DOHA (May 6) – Kaori ICHO scored three first-period triumphs on her way to a sixth continental crown while the Japanese men collected a pair of silver medals and a bronze as the Asian championships got under way the Qatari capital of Doha.
Tomotsugu ISHIDA fell Masoud ESMAIELPOUR (IRI) on criteria for a silver medal at 65kg, while Atsushi MATSUMOTO came up short in the 86kg final with 2014 junior world champion Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI).
Meanwhile, Fumitaka MORISHITA bounced back from an opening loss to Erdenebat BEKHBAAYAR (MGL) to claim a bronze medal with a 4-3 victory over Asian Games gold medalist JONG Hak-Jin (PRK).
For Icho, the opening day of the championships was business-as-usual, rolling up a technical fall against Vietnam, pinning London 2012 Olympic Games entry Geeta GEETA (IND) and wrapping up the victory with a technical fall over Asian Games bronze medalist Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ).
Icho’s triumph was her fifth at the Asian champinoships and her first since 2011. The three-time Olympic Games gold medalist also won the gold medal at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.
Freestyle
57kg – MORISHITA, Fumitaka (Bronze, 13 entries)
R1 – lost to Erdenebat BEKHBAYAR (MGL), 0-5
c1 – df. Rahul Balasahev AWARE (IND), 9-1
F3 – df. JONG Hak-Jin (PRK), 4-3
65kg – ISHIDA, Tomotsugu (Silver, 17 entries)
R1 – bye
R2 – df. Sodiqkhoja ISMOILOV (TJK), 6-1
R3 – df. Azat MIRAKHIMOV (KGZ) by TF, 11-0, 6:00
SF – df. Mandakhnaran GANZORIG (MGL), 2-1
F1 – lost to Masoud ESMAIELPOUR (IRI), 1-1=caution
86kg – MATSUMOTO, Atsushi (Silver, 11 entries)
R1 – df. Muhammad INAM (PAK), 10-4
R2 – df. Nazar Jabur BUSHI (IRQ) by TF, 10-0, 4:02
SF – df. Purevee USUKHBAATAR (MGL), 9-1
F1 – lost to Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI), 3-6
125kg – ARAKIDA, Nobuyoshi (10th, 13 entries)
R1 – lost to Hitender HITENDER (IND), 3-5
Women’s Wrestling
58kg – ICHO, Kaori (Gold, 10 entries)
R1 – bye
R2 – df. Thi Loan NGUYEN (VIE) by TF, 10-0, 1:37
SF – df. Geeta GEETA (IND) by fall, 2:15 (8-0)
F1 – df. Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) by TF, 10-0, 2:41
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