ICHO KICKS OFF JAPANESE GOLD RUSH AT YARYGIN GGP

KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 24-26) – Eight-time world champion Kaori ICHO made her international debut at a new weight category and kicked off a gold rush in the women’s events at the Ivan Yarygin Golden Grand Prix International.

 ICHO, who has won 11 world-level titles at 63kg, notched a fall and a pair of technical falls for the 58kg crown on the first day of competition, and was followed to the top of the medals podium the next day by three Japanese teammates.

 Yuki IRIE (48kg), Kanako MURATA (55kg) and Yurika ITO (63kg) grabbed gold medals on the second day of competition, giving Japan half of the gold medals on offer in the women’s events.  Meanwhile, Kayoko KUDO, a fifth-place finisher at 63kg in the 2012 world championships, grabbed a bronze medal at 69kg in Krasnoyarsk.

 In the men’s events, Ryoichi YAMANAKA defeated 2010 European junior bronze medalist Oleg ZAKHAREVICH (UKR) in his opening bout to claim the only win of the competition for the Japanese men.

 Yamanaka’s 12th place finish was also the highest for the Japanese men.

 Results of bouts involving Japanese entries:

 Men’s freestyle

 57kg –INABA, Yasuhiro (29th, 46 entries)

R1 – lost ot Tsogtbaatar DAMDINBAZAR (MGL), 3-5

61kg – ABE, Hirotaka (19th, 20 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – lost to Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR)

74kg – YAMANAKA, Ryoichi (12th, 25 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – df. Oleg ZAKHAREVICH (UKR), 8-3

R3 – lost to Zaur MAKIYEV (RUS) by TF, 10-0

86kg – MATSUMOTO, Atsushi (20th, 24 entries)

R1 – lost to Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS), 2-9

Women’s freestyle

48kg – IRIE, Yuki (1st, 16 entries)

R1 – df. Valeria CHEPSARAKOVA (RUS) by TF, 10-0

R2 – df. Lilia KASKARAKOVA (RUS), 6-5

SF – df. Anastasia TABAEVA (RUS), 4-1

F1 – df. Nadezhda FEDOROVA (RUS) by fall, (4-1)

53kg – IRIE, Nanami (7th, 24 entries)

R1 – df. Nina MENKENOVA (RUS) by TF, 10-0

R2 – df. Nadeshda SHUSHKO (BLR), 9-3

R3 – lost to Isabelle SAMBOU (SEN), 4-5

55kg – MURATA, Kanako (1st, 10 entries)

R1 – df. Ayim ABDILDINA (KAZ) by TF, 12-0

R2 – df. Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) by fall, 2P (8-4)

SF – df. Irinia OLOGONOVA (RUS) by fall, 2P (9-0)

F1 – df. Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR) by TF, 16-6 (2P)

58kg – ICHO, Kaori (1st, 10 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – df. Ulyana TURUKENOVA (RUS) by fall, 1P (9-0)

SF – df. Petra OLLI (FIN) by TF, 10-0

F1 – df. Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) by TF, 10-0

60kg – SAKAGAMI, Katsuki (5th, 11 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – df. Munkhtuya TUNGALAG (MGL) by fall, 2P (5-4)

SF – lost to Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS), 8-12

F3 – lost to Anastassia HUCHOK (BLR) by fall, 2P (4-6)

63kg – ITO, Yurika (1st, 13 entries)

R1 – df. Ekaterina LARIONOVA (KAZ) by fall, (12-4)

R2 – df. Svetlana BABUSHKINA (RUS), 8-8

SF – df. Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS), 9-4

F1 – df. Yulia BARTNOVSKAYA (RUS) by fall, 1P (4-0)

69kg – KUDO, Kayoko (3rd, 12 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – df. Irina KAZYULINA (KAZ) by TF, 16-4

SF – lost to Natalya VOROBIEVA (RUS) by fall, 1P (0-10)

F3 – df. Anastasia SHAVLINSKAYA (RUS) by fall, (14-6)

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