EARLY EXITS FOR JAPAN TRIO AT HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX

SZOMBATHELY, Hungary (February 10-11) – Three Japanese Olympic hopefuls made early exits from the Hungarian Golden Grand Prix greco-roman wrestling tournament, less than two months before the Asia regional qualifying tourney for this year's London Games.

Masayuki Amano posted Japan’s only win of the tourney with a first-round triumph at 84kg, but lost 1-2 to Kristofer Johansson (SWE) in the second round. Johansson lost in semifinals to two-time world champ Cebi Selcuk (TUR), eliminating Amano from the tourney.

Tsukasa Tsurumaki, wrestling up a weight category at 84kg, lost his opener to Beijing Olympian Peter Bacsi (HUN) and then dropped a repechage bout to Zsolt Dajka (HUN).  Norikatsu Saikawa, newly crowned national champ at 96kg, was bumped out of the tourney with a first-round loss.

Greco-roman

84kg – AMANO, Masayuki (9th, 23 entries)

R1 – df. Vojtech Kukla (CZE), 2-1 (0-2, 1-0, 1-0)

Amano rallies with a lift-and-turn in the second period after giving up the first on a gut wrench.  Amano takes the third period with a strong defense against the reverse waistlock after losing the draw.

R2 – lost to Kristofer Johansson (SWE), 1-2 (1-0, 0-1, 0-2)

Amano and his opponent trade periods on defensive points in the first and second. Amano wins the draw in the third, but officials stopped his lift when his grip slipped below the waist. The challenge did not change the call and made the final period score 0-2.

84kg – TSURUMAKI, Tsukasa (19th, 23 entries)

R1 – lost to Peter Bacsi (HUN), 0-2 (0-1, 0-1)

Tsurumaki drops the first period on a penalty point and the second on a failed counter throw.

c1 – lost to Zsolt Dajka (HUN), 0-2 (0-1, 0-1)

Tsurumaki cannot convert in par terre in the first period, and then is hoisted in the second.

96kg – SAIKAWA, Norikatsu (11th, 18 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – lost to Adam Varga (HUN), 1-2 (1-0, 0-1, 0-2)

Saikawa and Varga exchange the first two periods on strong par terre defense. In the third, Varga wins the draw and converts with a lift attempt then a gut wrench to the opposite side for the win.

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