To Our Friends in Wrestling Around the world
By William May
(Japan Amateur Wrestling Federation, Public
Information Committee
:wmay52@hotmail.com)
GIRLS WINLESS ON 1ST DAY AT JR WORLD C’SHIPS
BEIJING (August 23) - Japan’s four entries went 0-4 before a stunned crowd
on the first day of the female competition at the junior wrestling world
championships. “It’s hard to believe after seeing Japanese dominance for
so many years. Then to see four straight losses,” said seasoned wrestling
journalist Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling.
Japan, which had three gold medalists at the junior worlds in 2005 and
2006, now turns to its final four entries in the female competition to
salvage some hardware for the team. Japan’s brightest hope on the first
day was Ai Shimizu of Saitama Sakae high school, who won the tough Klippan
Ladies crown in Sweden last March.
Shimizu, however, was tripped up in the first period of her opening match at 51 kg and as pinned by Emese Barka of Hungary, a bronze medalist in the European senior championships in April.
Akiko Shimizu of the Japan Self Defense Forces was pinned by European junior
silver medalist Agata Pietrzyk of Poland at 59 kg and Megumi Taira of the
newly opened International Pacific University fell to Asia junior champion
Olga Kalinina of Kazakstan at 67 kg. Only Yurie Sakamoto of Daito Bunka
University went the distance, but still came up short to Peru’s Thalia
Mallqui Peche in three periods at 44 kg.
Meanwhile, as little was going right for the Japanese, Russia powered its
way to a pair of titles and host China raked in a gold, two silver medals
and a bronze. European junior champion Elena Gnatenko of Russia defeated
Lei Jingling of China 1-0, 4-0 at 44 kg, while teammate Natalya Laushkina
stopped local favorite Zhang Fengliu 3-1, 5-1 at 67 kg to improve on her
silver medal in 2006.
Li Songni gave the Chinese fans something to cheer about with a hard-fought 1-0, 2-0 over American Tatiana Padilla in the 59-kg final.
The U.S. got its own gold medal when Whitney Condor edged Babita Kumari of India 2-1, 3-2 for the 51-kg gold medal.
Results of bouts involving Japanese entries:
Women
44 kg - Yurie Sakamoto, Daito Bunka Univ. (12th, 16 entries)
R1 - lost to Thalia Mallqui Peche (PER), 1-2 (2-0, 0-3, 0-1)
51 kg - Ai Shimizu, Saitama Sakae HS (20th, 22 entries)
R1 - lost to Emese Barka (HUN) by fall, 1P=0:45 (2-3)
59 kg - Akiko Shimizu, Japan SDF (13th, 18 entries)
R1 - lost to Agata Pietrzyk (POL) by fall, 2P=0:31 (2-4, 0-3)
67 kg - Megumi Taira, Int’l Pacific Univ. (11th, 16 entries)
R1 - lost to Olga Kalinina (KAZ) by fall, 1P=2:00 (0-3)