To Our Friends in Wrestling Around the world

                    

By William May
(Japan Amateur Wrestling Federation, Public Information Committee
wmay52@hotmail.com


MAEHARA, INOUE STRIKE GOLD AT JR WORLD C'SHIPS




   GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala (August 31) - Megumi Maehara and Yoshiko Inoue defeated a pair of European junior medalists from Russia and claimed gold medals for Japan on the opening day of the women's competition at the junior world wrestling championships.

Maehara won three hard fought matches to get the championship final at 51 kg and then defeated European silver medalist Ekaterina Krasnova of Russia 2-1 for the title. Maehara of Kansai University also won the Asian junior championship in July. Inoue, meanwhile, stopped Euro bronze medalist Natalya Laushkina of Russia in the final at 67 kg 1-0, 1-0 for the gold medal. Inoue of Shigakukan high school, affiliated with Chukyo Women's University, was also a member of Japan's championship World Cup team.

Mizuka Kajita of CWU had to settle for fifth place after a pair of losses at 59 kg, while Iwate high school student Yurie Sakamoto lost in the first round at 44 kg and did not advance to the repechage rounds.


Results of matches involving Japanese entries:

Women's freestyle

44 kg - SAKAMOTO, Yurie (9th, 10 entries)
1R - lost to Renilda Dedios (CAN) by fall

51 kg - Maehara, Megumi (1st, 12 entries)
1R - df. Vikotriya Iemelianova (UKR), 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)
2R - df. Maryna Markevich (BLR), 2-0 (2x-2, 3-2)
SF - df. Elcin Demitras (TUR), 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)
F1 - df. Ekaterina Krasnova (RUS), 2-1 (0-2, 1-0, 1-0)

59 kg - KAJITA, Mizuka (5th, 14 entries)
1R - df. Park Sang-Eun (KOR), 2-0 (2-0, 3-0)
2R - lost to Jacqueline Renteria (COL), 0-2 (0-6, 3-4)
r1 - df. Maria Brede Johnsen (NOR), 2-0 (5-0, 2-0)
F3 - lost to Anna Zwirydowska (POL), 0-2 (0-3, 0-1)

67 kg - INOUE, Yoshiko (1st, 13 entries)
1R - bye
2R - df. Kristin Buettner (GER), 2-0 (1-0, 2-0)
SF - df. Martin Heather (USA), 2-0 (3-2, 3-1)
F1 - df. Natalya Laushkina (RUS), 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)