To Our Friends in Wrestling Around the world

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

By William May
（Japan Amateur Wrestling Federation, Public Information Committee
Kyodo World Services, senior sports writer：wmay52@hotmail.com）

MIMURA REPEATS AS CHAMP AT JR WORLD C’SHIPS



ANKARA (August 7) - Defending champion Fuyuko Mimura won again at 48kg and Ayako claimed a bronze medal at 63kg, but Japan slipped into third place as the women’s competition came to a close at the junior world wrestling championships. Mimura edged European junior champion Ljubov Salnikova (RUS) 2-1 in the 48kg final to claim her fourth medal at the junior world meet. Mimura took a bronze medal in 2006 and a silver in 2007 before winning her first championship title last year.

At 63kg, Sato lost her opening match to Hanna Johansson (SWE), a bronze medalist in the senior European championships, but rebounded for a pair of wins and the bronze medal.

At 55kg, Chiaki Arai lost in the second round to Anastasija Grigoreva (LAT), runner-up in the European junior meet, and then lost in the match for third place with Beijing Olympic entry Marwa Amri (TUN). Japan did not send an entry at 72kg.

The Japanese women finished the competition with a gold, a silver and two bronze compared to last year’s two gold and three bronze, and finished third overall in the team standings with 47 points. Russia won with three champions and seven medals overall for 67 points, followed by Ukraine with two champions and 50 points.

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48kg - MIMURA, Fuyuko (1st, 20 entries)
R1 - df. Sanela Mehedovic (AUT) by fall, 1P (F9-0)
R2 - df. Melanie Lesaffre (FRA), 2-0 (3-0, 2-0)
R3 - df. Oh Hyun-Young (KOR) by fall, 1P (F6-0)
SF - df. Mariya Livach (UKR), ??
F1 - df. Ljubov Salnikova (RUS), 2-1 (1-5, 1-0, 2-0)


55kg - ARAI, Chiaki (5th, 27 entries)
R1 - df. Lisa Mattsson (SWE), 2-1 (0-1, 5-0, 1-0)
R2 - lost to Anastasija Grigorjeva (LAT), 1-2 (1-0, 0-1, 1-2)
r1 - df. Olivia Neagu ((ROU), 2-0 (2-0, 6-0)
r2 - df. Aiyim Abdildina (KAZ), 2-1 (0-3, 2-0, 5-0)
F3 - lost to Marwa Amri (TUN) by fall, 1P (F0-4)


63kg - SATO, Ayaka (3rd, 18 entries)
R1 - bye
R2 - lost to Hanna Johansson (SWE), 1-2 (0-1, 3-1, 0-1)
r1 - df. Danielle Lappage (CAN) by TF, 2-0 (7-0, 6-0)
F3 - df. Iryna Netreba (UKR), 2-0 (2-1, 1-0)


72kg - no Japanese entry (20 entries)