To Our Friends in Wrestling Around the world
By William May
(Japan Amateur Wrestling Federation, Public
Information Committee
:wmay52@hotmail.com)
NISHIMAKI REPEATS JR WORLD C'SHIPS, MIMUYA WINS BRONZE
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala (September 1) - Mio Nishimaki racked up four
wins to remain unbeaten in international competition as she repeated as
63-kg champion at the junior world wrestling championships.
Nishimaki, in her first year at Chukyo Women's University, surrendered
the first period to Elena Shalygina of Kazakhstan 0-3 in the championship
final, but then rallied 2-0, 2-0 for the victory against the reigning Asia
junior champion.
Meanwhile, Kyoto high school student Fuyuko Mimura fell to three-time
European cadet champion Sofia Mattsson of Sweden in the semifinals at 48
kg, but rebounded for the bronze medal with a victory by fall over Genevieve
Haley of Canada.
Japan's other two entries on the final day of the women's competition,
Mizuho Shibata (55 kg) and Kie Tanaka (72) lost in first round matches
and did not qualify for repechage matches.
With the close of the women's competition, Japan equaled its gold medal
haul of 2005 with three, but is going home with one less medal overall
than last year. Japan's uneven performance dropped the squad into second
place overall in the team standings, 48-50, to Russia which had only one
champion but medalists in four other weight categories.
Results of matches involving Japanese entries:
Women's freestyle
48 kg - MIMURA, Fuyuko (3rd, 18 entries)
1R - bye
2R - df. Marjorie Valencia (COL), 2-0 (4-0, 6-0)
QF - df. Georgiana-Mihaela Radoi (ROM), 2-1 (2-4, 2-0, 2-0)
SF - lost to Sofia Mattsson (SWE), 0-2 (0-1, 0-1)
F3 - df. Genevieve Haley (CAN) by fall, 3P
55 kg - SHIBATA, Mizuho (13th, 17 entries)
1R - lost to Danyelle Hedin (USA), 1-2 (1-0, 1-5, 1-3)
63 kg - NISHIMAKI, Mio (1st, 15 entries)
1R - df. Jackie Cataline (USA), 2-0 (2-1, 5-1)
2R - df. Helena Allandi (SWE), 2-1 (0-1, 3-1, 7-0)
SF - df. Justine Bouchard (CAN), 2-0 (1-0, 2-0)
F1 - df. Elena Shalygina (KAZ), 2-1 (0-3, 2-0, 2-0)
72 kg - TANAKA, Kie (10th, 11 entries)
1R - lost to Ana Maria Paic (ROM), 2-0 (0-3, 0-2)