NEW YORK (September 13) - Results of matches involving the Japanese wrestlers after the fourth session of the freestyle wrestling world championships at Madison Square Garden (Places for Tanabe Obata and Sakamoto are still unofficial):
Men’s freestyle
55 kg - TANABE, Chikara (7th, 31 entries)
1R - df. German Kontoev, Belarus 11-10
2R - bye
3R - df. Mikheil Japaridze, Canada 4-1
QF - lost to Dilshod Mansurov, Uzbekistan 2-5
(Note: In a rematch of last year’s Asian Games final, Tanabe scored the first point, but surrendered four unanswered points before the intermission. Mansurov added another point in the second period before giving up a final point to Tanabe at the end of the match.))
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66 kg - IKEMATSU, Kazuhiko (Semifinals, 40 entries)
1R - bye
2R - df. Cory O’Brien, Australia by fall, 1:47 (8-0)
3R - df. Bayanjav Batzorig, Mongolia 4-0
QF - df. Nikolaos Loizidis, Greece 6-2
SF - Irbek Farniev, Russia
(Note: Ikematsu gave up two points on a gut wrench, but answered quickly with a single-leg takedown and ankle lace. In the second period, the Asia No. 2 scored with a three-point takedown to break the match open and put Ikematsu into the semifinals.)
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74 kg - OBATA, Kunihiko (10th place, 34 entries)
1R - df. Hakki Ceylan, Turkey by TF 14-3, 5:09
2R - bye
3R - df. Eugen Preda, Romania 3-0
Q1 - lost to Murad Gaidarov, Belarus 1-3, 7:50
(Note: Obata surrendered an early gut wrench, but forced the European bronze medalist into overtime with a tight defense. Obata won the clinch with a go-behind point before giving up the decisive point to Gaidarov.)
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Women’s freestyle
48 kg - SAKAMOTO, Makiko (5th, 29 entries)
1R - df. Mayeril Karipa, Venezuela 3-0, 6:03
2R - df. Nicoleta Badea, Romania 5-0
3R - df. Lidiya Karamchakova, Tajikistan 6-5
QF - lost to Irina Melnik, Ukraine 2-5
(Note: Sakamoto could not keep up with the two-time former world champion, giving up a three-point lead on an underarm spin and tilt. The high school student from Aomori battled back to 2-4 before giving up a final point as time run out.)
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51 kg - ICHO, Chiharu (Semifinals, 18 entries)
1R - bye
2R - df. Emese Szabo, Hungary by fall, 1:55 (4-0)
3R - df. Alexandra Demmel, Germany by TF 11-0, 5:41
SF - v. Alena Kareisha, Belarus
(Note: Did not wrestle in Session 4.)
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55 kg - YOSHIDA, Saori (Semifinals, 29 entries)
1R - bye
2R - df. Olga Serbina, Belarus by TF 10-0, 4:16
3R - df. Kitti Godo, Hungary by fall, 0:38 (3-0)
Q1 - df. Monika Michalik, Poland by fall, 0:20 (0-4)
QF - df. Jennifer Ryz, Canada by TF 10-0, 2:51
SF - v. Natalia Golts, Russia
(Note: Yoshida went with her trademark double-leg takedown right to a fall against Michalik in the championship bracket qualifier. The defending champion used a combination of standing and mat techniques and Ryz wondering which way was up as she rolled to a decisive win the quarterfinals.)
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59 kg - YAMAMOTO, Seiko (Semifinals, 14 entries)
1R - df. Huang Yu-ning, Chinese Taipei by fall, 1:09 (9-0)
2R - bye
3R - df. Emily Richardson, Canada 10-1
SF - v. Helena Allandi, Sweden
(Note: Did not wrestle in Session 4.)
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63 kg - ICHO, Kaori (Semifinals, 27 entries)
1R - bye
2R - df. Agoro Papavasileiou, Greece by fall, 1:45 (10-0)
3R - df. Christiana Renee LeGrand, France 4-0
QF - df. Volha Khilko, Belarus by fall, 3:37 (7-0)
SF - v. Lyudmila Golovchenko, Ukraine
(Note: Icho forged a 4-0 over the first period, then scored with a double-leg takedown to open the second period and went right for the fall.)
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72 kg - HAMAGUCHI, Kyoko (Semifinals, 23 entries)
1R - df. Svetlana Sayenko, Ukraine 3-0
2R - df. Sonika Kalirman, India by fall, 1:43 (9-1)
3R - bye
QF - df. Edyta Witkowska, Poland 4-0
SF - v. Stanka Zlateva Hristova, Bulgaria
(Note: In a battle of world champions, Hamaguchi notched a pair of takedowns in the first period for a 2-0 lead. Hamaguchi added a pair of points on counters in the second period.
