MURATA REPEATS, JAPAN CROWNS 4 IN JR WOMEN’S WORLD C’SHIPS
PATTAYA, Thailand (September 6-7) – Kanako Murata of Nihon University defended her 55kg crown and Japanese women won four titles at the junior wrestling world championships.
Murata opened with a pair of wins over Europe's top two juniors this year and closed with a victory by default over Chinese newcomer Zhong Xuechun (CHN) for her third major international title of the year. Murata won the Yarygin International in January and the senior Asian championships crown in February.
Joining Murata in the winner's circle for Japan were Rie Matsumoto (44kg) of Shigakkan University high school, Yukie Irie (48kg) of Kyushu Kyoritsu University, and Chiho Hamada (59kg) of Nippon Sports Sciences University.
Irie notched a big win over last year's champion at 44kg Nadeshda Federova (RUS), 2-1, in the semifinals on her way to the crown. Matsumoto, meanwhile, defeated three-time European cadet champion Ilona Semkiv (UKR), 2-1, for the 44kg crown.
Hamada, a three-time Asia junior champion, defeated European champion Mimi Hristova (BUL) in the first round and edged Euro No.2 Hafize Sahin (TUR), 2-1, in the final for the triumph at 59kg.
Along with Japan's four gold medals, defending champion Sara Dosho added a bronze after being tripped up in the semifinals by 2010 Youth Olympic Games winner Dorothy Yeats (CAN).
The Japanese women also won the team title with 53 points, 11 points clear of runner-up China with a gold, a silver and two bronze medals. Ukraine was third with a silver and two bronze medals and 41 points.
Women's freestyle
44kg – MATSUMOTO, Rie (Gold, 17 entries)
R1- bye
R2 – df. Jane Schmieder (GER), 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)
R3 – df. Evin Demirhan (TUR), 2-0 (1-0, 5-0)
SF – df. Indu Chaudhary (IND) by fall, 2P (4-0, F 3-0)
F1 – df. Ilona Semkiv (UKR), 2-1 (1-4, 4-1, 3-0)
48kg – IRIE, Yuki (Gold, 21 entries)
R1 – df. Mamta Rani (IND) by fall, 2P (2-0, F4-0)
R2 – df. Mariya Nakonechna (UKR) by fall, 2P (2-0, F3-0)
R3 – df. Emilia Vuc (ROU) by fall, 2P (4-0, F4-2)
SF – df. Nadeshda Federova (RUS), 2-0 (4-0, 2-0)
F1 – df. Vu Thi Hang (VIE) by fall, 2P (2-0 (F4-0)
51kg – SHIDOCHI, Mareka (8th, 21 entries)
R1 – df. Madison Parks (CAN), 2-0 (1-0, 2-0)
R2 – df. Thongkan Kanjana (THA), 2-0 (4-0, 2-1)
R3 – lost to Davaachimeg Erkhembayar (MGL), 1-2 (1-0, 0-1, 0-2)
c1 – lost to Nina Hemmer (GER) by fall, 1P (F0-3)
55kg – MURATA, Kanako (Gold, 22 entries)
R1 – bye
R2 – df. Karolina Krawczyk (POL) by TF, (6-0, 6-0)
R3 – df. Petra Olli (FIN), 2-1 (1-1x=last, 6-0, 2-0)
SF – df. Virginia Fernandez (VEN) by TF, 2-0 (6-0, 7-0)
F1 – df. Zhong Xuechun (CHN) by injury default, 3P (0-3, 1-0, D4-0)
59kg – HAMADA, Chiho (Gold, 19 entries)
R1 – bye
R2 – df. Mimi Hristova (BUL), 2-0 (1-0, 6-0)
R3 – df. Tserenchimed Sukhee (MGL), 2-0 (1-0, 5-1)
SF – df. Oksana Herhel (UKR), 2-1 (2-0, 0-3, 3-1)
F1 – df. Hafize Sahin (TUR), 2-1 (0-1, 1-0, 7-2)
63kg – SATO, Haruka (9th, 20 entries)
R1 – bye
R2 – df. Buse Tosun (TUR), 2-1 (4x-4, 2-1)
R3 – lost to Tetyana Lavrenchuk (UKR), 1-2 (0-1, 1-0, 1-3)
67kg – DOSHO, Sara (Bronze, 15 entries)
R1 – bye
R2 – df. Karyna Stankova (UKR), 2-0 (1-0, 4-0)
SF – lost to Dorothy Yeats (CAN), 0-2 (1-7, 3-6)
F3 – df. Jennifer Page (USA), 2-0 (7-1, 1-0)
72kg – ARAI, Akie (15th, 15 entries)
R1 – bye
R2 – lost to Zhou Feng (CHN) by fall, 1P (F0-8)
c1 – lost to Gamze Durukan (TUR), 0-2 (0-1, 0-4)
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