ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (March 7) – Defending champion Japan rolled to three dual meet wins on the opening day of the World Cup of women’s wrestling and won their preliminary group to advance to the championship final against host Russia.
Three junior world champs – Chiho HAMADA (53kg), Risako KAWAI (58kg) and Kanako MURATA (60kg) – were all perfect on the first day of competition, posting three wins each to pace Japan into the final.
Two-time junior world champ Kawai ended all of her bouts before the intermission with a fall and a pair of technical falls, while Murata also notched a pair of technical falls before edging senior world silver medalist Yuliya RATKEVICH (AZE), 2-2, on criteria. Surprisingly, reigning senior world champion at 55kg Hamada was forced to go the distance in each of her three bouts at 53kg.
Meanwhile, Yu MIYAHARA (48kg) pinned senior world runner-up Iwona MATKOWSKA (POL) in her opening bout, but dropped her final bout of the day to London 2012 Olympic Games silver medalist Mariya STADNYK (AZE) by technical fall.
Another junior world champ, Yurika ITO (63kg) was forced onto the sidelines with a knee injury and had to forfeit each of her three bouts.
Russia, runner-up to Japan in the 2014 World Cup event in Tokyo, opened Group B action with a 4-4 loss on criteria to regional rival Ukraine. The World Cup hosts, however, rebounded for a pair of wins and grabbed Group B on criteria.
Preliminary group results
Group A, Round 1
Japan df. Poland, 7-1
48kg – Yu MIYAHARA df. Iwona MATKOWSKA by fall, 2:28 (4-0)
53kg – Chiho HAMADA df. Roksana ZASINA, 6-4
55kg – Hikari SUGAWARA df. Katarzyna KRAWCZYK, 10-4
58kg – Risako KAWAI df. Aleksandra WOLCZYNSKA by fall, 2:12 (9-0)
60kg – Kanako MURATA df. Agnieszka KROL by TF, 11-0, 2:43
63kg – Yurika ITO lost to Monika MICHALIK by forfeit, 0:00
69kg – Kayoko KUDO df. Agnieszka WIESZCZEK-KORDUS, 4-2
75kg – Hiroe SUZUKI df. Daria OSOCKA by fall, 2:42 (9-0)
Group A, Round 2
Japan df. United States, 5-3
48kg – Yu MIYAHARA df. Victoria ANTHONY by TF, 13-2, 3:08
53kg – Chiho HAMADA df. Whitney CONDER, 4-2
55kg – Hikari SUGAWARA lost to Helen MAROULIS by fall, 0:12 (0-4)
58kg – Risako KAWAI df. Allison RAGAN by TF, 10-0, 0:57
60kg – Kanako MURATA df. Kelsey CAMPBELL by TF, 10-0, 5:06
63kg – Yurika ITO lost to Erina CLODGO by forfeit, 0:00
69kg – Kayoko KUDO df. Randi MILLER by TF, 10-0, 3:15
75kg – Hiroe SUZUKI lost to Adeline GRAY, 1-4
Group A, Round 3
Japan df. Azerbaijan, 5-3
48kg – Yu MIYAHARA lost to Mariya STADNYK by TF, 1-14, 5:15
53kg – Chiho HAMADA df. Anzhela DOROGAN, 4-1
55kg – Hikari SUGAWARA df. Natalya SINISHIN, 8-6
58kg – Risako KAWAI df. Irina NETREBA by TF, 12-1, 2:12
60kg – Kanako MURATA df. Yuliya RATKEVICH, 2-2
63kg – Yurika ITO lost to Ragneta GURBANZADE by forfeit, 0:00
69kg – Kayoko KUDO lost to Nadia SEMENTSOVA, 5-6
75kg – Hiroe SUZUKI df. Gozal ZUTOVA by fall, 4:14 (4-2)
Dual Meet Results and Group Rankings Group A Results
Round 1 – Japan df. Poland, 7-1; United States df. Azerbaijan, 4-4 (CP 16-16, TP 42-39)
Round 2 – Japan df. United States, 5-3; Azerbaijan df. Poland, 5-3
Round 3 – Japan df. Azerbaijan, 5-3; United States df. Poland, 5-3
Group A Rankings
Japan, 3 wins, 0 losses
United States, 2-1
Azerbaijan, 1-2
Poland, 0-3
Group B Results
Round 1 – Ukraine df. Russia, 4-4 (CP 17-16); Mongolia df. Sweden, 6-2
Round 2 – Russia df. Mongolia, 5-3; Ukraine df. Sweden, 6-2
Round 3 – Russia df. Sweden, 6-2; Mongolia df. Ukraine, 6-2
Group B Rankings
Russia, 2-1 (15-9)
(Total individual wins-losses, Ukraine eliminated; Russia vs Mongolia, 5-3)
Mongolia, 2-1 (15-9)
Ukraine, 2-1 (12-12)
Sweden, 0-3
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