YAMADA GOLDEN AGAIN AT GRAPPLING WORLD C’SHIPS

BELGRADE (September 29-30) – Sotaro Yamada won the men's no-gi competition at 75kg while three Japanese compatriots claimed bronze medals at the grappling world championships.

Yamada, winner of last year's pankration event, won three of his four matches by ippon and edged European 80kg grappling with gi champion Aleksandar Rajicic (SRB), 2-1, in the semifinals. Yamada stopped 75kg European gi champion Grzegorz Kolc (POL) for the no-gi crown.

Meanwhile, defending champion Takanori Kuno fell in the semifinals to Travis Conley (USA) and had to settle for a bronze medal in the 90kg grappling with gi event. World team newcomer Kota Horaguchi earned a bronze at 60kg in no-gi grappling while Gen Isono was third at 75kg in gi-grappling.

Grappling No-Gi

60kg – HORAGUCHI, Kota (Bronze, 9 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – df. Andranik Ashugyan (RUS), 6-2

SF – los to Dmytro Baranov (UKR) by ippon

F3 – df. Fabien Brochetelle (FRA), 2-0

65kg – INOUE, Manabu (13th, 14 entries)

R1 – lost to Sasso de Oliveira (ITA), 0-1

70kg – UEDA, Masamichi (9th, 13 entries)

R1 – lost to Aleksandar Kamenov (BUL), 1-2

75kg – YAMADA, Sotaro (Gold, 15 entries)

R1 – df. Paolo Strazzullo (ITA) by ippon

R2 – df. Dmytro Netkachov (UKR) by ippon

SF – df. Aleksandar Rajacic (SRB), 2-1

F1 – Grzegorz Kloc (POL) by ippon

90kg – KUNO, Takanori (7th, 11 entries)

R1 – df. Michael Kelly (USA) by ippon

R2 – lost to Michele Verginelli (ITA), 0-1

Grappling with Gi

70kg – TONOMURA, Kenta (5th, 8 entries)

R1 – lost to David Dimopoulos (GRE), 0-6

c1 – lost to Mathias Jardin (FRA), 0-3

75kg – ISONO, Gen (Bronze, 13 entries)

R1 – df. Zoltan Illes (HUN), 2-1

R2 – df. Alex Sung (CAN) by ippon

SF – lost to Ermis Dimitropoulos (GRE) by ippon

F3 – df. Robert Trzcionka (POL), 3-2

90kg – KUNO, Takanori (Bronze, 11 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – lost to Travis Conley (USA), 4-5)

F3 – df. Mladen Jokmanovic (MNE) by ippon

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