To Our Friends in Wrestling Around the world
                    

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


NO GOLD FOR JAPANESE WOMEN AT JR WORLD C’SHIPS







BEIJING (August 24) - Kyoto high school student Fuyuko Mimura improved on her bronze medal showing of 2006 with a silver medal at the junior wrestling world championships. Mimura, however, could not prevent the Japanese women from being sent home without a gold medal for the first time since joining the junior world meet in 1993.

Mimura rolled up three wins in the early rounds, including a pair of pins, but then fell in the 48-kg final 0-5, 0-1 to defending champion Sofia Mattsson of Sweden.

Japanese women have won at least one gold medal in every junior world championships since 1993. A day after an unprecedented 0-4 outing for the Japanese women, Japan continued to struggle with the exception of Mimura.

Yuka Watanabe (55) and Kayako Kudo (63) lost in their opening bouts while Hiroe Suzuki posted a win at 72 kg before falling to eventual bronze medalist Jenny Fransson of Sweden.

Mimura's silver medal and Suzuki痴 eighth-place finish gave Japan 12 points and 12th place overall. China won the team title with three champions and 68 points followed by Russia (59) and Ukraine (43). China's two finalists won decisively over their Russian opponents to secure the title for the host team. Qui Hongmei defeated Ekaterina Krasnova 7-0, 5-3 at 55 kg and Wang Jiao stopped Ekaterina Bukina in the 72-kg final 5-0, 4-2.

At 63 kg, European junior champion Yuliya Ostapchuk of Ukraine edged Ekaterina Melnikova 1-0, 1-2, 1-0 Results of bouts involving Japanese entries:


Women

48 kg - Fuyuko Mimura, Amino HS (2nd, 18 entries)
R1 - bye
R2 - df. Alyssa Lampe (USA) by fall, 1P=1:08 (4-0)
R3 - df. Lenka Matejova (SVK), 2-0 (1-0, 8-0)
SF - df. Elza Tazetdinova (RUS) by fall, 2P=1:01 (5-0, 6-0)
F1 - lost to Sofia Mattsson (SWE), 0-2, (0-5, 0-1)

55 kg - Yuka Watanabe, NSSU (15th, 18 entries)
R1 - bye
R2 - lost to Emriye Musta (TUR) by fall, 3P=1:15 (4-1, 1-2, 2-4)

63 kg - Kayako Kudo, Japan SDF (13th, 20 entries)
R1 - bye
R2 - lost to Maria Kachina (AZE), 0-2 (2-2x, 2-3)

72 kg - Hiroe Suzuki, Ritsumeikan Univ. (8th, 18 entries)
R1 - bye
R2 - df. Magdalena Pietrzyk (POL), 2-0 (3-0, 3-0)
R3 - lost to Jenny Fransson (SWE) by fall, 1P=2:00 (1-4)