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.
-----
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)
-----
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.