ATHENS (August 28) - Results of bouts involving Japanese entries in the third session of the freestyle wrestling competition August 24-26 at Ano Liossia Olympic Hall:
55 kg (22 entries, 7 pools) - TANABE, Chikara
Pool D
1R - df. Namig Abdullayev (AZE), 5-2
2R - df. Yogeshwar Dutt (IND), 4-3
3R - bye
QF - df. Kim Hyo-Sub (KOR) by TF, 10-0, 2:29
SF - lost to Stephen Abas (USA), 3-0
Tanabe gave up a point on a go-behind in the first period and another point on a snap down in the middle of the second period. Then, with 30 seconds remaining, Abas took Tanabe down for the third and decisive point.
F3 - v Amiran Kartanov (GRE)
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60 kg (19 entries, 6 pools) - INOUE, Kenji
Pool
1R - lost to Damir Zakhartidonov (UZB), 3-2
Inoue opened the scoring with a gut wrench, but let Zakhartidonov reverse for a point. The fourth-place finisher at the Sydney Games then rolled Inoue over for a 3-2 lead. In the second period, Inoue had two chances in par terre but could not convert.
2R - df. Jung Young-Ho (KOR), 7-2
Inoue opened with an underarm spin that resulted in a 2-1 exchange as Jung came out on top. In the second period, Inoue took advantage of a passivity call to crank Jung over with a leg grapevine for a near fall (2+1) and then again to put the match away. Inoue's win and a loss by Zakhartidonov left all four wrestlers at 1-1. The winner to be decided in the third round of preliminaries with a berth in the semifinals at stake.
3R - v Lubos Cikel (AUT)
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66 kg (21 entries, 7 pools) - IKEMATSU, Kazuhiko
Pool A
1R - bye
2R - df. Fred Jessey (NGR) by fall, 1:07 (3-1)
3R - df. Baek Jin-Kuk (KOR), 4-3
QF - lost to Leonid Spirodonov (KAZ), 3-2, 6:25
F5 - df. Apostolos Taskoudis (GRE), 6-4
Taskoudis caught Ikematsu with a well-timed counter off a takedown attempt for a 3-0 lead. Ikematsu, however, came back with a takedown at 2:29 and then slapped on a cradle for a near fall and the lead 4-3. Ikematsu got countered again in the second period, but reversed for a 5-4 lead. Ikematsu, then, executed a clean takedown for the victory and fifth place.
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74 kg (22 entries, 7 pools) - OBATA, Kunihiko
Pool
1R - bye
2R - df. Sujeet Maan (IND, 8-0
Obata opened with a pair of takedowns and then added a gut wrench for a 4-0 lead. Obata got another point off a takedown to open the second period and then turned Mann up with a leg grapevine (2+1) for the final margin of victory.
3R - v. Ivan Fundora (CUB)
