To Our Friends in Wrestling Around the world

                    

By William May
(Japan Amateur Wrestling Federation, Public Information Committee
Kyodo World Services, senior sports writer:wmay52@hotmail.com


RESULTS AT 2ND OLYMPIC FS QUALIFIER - JAPAN(2ND SESSION)




   SOFIA (February 14) - Results in preliminary pool matches involving Japanese wrestlers at the 2nd Olympic freestyle wrestling qualification tournament Universiada Hall in Sofia:

60 kg (24 entries, eight pools)
INOUE, Kenji (Self Defense Forces)

Pool D
R1 - bye
R2 - df. Ilie Esir (MDA), 3-2, 6:58
R3 - df. Zhou Xiande (CHN) by fall, 4:53 (5-2)
   Inoue gave up the lead with on a single-leg and ankle-lace, but answered back with a reversal and gut wrench. In the second period, Inoue took advantage of a par terre chance to crank Zhou over with a gut wrench that led to the fall.

QF - v. Alexander Karnitzky (BLR)
   Karnitzky is the 2001 university world champion and bronze medalist in
the European championships the same year.
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96 kg (26 entries, eight pools)
KODAIRA, Kiyotaka (Tokyo Metropolitan Police)

Pool B
R1 - df. Hong Seong-Jun (KOR), 9-1
R2 - bye
R3 - df. Kazbek Missikov (FRA), 3-2
   Kodaira opened the match with a crisp double-leg takedown, but missed with a gut wrench attempt to surrender the lead 1-2. The lead stood up for the recently naturalized French citizen for five minutes until Kodaira received one final par terre chance. Kodaira converted with a gut wrench for a 3-2 lead as time expired.

QF - v. Aleksei Krupniakov (KGZ)
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120 kg (18 entries, six pools)
Akihito Tanaka (JPN)

Pool E
R1 - df. Jose Cuba (ESP), 12-3
R2 - bye
R3 - lost Boyidar Boyadiev (BUL), 10-9, 8:50
   Tanaka gave up seven points in the first period on failed attempts at the fireman's carry and a pair of gut wrenches. The Senshu University junior, however, opened the second period with a shoulder throw and followed with a pair of chest-high gut wrenches to a 9-7 lead.With the hometown crowd behind him, Boyadiev got one point back midway through the second period. And then, as time ran out made one final attempt that, after a video review, was ruled good to send the match into overtime.

  In overtime, neither wrestler was willing to take any chances until Tanaka attempted a takedown in the final 20 seconds that Boyadiev countered for the winning point and the ticket to the Athens Olympics.