Mukaida, Nanjo Win, Rio Silver Medalist Higuchi Takes Bronze on 2nd Day of Yarygin GP

KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 28) – World champion Mayu MUKAIDA and cadet world champ Sae NANJO bagged gold medals but Rio 2016 Olympic Games silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI had to settle for a bronze medal on the second day of the Yarygin Grand Prix in Krasnoyarsk.

Mukaida opened with a 10-0 win over junior world champ at 51kg Ksenia NEZGOVOROVA (RUS) in the preliminaries and advanced with four wins to the 53kg finals, where she defeated world bronze medalist at 55kg Otgontsetseg DAVAASUKH (MGL), 5-0.

The victory was Mukaida’s second senior international triumph in a row after she took 55kg title at the world championships in Budapest in December.

Meanwhile, wrestling at 55kg in Krasnoyarsk, Nanjo pinned 2014 junior world champion Battsetseg ALTANTSETSEG (MGL) late in their semifinal bout and then flattened Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) in the final to win her first title in her international debut at the senior leve1.

At 61kg in men’s freestyle, Rio 2016 silver medalist at 57kg Higuchi dropped his opening bout to 2016 European champion Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS), 1-3, but stormed back with the consolation bracket with a fall and three technical falls for a bronze medal.

Also, Ayaka ITO, a silver medalist in Krasnoyarsk in 2016, notched a pair of wins at 63kg before falling to returning champion Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) by technical fall in the semifinals. Ito, however, bounced back for a bronze medal, reaching the medals podium for her seventh international tourney in a row since July 2014.

Results of bouts involving Japanese entries:

Freestyle

61kg – HIGUCHI, Rei (3rd, 39 entries)

R1 – lost to Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS), 1-3

c1 – df. Cody BREWER (USA) by Fall, 4:04 (14-12)

c2 – df. Nyurgun SKRYABIN (RUS) by TF, 10-0, 1:52

c3 – df. Bekhan GOIGEREEV (RUS) by TF, 13-2, 2:29

F3 – df. Bulat BATOEV (RUS) by TF, 10-0, 4:04

Women’s Wrestling

53kg – MUKAIDA, Mayu (1st, 19 entries)

R1 – df. Ksenia NEZGOVOROVA (RUS) by TF, 10-0, 3:31

R2 – df. Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS), 8-0

R3 – df. Tatyana NOVIK (RUS) by TF, 10-0, 0:31

SF – df. Otgonjargal GANBAATAR (MGL) by TF, 10-0, 2:55

F1 – df. Otgontsetseg DAVAASUKH (MGL), 5-0

55kg – NANJO, Sae (1st, 21 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – df. Anastasia YAKOVLEVA (RUS), 8-0

R3 – df. Davaanchimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL) by TF, 10-0, 5:04

SF – df. Battsetseg ALTANTSETSEG (MGL) by Fall, 5:49 (8-2)

F1 – df. Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) by Fall, 4:17 (7-0)

63kg – ITO, Ayaka (3rd, 14 entries)

R1 – df. Valeria GONCHAROVA (RUS) (KAZ) by TF, 10-0, 2:37

R2 – df. Valeria LAZINSKAYA (RUS), 6-5

SF – lost to Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) by TF, 0-10, 2:47

F3 – df. Anna SHERBAKOVA (RUS), 13-10

75kg – BABA, Natsumi (7th, 13 entries)

R1 – df. Kristina SHUMOVA (RUS), 4-3

R2 – lost to Alean STARODUBTSEVA (RUS), 7-13

c1 – lost to Elena PEREPELKINA (RUS) by TF, 0-10, 0:40

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