TAKATANI TAKES BRONZE IN FREESTYLE AT JR WORLD C’SHIPS

ZAGREB (August 9-10) – World Cup team member Daichi TAKATANI bounced back from a first-round loss and claimed a bronze medal at 66kg at the junior wrestling world championships in Zagreb.

Takatani racked up a pair of technical falls and a fall over European junior bronze medalist Surkho RASHITKHANOV (BLR) in the repechage rounds for the only medal won by the Japanese men in the Croatian capital. The Takushoku University student fell in the first round, 5-7, to 2013 cadet world champion Aaron PICO (USA).

Yamato HIRAKAWA (50kg) of Chukyo Gakuin University, Kokushikan’s Kazunari OSHIRO (55kg) and Yusuke YOSHIKAWA (96kg) were the only other members of the Japanese men’s freestyle team to finish in the top 10, lifting Japan to a 10th place finish with 14 points.

Iran won the team title with three champions and three bronze medal winners for 64 points, followed by the United States with 58 (0-2-4) and Russia with 49 (3-0-2).

Men’s freestyle

50kg – HIRAKAWA, Yamato (8th, 20 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – df. Rinku RINKU (IND), 7-0

R3 – lost to PARK Chang-Jun (KOR), 4-5

55kg – OSHIRO, Kazunari (10th, 23 entries)

R1 – df. Theocharis KALANIDIS (GRE) by TF, 10-0=1:39

R2 – lost to Michalan HASAN-ZADA (AZE) by fall, 1:38 (0-3)

c1 – lost to Vladimir KURDIN (KAZ) by fall, 1:13 (2-3)

60kg – NAKATA, Yo (12th, 29 entries)

R1 – df. Dimitar IVANOV (BUL), 7-4

R2 – lost to Joseph McKENNA (USA), 2-6

c1 – lost to Vurghun ALIYEV (AZE), 6-6

66kg – TAKATANI, Daichi (Bronze, 27 entries)

R1 – lost to Aaron PICO (USA), 5-7

c1 – df. Kyrillos BINEMBAUM (GRE) by TF, 10-0=3:00

c2 – df. Surkho RASHITKHANOV (BLR) by fall, 2:09 (6-0)

F3 – df. Mihail GEORGIE (BUL) by TF, 14-1=3:50

74kg – ASAI, Tsubasa (26th, 36 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – lost to Alexandr GOLTSMAN (KAZ) by fall, 5:57 (5-7)

84kg – MATSUZAKA, Masao (11th, 23 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – df. Vedat ISMAILOV (BUL), 6-3

R3 – lost to Alireza KARMIMACHIANI (IRI) by TF, 0-10=1:26

c1 – lost to Mraz DZHAFARIAN (UKR), 8-11

96kg – YOSHIKAWA, Yusuke (9th, 22 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – df. Vadzim SHERSHAN (BLR) by TF, 14-6=4:35

R3 – lost to Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR) by TF, 2-12=4:42

120kg – MIYAHARA, Masahiro (17th, 20 entries)

R1 – lost to Rangi ROUBALJEET (IND) by TF, 0-10=5:17

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