To Our Friends in Wrestling Around the world
By William May
(Japan Amateur Wrestling Federation, Public
Information Committee
:wmay52@hotmail.com)
YAMAMOTO DEFEATS WORLD CHAMP SHODA AT NAT'S C'HIPS (2)
TOKYO (December 22) --Seiko Yamamoto defeated reigning world champion
Ayako Shoda 2-0 to claim the women's 59-kg crown on the second day of the
Japanese national wrestling championships.
Yamamoto(blue in the photo) took the first period of the 59-kg final at Yoyogi No. 2 Gymnasium in
a Tokyo with a fireman's carry, but needed a late go-behind takedown in
the second period to secure the victory, 1-1, on criteria. It was Yamamoto's
third national title overall and her first in four years. The injury-plagued
Yamamoto is also a four-time world champion, who last won at the 2003 championships
in New York.
Meanwhile, defending national champion Hitomi Sakamoto stormed to the
51-kg title, even though Sachiko Akasaka flipped the reigning world champ
to her back off a takedown attempt for a brief 2-0 lead in the first period.Sakamoto,
nailing down her fourth all-Japan crown, bounced back against the former
junior world champ with seven unanswered points to win going away 4-2,
3-0.
In men's freestyle, Kunihiko Obata won his seventh straight championship
at 74 kg, while collegiate kingpin Tsukasa Sato over a tough field at 66
kg for his first senior title. Sato, who won with a third-period fall over
Kohei Fujimoto, became the first Waseda University student in 25 years
to win an all-Japan crown.
In the 66-kg quarterfinals, Takaomi Kojima defeated 2003 world bronze
medalist Kazuhiko Ikematsu 2-1 before falling to Sato by fall in the semis.
In greco-roman, Athens Olympian Masatoshi Toyoda stopped defending champion
Shingo Hirai 2-1 for the 55-kg crown.
Masaki Imuro won a sixth straight championship at 66 kg, while Yuki
Iwasaki showed his national invitational triumph at 74 kg last spring was
no fluke by winning his first all-Japan championship.
Men's freestyle
66 kg (17 entries)
Championship final
Tsukasa Sato df. Kohei Fujimoto by fall, 3P=1:57
Semifinals
Sato df. Takaomi Kojima by fall, 2P=1:58
Fujimoto df. Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu, 2-0 (1-0, 1-0=2:13)
----
74 kg (13 entries)
Championship final
Kunihiko Obata df. Kazuyuki Nagashima, 2-0 (1-0=2:11, 1-0=2:10)
Semifinals
Obata df. Hiroki Kayamori, 2-0 (1-0, 2-0)
Nagashima df. Yosuke Kato, 2-0 (2-1, 1-0)
----
Greco-roman
55 kg (16 entries)
Championship final
Masatoshi Toyota df. Shingo Hirai, 2-1 (6-1, 0-4, 2-1)
Semifinals
Toyota df. Tomoya Murata, 2-0 (2-0, 3-0)
Hirai df. Bunsei Murakami, 2-1 (5-3, 2-5=1:36, 2-1)
----
66 kg (16 entries)
Championship final
Masaki Imuro df. Noritomo Eto, 2-0 (3-0, 7-0=1:55)
Semifinals
Imuro df. Tsutomu Fujimura, 2-0 (6-0=1:48, 2-0)
Eto df. Shinya Ayata, 2-0 (2x-2, 2x-2)
----
74 kg (15 entries)
Championship final
Yuki Iwasaki df. Taichi Suga by disq., 3P=1:30
Semifinals
Iwasaki df. Atsushi Kawamukai, 2-1 (4-0, 3-5, 4-1)
Suga df. Tsukasa Tsurumaki, 2-0 (2-0, 4-2)
----
Women
51 kg (12 entries)
Championship final
Hitomi Sakamoto df. Sachiko Akasaka, 2-0 (4-2, 3-0)
Semifinals
Sakamoto df. Nanae Suzuki by fall, 2P=1:08
Akasaka df. Yuri Kai, 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)
----
59 kg ( 13 entries)
Championship final
Seiko Yamamoto df. Ayako Shoda, 2-0 (3-0, 1x-1)
Semifinals
Shoda df. Mio Nishimaki, 2-1 (1-0, 0-3, 1x-1)
Yamamoto df. Rena Iwama, 2-0 (3-0=2:04, 4-0)