win a lot of titles and I had worked hard to be among them," Fujinami said. "But I was thinking, what can I do to stand out among them? I thought if I answer in English to English questions in an interview, that might do it.

"To do that, from about three months before the World Championships, my teacher and I would meet at lunch and practice doing an interview in English."

Asked how being a world champion has affected her life, she replied, "So many people were happy for me, it made me realize how awesome it is to win. I want to get even stronger and win more on the global stage."

Remina Yoshimoto, the 2021 world champion, became the national champion at 50kg (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

For Yoshimoto, her victory at 50kg may have best revealed how far she has to go to catch up to Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Yui SUSAKI, who has beaten her in two career meetings.

Yoshimoto won a battle of activity clock points in the final against Umi ITO, receiving two in the second period for a dour 2-1 win over the teammate of Susaki's at Waseda University.

It was a rematch of the Meiji Cup final last spring but was a far cry from the 9-0 technical fall that Yoshimoto chalked up then.

"Without feeling pressure as the world champion, I was confident coming into here," Yoshimoto said. "I was able to win out against the tough competition, and that will be important for the future. That is part of making progress.

"But there were plenty of issues in my execution, and by drawing these out, I can work on them for the next tournament."

Yoshimoto knows she will have to pick up her game to have a chance against Susaki, who says she will enter next spring's Meiji Cup in a bid to earn a ticket to Belgrade and a third-world title.

"She's strong mentally," Yoshimoto said of Susaki. "She easily won at the Olympics, but she can find a way to win any match, even when she is losing. She's really amazing."

Yu Shiotani humbled world champion Ken Matsui with an 11-0 win in the 55kg final. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

At Greco 55kg, Matsui's bid for a first career national title in what was billed as a clash of history-makers ended with a pair of thuds, as Asian champion Yu SHIOTANI slammed him to the mat with consecutive 5-point throws in an 11-0 technical fall.

"It was pathetic, I couldn't do anything," Matsui said. "I was on a high after winning at the World Championships, so I took it too lightly and went into the match thinking, 'I've got this won.'"

Shiotani, awarded the top position in par terre, lifted Matsui perpendicular into the air, then just fell forward and dumped him onto the mat. He then repeated the process, ending the match at 1:42.

"It's not that I particularly like [that move], but it's nice to win that way," said Shiotani, a student at Takushoku University.

Shiotani lost a chance to qualify for Oslo when he finished second at last year's Emperor's Cup for the second straight year, then missed this year's Meiji Cup due to injury. That opened the door for NSSU's Matsui, who won the Meiji Cup and then struck gold in Oslo.

"I couldn't compete sometimes or I was always finishing second," Shiotani said. "Matsui went to the World Championships and won the title. That was hard to take. But I was able to face him here and I thought this time I'll beat him."

Both have already earned places in Japanese wrestling history. Matsui's victory in Oslo at age 20 years 8 months made him Japan's youngest-ever world Greco champion, while five months earlier, Shiotani won the Asian title at age 19 years 5 months, making him the nation's youngest-ever continental champion.

Veteran Tomohiro INOUE won his sixth national title and first in three years with a 5-1 victory in the Greco 72kg final over defending champion Shogo TAKAHASHI -- who Inoue coached years ago at Ikuei High School in Hyogo Prefecture.

The 34-year-old Inoue, a member of the Japan team to Oslo, showed the master still had some life left in him by scoring a gut wrench from par terre in the second period, then adding a takedown when Takahashi seemed to lose his balance and fell backward.

The two previously met in the 66kg final in 2015, with Inoue winning by technical fall.

Takahashi, 27, has spent almost all of recent years at 67kg, where he won three national titles and a 2019 Asian bronze medal but came up short in two shots at qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics.

Sohsuke Takatani is now the third wrestler in Japan to win 11 consecutive national titles. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

In freestyle, Sohsuke TAKATANI became the third wrestler in Japanese history to win 11 consecutive national titles and fifth with 11 overall when he successfully defended his 92kg crown.

The 32-year-old Takatani had little trouble storming to a 12-2 technical fall over 2020 Asian silver medalist Takuma OTSU, putting him into an elite group with Yasutoshi MORIYAMA (16 straight titles from 1982-95) and Kyoko HAMAGUCHI (12 straight from 1996-2007).

Takatani, the 2014 world silver medalist at 74kg, put together his streak over four weight classes. This summer, he appeared in his third Olympics at 86kg but fell in the first round. He was the only member of Japan's Olympic team to enter the Emperor's Cup.

Toshihiro Hasegawa dropped down from 61kg to win the gold at 57kg. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

Toshihiro HASEGAWA, Japan's only freestyle medalist in Oslo when he won a bronze at 61kg, dropped down to 57kg and won his first national title with a 2-1 victory over Asian bronze medalist Yuto TAKESHITA.

Hasegawa, after giving up an activity clock point, used a slick duck under for a takedown with :05 left in the first period, and made that hold up to edge Takeshita, who ousted 2019 world junior champion Toshiya ABE 2-1 in the semifinals.

Day 4 Results

Freestyle

57kg (11 entries)
Final - Toshihiro HASEGAWA df. Yuto TAKESHITA, 2-1
3rd Place - Toshiya ABE df. Rikuto ARAI by TF, 14-4, 5:42
Semifinal - Takeshita df. Abe, 2-1
Semifinal - Hasegawa df. Arai, 4-2

92kg (12 entries)
Final - Sohsuke TAKATANI df. Takuma OTSU by TF, 12-2, 5:53
3rd Place - Yuto ITSUTSU df. Ryoichi YAMANAKA by TF, 10-0, 1:12
Semifinal - Takatani df. Itsutsu by TF, 17-4, 4:12
Semifinal - Otsu df. Yamanaka, 2-1

Greco-Roman

55kg (11 entries)
Final - Yu SHIOTANI df. Ken MATSUI by TF, 11-0, 1:42
3rd Place - Taiga ONISHI df. Kagetora OKAMOTO by Def.
Semifinal - Matsui df. Okamoto by Fall, 2:00 (9-0)
Semifinal - Shiotani df. Onishi by TF, 10-0, 2:15

72kg (12 entries)
Final - Tomohiro INOUE df. Shogo TAKAHASHI, 5-1
3rd Place - Seiya TERADA df. Daigo KOBAYASHI by Inj. Def., 0:44
Semifinal - Takahashi df. Terada, 5-1
Semifinal - Inoue df. Kobayashi by TF, 9-0, 4:23

Women's Wrestling

50kg (12 entries)
Final - Remina YOSHIMOTO df. Umi ITO, 2-1
3rd Place - Miho IGARASHI df. Haruna MORIKAWA by TF, 15-2, 6:00
Semifinal - Yoshimoto df. Morikawa by TF, 10-0, 1:13
Semifinal - Ito df. Igarashi by TF, 10-0, 1:27

53kg (12 entries)
Final - Akari FUJINAMI df. Nanami IRIE, 8-2
3rd Place - Haruna OKUNO df. Yumi SHIMONO, 5-3
Semifinal - Fujinami df. Shimono by TF, 10-0, 4:39
Semifinal - Irie df. Okuno, 5-4

Japan Wrestling

World Silver Medalist Morikawa Adds Punch to Credentials with 3rd National Title

Friday, December 17, 2021 - 17:13 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO, Japan (December 17) -- Against an opponent seeming to channel boxing great Mike Tyson, it was world silver medalist Miwa MORIKAWA who delivered the wrestling equivalent of a TKO.

Morikawa captured her third straight national title with a 10-0 technical fall victory over former world bronze medalist Ayana GEMPEI in the women's 65kg final on Friday at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym.

"I wanted to solidify my hold on 65kg by winning here and having that lead into next year, so I'm content with this win," said Morikawa, a senior at Nippon Sports Science University, which came away with five of the day's eight golds by either current or former students.

The Emperor's Cup is serving as the first of two domestic qualifiers for next year's World Championships in Belgrade, along with the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships slated for the spring. It is also the qualifying meet for Japan's team to the Asian Games in September in Hangchou, China.

Ayata SUZUKI and Kaiki YAMAGUCHI, both members of the Japanese squad at this year's World Championships in Oslo, each won a second national title, but face a difficult path to Belgrade should the Tokyo Olympic medalists in their weight classes return to action as expected at the Meiji Cup. None of the medal-winners in Tokyo entered the Emperor's Cup.

Suzuki, this year's Asian bronze medalist who finished seventh in Oslo, won the gold medal at Greco 60kg -- the domain of Tokyo 2020 silver medalist and two-time world champion Kenichiro FUMITA -- while Yamaguchi triumphed at freestyle 65kg, where he can expect Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO to be the one to beat at the Meiji Cup.

Among the five other champions crowned on Friday across the three styles, Arata SONODA maintained his complete domination of the heaviest weight in Greco-Roman by capturing his eighth straight title at 130kg.

Gempei Miwa MORIKAWA (red) defeated Ayana GEMPEI in the 65kg final. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

For the 22-year-old Morikawa, her exploits at 65kg now are a stepping stone toward her goal of appearing in the 2024 Paris Olympics, for which she will move up to 68kg. She came to a whisker away from making the Tokyo Games at that weight but lost a nail-biting playoff to Rio 2016 gold medalist Sara DOSHO for Japan's spot.

After that, Morikawa dropped back down to 65kg, the weight in which she won the world junior title in 2019, only to be handed a dose of reality in her senior worlds debut when she was dealt an 8-6 loss in the final by Irina RINGACI (MDA), who became Moldova's first-ever female world champion.

The match hinged on a 4-point counter that gave Ringaci an 8-2 lead, a severe blow to the psyche of Morikawa who prides herself on her takedown ability. But it proved a valuable lesson that she won't forget soon.

"At the World Championships, you can't let down," Morikawa said. "I gave up a big 4-point move. My opponent really kept plugging away, and I couldn't hold her off. I was beaten both physically and technically. To become No. 1 in the world is no easy thing. I think there are still things I am lacking."

She looked to be on the right track against Gempei, who is only getting back to form after missing nearly two years due to a knee injury. A 2018 world bronze medalist and world U23 champion, the 25-year-old returned to action at last spring's Meiji Cup, where she placed third.

Morikawa took the initiative from the outset with a pair of stepouts, then after getting Gempei to the mat with a double-leg takedown, she tossed her fellow Abe Gakuin High School alum over for 4 points and an 8-0 lead. Another stepout and a snapdown-spin behind takedown ended the match at 2:51 for her third technical fall of the day without giving up a point.

"My opponent is an older alumni of the same high school and I had never beaten her up to now," Morikawa said. "She is really strong. But I was definitely determined to win. I planned to keep on attacking, and that resulted in my controlling the pace of the match."

Morikawa managed to successfully attack despite a somewhat unique strategy Gempei employed while in the standing position. Instead of tieing up like she used to, Gempei stayed at arm's length and bobbed and weaved, much like a prizefighter in the boxing ring.

"I changed my stance and my movement, without regard for how it looks," Gempei said. "To simply explain it, it's moving so that I can shoot without grabbing my opponent."

Gempei said it was her father who suggested the action, although he himself has no experience in martial arts beyond a passing interest.

"There are different factors, but it's moving like Mike Tyson, and based on principles," Gempei said. "It's an unusual way of moving, and it's still a work in progress. There are times it doesn't work, but I will work out the kinks so that it does work."

Morikawa said that while she noticed the bobbing, it did not dissuade her from going with what works best for her. "I just stuck with my wrestling and martialed the courage to shoot," she said.

She was just following the advice of the coach in her corner, four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO. "She said, 'More than what the opponent does, just stick with your wrestling and fight with a strong will,'" Morikawa said. "I heeded those words and gave everything I had."

In other women's finals, Sumire NIIKURA became the first-ever women's national champion from Kanagawa University when the freshman defeated 2019 champion Mei SHINDO 3-1 in the 72kg final.

Niikura, also a graduate of powerhouse Abe Gakuin High School, scored with a stepout in the second period just seconds after receiving a second activity point to clinch the victory in the weight class missing world champion Masako FURUICHI, who dropped down to 68kg for the tournament.

At 55kg, Nihon University's Umi IMAI captured her first national title, scoring a first-period takedown and holding on for a 2-1 win in the final over Ibuki TAMURA.

Imai has a long list of honors at 53kg to her name, including the world and Asian junior titles in 2018 and victories at the Klippan Lady Open and Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, but was always stuck deep in a depth chart filled with stars like world champions Mayu MUKAIDA and Haruna OKUNO.

Suzuki Ayata SUZUKI won the gold at 55kg. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

In Greco finals, Suzuki scored two gut wrenches in the par terre position to opponent Kaito INABA's one, and that was the difference in a 5-3 victory at 60kg in a battle between an alumnus and current student at NSSU.

Although nearly a repeat of Suzuki's 3-1 win over Inaba in the final of the Meiji Cup last May, it still left Suzuki with a bad taste in his mouth after posting technical falls in his first two matches.

"It was a 'salty' match, the final," Suzuki said. "My first match and the semifinal went well, but a 5-3 score in the final is disappointing. I lost at the World Championships and intended to be more aggressive, but in the final against an opponent I train with, I held back and that was the result."

Suzuki hopes to settle some scores at the Asian Games. He may also go to the Asian Championships, scheduled for April at a place to be determined, but the Japan federation has not decided how or when that team will be decided.

"The Iran wrestler [Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI)] who beat me, I've lost to him twice, I'd liketo get back at him," Suzuki said. "The Uzbekistan wrestler [Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB)], I beat him at the Asian Championships, but I lost to him in the final of the international tournament in Poland. That's another one I have to avenge."

At 130kg, Sonoda stormed to his eighth straight gold with an 8-0 technical fall in 4:21 in the final over Sota OKUMURA, a student at his alma mater of Takushoku University.

Unfortunately, Sonoda has not been able to transfer his domestic dominance overseas. He has never won a match in six trips to the World Championships, and his best continental showing was a bronze medal at the 2016 Asian Games.

Looking to buck that trend and qualify for the Paris Olympics "when I will be at my peak," he said he has changed his training routine, including added a rowing machine.

Endo Katsuaki ENDO won the 67kg gold over Kyotaro SOGABE. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

At 67kg, Katsuaki ENDO avenged a loss from the Meiji Cup semifinals to Kyotaro SOGABE, scoring all of his points in the first period of a 6-1 victory to add to his lone national title previously won in 2018, the year he was the world U23 champion at 63kg.

In freestyle, NSSU's Yamaguchi defeated Waseda University's Ryoma ANRAKU in the 65kg final for the second straight year, scoring a stepout and an activity clock point in a tense 2-0 victory.

Yamaguchi, the 2019 world junior champion who finished 11th in Oslo, was also a bit dissatisfied with his performance.

"I'm happy I was able to win the title, but the way the final went was the same as last year, and I felt it ended without bringing out what I had done in training," Yamaguchi said. "The way I wrestled will ensure I lose in Asia, so I have to make more effort."

The 79kg final was also an NSSU-Waseda clash, with the former's Yudai TAKAHASHI notching a 6-1 win over Kosuke YAMAKURA for his first national title.

Last year's champion, Ryuki YOSHIDA, who finished fifth at the World Championships after beating Takahashi in a playoff to make the Japan team, has moved up to 86kg.

The tournament continues Saturday with action in freestyle 61kg, 74kg and 86kg, Greco 63kg and 97kg, and women's 57kg, 62kg and 68kg.

As coronavirus protocols, each weight class is limited to a maximum of 12 entries and are completed in one day, with no repechage and only one bronze-medal match. Spectators are banned from the arena, including family and non-essential team members.

Kaiki YAMAGUCHI won over Ryoma ANRAKU 2-0 in the 65kg final. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

Day 2 Results

Freestyle

65kg (11 entries)
Final - Kaiki YAMAGUCHI df. Ryoma ANRAKU, 2-0
3rd Place - Yujiro UENO df. Kanta TOKURIKI by TF, 15-4, 4:23
Semifinal - Yamaguchi df. Tokuriki by TF, 11-1, 4:44
Semifinal - Anraku df. Ueno, 6-4

79kg (11 entries)
Final - Yudai TAKAHASHI df. Kosuke YAMAKURA, 6-1
3rd Place - Takahiro MURUYAMA df. Tetsuro MARUME, 8-3
Semifinal - Takahashi df. Marume, 8-1
Semifinal - Yamakura df. Muruyama, 2-1

Greco-Roman

60kg (10 entries)
Final - Ayata SUZUKI df. Kaito INABA, 5-3
3rd Place - Maito KAWANA df. Kosei TAKESHITA, 4-1
Semifinal - Suzuki df. Kawana by TF, 9-0, 2:36
Semifinal - Inaba df. Takeshita, 3-2

67kg (11 entries)
Final - Katsuaki ENDO df. Kyotaro SOGABE, 6-1
3rd Place - Shintaro YOSHINAGA df. Yuji UEGAKI, 7-1
Semifinal - Sogabe df. Uegaki, 5-3
Semifinal - Endo df. Yoshinaga by TF, 10-0, 1:57

130kg (12 entries)
Final - Arata SONODA df. Sota OKUMURA by TF, 8-0, 4:29
3rd Place - Ryuta KONO df. Satoshi KAIZUKA, 3-1
Semifinal - Sonoda df. Kono by Fall, 1:49 (6-0)
Semifinal - Okumura df. Kaizuka, 7-1

Women's Wrestling

55kg (6 entries)
Final - Umi IMAI df. Ibuki TAMURA, 2-1
3rd Place - Misaki YOSHIBA df. Eri SHIMADA, 6-5
Semifinal - Imai df. Yoshiba by TF, 10-0, 3:58
Semifinal - Tamura df. Shimada by Fall, 2:33 (4-2)

65kg (8 entries)
Final - Miwa MORIKAWA df. Ayana GEMPEI by TF, 11-0, 2:51
3rd Place - Miyu IMAI df. Kaede HIRAI by TF, 11-0, 3:29
Semifinal - Morikawa df. Hirai by TF, 10-0, 1:48
Semifinal - Gempei df. Imai, 3-1

72kg (7 entries)
Final - Sumire NIIKURA df. Mei SHINDO, 3-1
3rd Place - Kyoka MIZUSHIMA df. Kanon KOBAYASHI, 6-4
Semifinal - Shindo df. Mizushima by TF, 10-0, 1:29
Semifinal - Niikura df. Kobayashi, 10-2

Teen Star Fujinami Misses Shutout but Rolls to 2nd National Title at 53kg

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World Silver Medalist Morikawa Adds Punch to Credentials with 3rd National Title