KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 25) – Newly crowned Japanese national champion Fumitaka Morishita posted five wins against a field of talented young Russians at 55kg to earn a bronze medal at the Ivan Yarygin International freestyle wrestling tournament.
World bronze medalist Yoshiko Inoue, meanwhile, notched a pair of wins at 67kg in the women's events before falling to 2011 world No. 3 Ochirbat Nasanburmaa (MGL) in the championship final, grabbing a silver medal on the opening day of the Golden Grand Prix meet.
Former world team member Mareka Shidochi (51kg) and newly crowned national champion Ayaka Ito (59kg) also won bronze medals for the Japanese women.
In the men's competition, Morishita edged world university champion Kuresh Donduk-Ool (RUS) in a second-round match before falling to eventual winner Artyom Gebekov (RUS) in the third round. He then capped a run through the repechage ranks with a win over NYAC Holiday tourney winner Azamat Tuskaev (RUS) for a bronze medal.
Also in the men's wrestling, London Olympian Sosuke Takatani opened with a win over junior world bronze medalist Nyambayar Baatar (MGL) but fell to Mostafa Khosejkhani (IRI) in the third round. Takatani was eliminated from the medals competition when Khosejkhani lost in the quarterfinals.
In the women's events, Inoue's two wins included a semifinal triumph over 2009 world runner-up Julia Bartnovskaya (RUS) before her loss to her rival from Mongolia.
Shidoka, meanwhile, rebounded from a loss to 2009 Asia champion Tatyana Bakatyuk-Amanzhol (KAZ) at 51kg with a win by fall over former junior world runner-up Lubov Salnikova (RUS).
Ito advanced to the semifinals with two wins but lost to two-time Yarygin defending champion Anna Polovneva (RUS). Ito came back with a win in the bronze-medal final for third place.
Men's freestyle
55kg – MORISHITA, Fumitaka (3rd, 36 entries)
R1 – df. Belek-Ool Kuzheget (RUS), 2-0 (6-3, 3-0)
R2 – df. Khuresh Donduk-Ool (RUS), 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)
R3 – lost to Artyom Gebekov (RUS), 0-2 (0-5, 3-6)
c1 – df. Vladislav Petrov (RUS), 2-0 (1-0, 3-2)
c2 – df. Egor Dmitriev (RUS), 2-0 (5-0, 1-0)
F3 – df. Azamat Tuskaev (RUS), 2-0 (2-0, 4-1)
74kg – TAKATANI, Sosuke (16th, 34 entries)
R1 – bye
R2 – df. Nyambayar Baatar (MGL), 2-0 (3-0, 3-0)
R3 – lost to Mostafa Khosejkhani (IRI), 1-2 (1-0, 0-1, 1-0)
Women's freestyle
51kg – SHIDOCHI, Mareka (3rd, 14 entries)
R1 – lost to Tatyana Bakatyuk-Amanzhol (KAZ), 1-2 (1-1, 0-1, 0-3)
c1 – df. Davaachimeg Erkhembayar (MGL), 2-0 (3-0, 3-2)
F3 – df. Lubov Salnikova (RUS) by fall, 1P (F5-0)
59kg – ITO, Ayaka (3rd, 13 entries)
R1 – df. Dzhulija Satyinbekova (KAZ), 2-0 (6-0, 3-2)
R2 – df. Anastasiya Vovchuk (RUS), 2-0 (2-0, 3-0)
SF – lost to Anna Polovneva (RUS), 0-2 (1-2, 0-8)
F3 – df. Lyubov Oleynikova (RUS), 2-0 (3-0, 3-2)
67kg – INOUE, Yoshiko (2nd, 10 entries)
R1 – bye
R2 – df. Anta Sambou (SEN), 2-0 (5-0, 7-0)
SF – df. Julia Bartnovskaya (RUS), 2-0 (6-0, 1-0)
F1 – lost to Nasanburmaa Ochirbat (MGL), 1-2 (1-0, 3-6, 1-4)
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