ICHO, MURATA WIN, YONEMITSU 2ND AT YARYGIN INT’L GRAND PRIX

KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 28-30) – Olympic and world champion Kaori Icho and Japanese national team wannabe Kanako Murata both won gold medals at the prestigious Ivan Yarygin international freestyle wrestling tournament.

2009 world bronze medalist Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu earned a silver medal while Shinichi Yumoto bagged a bronze in the men's events at this opening leg of the FILA Golden Grand Prix. Icho, the 2004 and 2008 Olympic champ, defeated world university runner-up Inna Trazhukova (RUS) in the women's 63kg final.

Murata, meanwhile, pinned 2009 European champ Natalya Shynyshin (UKR) in the semifinals at 55kg and then came from behind in the final to edge Irina Kisel (RUS) in three periods.

In men's competition, Yonemitsu edged defending champion Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (RUS) in the semifinals, but fell in the 66kg final to last year's runner-up Adam Batirov (RUS). At 55kg, Shinichi Yumoto was edged in the quarterfinals by 2008 European champ Jamal Otarsultanov, but rebounded with a pair of wins for a bronze medal.

Three Japanese women – Yu Miyahara (51kg), Kayoko Shimada (59kg) and Sara Dosha (67kg) – all advanced to their respective bronze medal matches but had to settle for fifth place.

Results for Japanese results (some information not available):

Men's freestyle

55kg – YUMOTO, Shinichi (3rd, 28 entries)
R1 – bye
R2 – df. Konstantin Mostepan (RUS), 2-0 (2-1, 7-0)
R3 – lost to Jamal Otarsultanov (RUS), 0-2 (0-1, 0-1)
c1 – df. Altinbek Alimbaev (KGZ), 2-0 (4-0, 2-1)
F3 – df. Artyom Gebekov (RUS), 2-1 (0-7, 1-0, 3-1)

55kg – INABA, Yasuhiro (did not place, 28 entries)
R1 – lost to Mikhail Ivanov (RUS), 1-2 (0-2, 2-0, 1-1x=last)

60kg – YUMOTO, Kenichi (dnp, 29 entries)
R1 – df. Shawn Bunch (USA), 2-1 (4-0, 0-1, 1-0)
R2 – df. Noriyuki Takatsuka (JPN), 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)
R3 – lost to Ahmed Chakaev (RUS), 0-2 (0-2, 2-4)

60kg – TAKATSUKA, Noriyuki (dnp, 29 entries)
R1 – df. Alybert Kairhanov (RUS), 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)
R2 – lost to Kenichi Yumoto (JPN), 0-2 (0-1, 0-1)

66kg – YONEMITSU, Tatsuhiro (2nd, 30 entries)
R1 – df. Felix Urduhanov (RUS), 2-0 (3-0, 3-0)
R2 – df. Azamat Omurzhanov (KAZ), 2-0 (4-0, 7-3)
R3 – df. Brent Metcalf (USA), 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)
SF – df. Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (RUS), 2-0 (1-0, 2-1)
F1 – lost to Adam Batirov (RUS), 0-2 (1-3, 0-1)

66kg – KOJIMA, Takafumi (dnp, 30 entries)
R1 – bye
R2 – lost to Ibrahim Nuriddinov (UZB) by fall, 3P (0-1, 6-0, F0-3)

74kg – SUZUKI, Takayuki (dnp, 26 entries)
R1 – lost to Rasul Rasulov (RUS), 0-2 (0-3, 0-1)

Women's freestyle
51kg – MIYAHARA, Yu (5th, 12 entries)
R1 – lost to Otgontsetseg Davaasukh (MGL), 0-2 (0-2, 0-7)
c1 – df. Buriatin (KAZ), 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)
F3 – lost to Lubov Salnikov (RUS), 1-2 (0-3, 1-0, 0-1)

55kg – MURATA, Kanako (1st, 19 entries)
R1 – df. Lubov Olejnikova (??), 2-1 (2-3, 2-0, 7-0)
R2 – df. Darya Bogdanova (RUS), 2-0 (2-1, 2-0)
R3 – df. Irina Ologonova (RUS), 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)
SF – df. Natalya Synyshyn (UKR) by fall, 2P (5-2, F2-0)
F1 – df. Irina Kisel (RUS), 2-1 (1-4, 2-1, 1-0)

59kg – SHIMADA, Kayoko (5th, 13 entries)
R1 – df. ?? (RUS), 2-0 (1-0, 7-0)
R2 – df. Bachjihko (UKR), 2-1 (1-4, 1x-1=last, 1x-1-last)
SF – lost to Zhargalma Tsyrenov (RUS), 0-2 (0-1, 0-1)
F3 – lost to Olga Butkevich (GBR) by fall, 3P (1-1x=last, 6-0, F)

63kg – ICHO, Kaori (1st, 16 entries)
R1 – Sharhuu Tumentcetceg (MGL), 2-0 (2-0, 4-0)
R2 – df. ?? (RUS), 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)
SF – df. ??
F1 – df. Inna Trazhukova (RUS) by fall

67kg – DOSHA, Sara (5th, 10 entries)
R1 – df. ?? (RUS), 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)
R2 – df. Natalya Kuksina (RUS), 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)
SF – lost to Darima Sansheeva (RUS) by fall, 2P (1x-1-last, F)
F3 – lost to Anastasia Schavlinskaya (RUS), 0-2 (0-1, 0-1)

72kg – SUZUKI, Hiroe (dnp, ?? entries)
R1 – df. Ekaterina Bukina (RUS), 2-1 (2-0, 0-1, 1-0)
R2 – lost to Badrakh Odonchimeg (MGL) by fall, 2P (0-1, F0-3)