To Our Friends in Wrestling Around the world

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

By William May
（Japan Amateur Wrestling Federation, Public Information Committee
：wmay52@hotmail.com）

NISHIMAKI REPEATS JR WORLD C'SHIPS, MIMUYA WINS BRONZE




　　　　GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala (September 1) - Mio Nishimaki racked up four wins to remain unbeaten in international competition as she repeated as 63-kg champion at the junior world wrestling championships.

　　　Nishimaki, in her first year at Chukyo Women's University, surrendered the first period to Elena Shalygina of Kazakhstan 0-3 in the championship final, but then rallied 2-0, 2-0 for the victory against the reigning Asia junior champion.

　　　Meanwhile, Kyoto high school student Fuyuko Mimura fell to three-time European cadet champion Sofia Mattsson of Sweden in the semifinals at 48 kg, but rebounded for the bronze medal with a victory by fall over Genevieve Haley of Canada.

　　　Japan's other two entries on the final day of the women's competition, Mizuho Shibata (55 kg) and Kie Tanaka (72) lost in first round matches and did not qualify for repechage matches.

　　　With the close of the women's competition, Japan equaled its gold medal haul of 2005 with three, but is going home with one less medal overall than last year. Japan's uneven performance dropped the squad into second place overall in the team standings, 48-50, to Russia which had only one champion but medalists in four other weight categories.

Results of matches involving Japanese entries:

Women's freestyle

48 kg - MIMURA, Fuyuko (3rd, 18 entries)
1R - bye
2R - df. Marjorie Valencia (COL), 2-0 (4-0, 6-0)
QF - df. Georgiana-Mihaela Radoi (ROM), 2-1 (2-4, 2-0, 2-0)
SF - lost to Sofia Mattsson (SWE), 0-2 (0-1, 0-1)
F3 - df. Genevieve Haley (CAN) by fall, 3P

55 kg - SHIBATA, Mizuho (13th, 17 entries)
1R - lost to Danyelle Hedin (USA), 1-2 (1-0, 1-5, 1-3)

63 kg - NISHIMAKI, Mio (1st, 15 entries)
1R - df. Jackie Cataline (USA), 2-0 (2-1, 5-1)
2R - df. Helena Allandi (SWE), 2-1 (0-1, 3-1, 7-0)
SF - df. Justine Bouchard (CAN), 2-0 (1-0, 2-0)
F1 - df. Elena Shalygina (KAZ), 2-1 (0-3, 2-0, 2-0)

72 kg - TANAKA, Kie (10th, 11 entries)
1R - lost to Ana Maria Paic (ROM), 2-0 (0-3, 0-2)