TOKYO (December 22) – London Olympian Norikatsu Saikawa notched three wins without giving up a point and claimed his second straight 96kg crown in greco-roman on the second day of the All-Japan wrestling national championships.
Saikawa's triumph was his fourth overall in the All-Japan meet including two titles at 84kg in 2008 and 2009. Meanwhile, Shogo Maeda won his third overall men's freestyle title at 60kg and Taichi Oka pinned 2010 Asian Games silver medalist Tsukasa Tsurumaki for his second 84kg crown in greco-roman.
Also in greco-roman, collegiate national champion Shori Maekawa of Waseda University defeated 2008 All-Japan champ Atsushi Nakamura at 120kg for his first All-Japan title.
In men's freestyle, Maeda opened with a technical in the first period against 2006 world bronze medalist Noriyuki Takatsuka, but needed a clinch in the third period to win his second straight 60kg crown.
At 55kg, junior world bronze medalist Fumitaka Morishita of the Nippon Sports Sciences University edged Senshu University's Mamoru Handa 2-0 (1-0, 1-0) for his first All-Japan title.
In women's freestyle, world silver medalist Eri Tosaka defeated junior world champion Yuki Irie for the 48kg title, while Kayoko Kudo had to defeat 2011 junior world champ Yurika Ito and FILA Golden Grand Prix winner Rio Watari for her first All-Japan triumph at 63kg.
Greco-Roman
84kg
F1 – Taichi Oka df. Tsukasa Tsurumaki by fall, 3P=1:56 (1-0, 0-1, F3-0)
(Oka wins 2nd All-Japan title, second since 2010.)
SF – Tsurumaki df. Masayuki Amano, 2-0 (1-0, 6-0=1:47)
SF – Oka df. Yuki Suzuki by TF, 2-0 (5-0=1:45, 6-0=1:11)
96kg
F1 – Norikatsu Saikawa df. Akira Osaka, 2-0 (2-0, 4-0)
(Saikawa wins 2nd consecutive, 4th overall All-Japan title.)
SF – Saikawa df. Yusuke Yamamoto, 2-0 (2-0, 2-0)
SF – Osaka df. Takuma Arizono, 2-1 (2-0, 0-1, 1-0)
120kg
F1 – Shori Maekawa df. Atsushi Nakamura, 2-0 (1-0, 3-0)
(Maekawa wins 1st All-Japan title.)
SF – Nakamura df. Masahiro Tanida, 2-0 (2-0, 1-0)
SF – Maekawa df. Katsutoshi Kanazawa, 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)
Men's freestyle
55kg
F1 – Fumitaka Morishita df. Mamoru Handa, 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)
(Morishita wins 1st All-Japan title.)
SF – Handa df. Yasuhiro Inaba, 2-0 (1-0, 3-0)
SF – Morishita df. Yasuhiro Morita, 2-1 (0-1, 5-1, 2-0)
60kg
F1 – Shogo Maeda df. Noriyuki Takatsuka, 2-1 (6-0=1:59, 0-1=2:02, 1-0=2:02)
(Maeda wins 2nd consecutive, 3rd overall All-Japan title.)
SF – Maeda df. Shingo Arimoto, 2-1 (2-2x=last, 3-0, 7-0=1:29)
SF – Takatsuka df. Masaru Ikeda, 2-1 (1-1x=caution, 2-0, 5-1)
Women's freestyle
48kg
F1 – Eri Tosaka df. Yuki Irie, 2-0 (1-0, 2-1)
(Tosaka wins 1st All-Japan title.)
SF – Irie df. Ayano Suzuki, 2-0 (5-0, 3-0)
SF – Tosaka df. Yuka Yago, 2-0 (4-0, 4-0)
63kg
F1 – Kayoko Kudo df. Rio Watari, 2-1 (1-0, 0-3=2:08, 3-2)
(Kudo wins 1st All-Japan title.)
SF – Kudo df. Yurika Ito, 2-0 (1-0=2:05, 3x-3=big)
SF – Watari df. Kasumi Utada by fall, 1P=1:31 (F8-0)
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