To Our Friends in Wrestling Around the world
By William May
（Japan Amateur Wrestling Federation, Public
Information Committee
：wmay52@hotmail.com）
C. ICHO DEFEATS M. SAKAMOTO AT NAT’L C’SHIPS (1)
TOKYO (December 21) - Olympic silver medalist Chiharu Icho defeated
world bronze medal winner Makiko Sakamoto 2-0 to claim the women’s 48-kg
crown on the first day of the Japanese wrestling national championships.
Icho (blue in the photo) scored two big takedowns, both in extra time, at Yoyogi No. 2 Gymnasium
in Tokyo to defeat Sakamoto 3-0, 5-0 in the 48-kg final to claim her third
national championship title and first in two years.
Meanwhile, Sakamoto’s cousin and former Chukyo Women’s University
teammate Eri Sakamoto won her first national title at 67 kg.
In men’s freestyle, Akihito Tanaka won for a fifth straight year at
120 kg while Tokyo police officer Kiyotaka Kodaira won his third straight
and fourth overall championship at 96 kg. In a battle of student standouts
at 84 kg, Nihon University junior Shinya Matsumoto edged defending champion
Takao Isokawa of Takushoku University 2-1 for his first senior national
title.
In greco-roman, national team member Kenzo Kato won his third title
at 96 kg and Katsuaki Suzuki returned to the top of the podium for his
fifth title at 120 kg.
Men’s freestyle
84 kg (15 entries)
Championship final
Shinya Matsumoto df. Takao Isokawa, 2-1 (3-0=2:05, 1-3, 4-0)
Semifinals
Isokawa df. Satoru Yamamoto, 2-1 (0-1=2:14, 3-0, 1-0=2:30)
Matsumoto df. Yutaka Suzuki, 2-1 (0-2, 2-0, 2-1)
----
96 kg (14 entries)
Championship final
Kiyotaka Kodaira df. Yoshitsugu Yoneyama, 2-0 (1-0=2:30, 1-0)
Semifinals
Kodaira df. Ryota Kogure by fall, 1P=0:48
Yoneyama df. Azuma Seiji, 2-0 (1-0=2:09, 1-0)
----
120 kg (12 entries)
Championship final
Akihito Tanaka df. Nobuyoshi Arakida by fall, 1P=0:38
Semifinals
Tanaka df. Katsuya Kitamura, 2-0 (1-0=2:08, 2-0)
Arakida df. Koichiro Nishida, 2-0 (3-0, 2-1)
----
Greco-roman
96 kg (13 entries)
Championship final
Kenzo Kato df. Yusuke Morikaku, 2-0 (3-0, 1x-1)
Semifinals
Kato df. Ryuji Yamaguchi by dis., 3P=1:30 (0-5, 5-0, 1-1=1:30)
Morikaku df. Yasuhiro Mori, 2-0 (6-0=2:00, 3-0)
----
120 kg (12 entries)
Championship final
Katsuaki Suzuki df. Hirokazu Shinjo, 2-0 (1x-1, 1x-1)
Semifinals
Suzuki df. Naoki Sawada, 2-0 (3-0, 3-0)
Shinjo df. Tetsuya Shato, 2-0 (1x-1, 1x-1)
----
Women
48 kg (12 entries)
Championship final
Chiharu Icho df. Makiko Sakamoto, 2-0 (3-0=2:10, 5-0=2:06)
Semifinals
Sakamoto df. Hiromi Ikeda by fall, 1P=0:53
Icho df. Yuri Funatsu, 2-0 (1-0, 7-0=0:50)
----
67 kg (5 entries)
Championship final
Eri Sakamoto df. Mami Shinkai by fall, 1P=1:17
Semifinals
Sakamoto df. Hiroe Suzuki, 2-0 (2-0, 1-0)
Shinkai df. Mimi Sugawara, 2-0 (3-0, 2-1)
