To Our Friends in Wrestling Around the world
By William May
(Japan Amateur Wrestling Federation, Public
Information Committee
Kyodo World Services, senior sports writer:wmay52@hotmail.com)
JAPANESE WOMEN 5-FOR-5 IN GOLD MEDAL FINALS
NEW YORK (September 14) - Japan turned
in the most dominating performance in the
history of women’s wrestling on September
14, winning five of the seven gold medals
up for grabs at the freestyle wrestling world
championships.
It was Japan’s best showing since 1994,
when six Japanese wrestlers won nine of the
weight categories contested at the seventh
world championships. But, with only seven
weights being contested in New York, this
year’s Japanese team posted a better percentage
of gold medals to weight categories (71.4%
to 66.7%) when compared to the 1994 squad.
Kyoko Hamaguchi capped the Japanese gold
rush at Madison Square Garden with her fifth
world title as Japan went 5-for-5 in the
women’s championship finals. Hamaguchi’s
victory moved her into a tie with China’s
legendary heavyweight Liu Dongfeng for fifth
place on the all-time list of most decorated
female wrestlers with five gold medals and
a bronze. Christine Nordhagen of Canada tops
the list with six world championships, a
silver and a bronze, followed by Japan’s
Yayoi Urano (6-1-0), who was instrumental
in Hamaguchi’s early development as a wrestler.
Meanwhile, Seiko Yamamoto won her fourth
world title -- this time at 59 kg -- to surpass
older sister Miyu’s three golds and a silver
at the world championships and move into
11th on the all-time list compiled by the
FILA Database in Leipzig, Germany. Saori
Yoshida and Kaori Icho repeated as world
champions at 55 and 63 kg, respectively,
while Chiharu Icho improved on her silver
medal performance in Greece a year ago with
the championship at 51 kg.
The Icho’s also became the first pair of
sisters to win world titles in the same year.
To further add to the elation of Japanese
wrestling officials and fans, three of Japan’s
triumphs came at weight categories to be
contested next year in Athens, where women’s
wrestling will be making its Olympic debut.
The Olympic weight categories for women are
48, 55, 63 and 72 kg. In the team competition,
the United States tied Japan with 62 points
after all seven of the American entries won
medals (1-4-2), but Japan took home the championship
trophy with more gold medals (5-0-0).
Japan’s other two entries -- Makiko
Sakamoto (48 kg) and Norie Saito (67 kg)
-- had to settle for fifth place finishes
after early losses.Russia finished in third
place with 45 points, followed by China (33),
Ukraine (27) and Canada (24).
WORLD FS C’SHIPS - RESULTS, JAPAN (FINALS)
NEW YORK (September 14) - Results of matches
involving the Japanese wrestlers the gold
medal finals of the freestyle wrestling world
championships at Madison Square Garden:
Women’s freestyle
51 kg - ICHO, Chiharu (1st, 18 entries)
1R - bye
2R - df. Emese Szabo, Hungary by fall, 1:55
(4-0)
3R - df. Alexandra Demmel, Germany by TF
11-0, 5:41
SF - df. Alena Kareisha, Belarus by TF 10-0,
4:22
F1 - df. Natalia Karamchakova, Russia 3-0
(Note: Icho scored takedowns late in the
first and second periods against the European
champion to avoid the mandatory clinches
and claim her first world championship crown.)
----
55 kg - YOSHIDA, Saori (1st, 29 entries)
1R - bye
2R - df. Olga Serbina, Belarus by TF 10-0,
4:16
3R - df. Kitti Godo, Hungary by fall, 0:38
(3-0)
Q1 - df. Monika Michalik, Poland by fall,
0:20 (0-4)
QF - df. Jennifer Ryz, Canada by TF 10-0,
2:51
SF - df. Natalia Golts, Russia 3-2
F1 - df. Tina George, U.S. 5-2
(Note: Unlike the runaway win over George
in the final a year ago, Yoshida and her
American rival wrestled evenly until the
middle of the second period. Yoshida spun
around behind for a 3-2 lead at 4:40 and
then pulled away with a pair of low singles
for her second title.)
----
59 kg - YAMAMOTO, Seiko (1st, 14 entries)
1R - df. Huang Yu-ning, Chinese Taipei by
fall, 1:09 (9-0)
2R - bye
3R - df. Emily Richardson, Canada 10-1
SF - df. Marianna Sastin, Hungary 8-2
F1 - df. Natalia Ivashko, Russia 4-0
(Note: Yamamoto dropped the Russian veteran
to her back from a front headlock to end
the first period with a 3-0 lead. Adding
another point early in the second period,
Yamamoto wrestled tactically and effectively
frustrated Ivashko’s attempts to score.)
----
63 kg - ICHO, Kaori (1st, 27 entries)
1R - bye
2R - df. Agoro Papavasileiou, Greece by fall,
1:45 (10-0)
3R - df. Christiana Renee LeGrand, France
4-0
QF - df. Volha Khilko, Belarus by fall, 3:37
(7-0)
SF - df. Lyudmila Golovchenko, Ukraine 4-0
F1 - df. Sara McMann, U.S. 4-3, 8:20
(Note: Icho spun around behind a takedown
attempt by McMann late in overtime to avenge
a loss to the American in Sweden last March.
In a seesaw battle, McMann scored in the
final 10 seconds of regulation to force overtime
and was leading on criteria (fewer calls
for passivity) when Icho scored with her
takedown counter.)
----
72 kg - HAMAGUCHI, Kyoko (1st, 23 entries)
1R - df. Svetlana Sayenko, Ukraine 3-0
2R - df. Sonika Kalirman, India by fall,
1:43 (9-1)
3R - bye
QF - df. Edyta Witkowska, Poland 4-0
SF - df. Stanka Zlateva Hristova, Bulgaria
4-2
F1 - v. Toccara Montgomery, U.S. 4-1
(Note: After trading takedowns in the first
period, Hamaguchi edged ahead with a takedown
early in the second period. With less than
30 seconds remaining in regulation, Hamaguchi
forced a passivity call on Montgomery and
muscled the Pan American champion over for
the decisive two points.)