ASTANA, Kazakhstan (April 11) -- Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) picked the right place and the right time to avenge a recent spate of losses to a long-time rival while earning the second Asian gold and seventh medal overall of her storied career.
Syzdykova used a wicked throw to send defending champion Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) to the mat before securing a fall in the 76kg final as the women's competition got underway at the Asian Championships on Tuesday in Astana.
"This is my fifth match against Aiperi," said Syzdykova, a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist who had lost to Medet Kyzy in their past three meetings. "Last time she defeated me at the Tokyo Olympics. We also wrestled in the [2021] Asian Championships in Almaty.
"This is wrestling. This is women’s wrestling, which is very unpredictable. Today you win, tomorrow you lose. It’s very unpredictable, there are no words to describe it."
Powerhouse Japan got off to a solid start, winning three of the five titles at stake. Former world champion Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) repeated as 50kg champion, while Yui SAKANO at 59kg and world silver medalist Ami ISHII at 68kg earned golds in the senior Asian debuts.
The remaining gold went to Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Qianyu PANG (CHN), as China medaled in all five weight classes in an impressive return to the Asian Championships after a three-year hiatus induced by the pandemic and other factors.
Syzdykova, host Kazakhstan's lone finalist of the night, sent the crowd at the Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace home happy with her thrilling win over Medet Kyzy, a 2021 world bronze medalist and world U23 champion.
After a staid first period in which Syzdykova received an activity point, the joint got jumping when she suddenly locked up Medet Kyzy's arm and, dropping backward, flung her to the mat before clamping down for the fall in 4:25.
For the 31-year-old Syzdykova, Medet Kyzy had been a thorn in her side in recent years. After Syzdykova won 2-0 in the first encounter in Rome in 2019, she lost to Medet Kyzy by fall in the semifinals at the 2020 Asian Championships, 6-1 in the first round at the 2021 Asian Championships, and then 8-1 in the first round at the Tokyo Olympics.
The victory on Tuesday adds to her Asian gold from 2021 and is her seventh medal overall dating back to 2014, but Syzdykova said winning it at home was not particularly special.
"Honestly, It didn’t really change anything for me," she said. "I think there is no difference in which country you wrestle. It’s my personal opinion."
After taking much of 2022 off, Syzdykova returned this year with a victory at the French Grand Prix in January and a bronze at the Ranking Series tournament in Egypt in February.
"I just went out there [today] to wrestle," she said. "There wasn’t any strong will to win, because I had a one-year break from wrestling. I can say now I am learning my opponents from the very beginning because one year away from wrestling is too much."
Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) defended her 50kg title at the Asian Championships. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)
Yoshimoto captured her second straight title at 50kg with a victory in the final by fall over Jasmina IMMAEVA (UZB), a virtual repeat of her 10-0 win over the Uzbek in the semifinals last year in Mongolia.
"It was the second [title], but I didn't think about winning it as a second one," Yoshimoto said. "I just took it as normal, going one match at a time."
Yoshimoto was gaining an activity point when she finished up a low single for a takedown and a 3-0 lead. Yoshimoto then shot in on a double-leg takedown which Immaeva tried to counter with a hip throw, but instead ended up on her own back when Yoshimoto rolled through.
It gave Yoshimoto four points that she didn't need as she clamped down for the fall at 2:50. Yoshimoto, the 2021 world champion, is currently in the uneviable position of being one of the top wrestlers in the world in her weight class, but only second best in her own country. Sitting between her and her dream of a berth at the 2024 Paris Olympics is Tokyo Olympic champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN).
Susaki defeated Yoshimoto at the All-Japan Championships in December, the first of two domestic qualifying tournaments for the World Championships in Belgrade, where the first spots in Paris will be up for grabs.
For Yoshimoto to make it, she needs to beat Susaki (or have someone else do it) and win the title at the All-Japan Invitational Championships in June, then defeat Susaki in a playoff -- a tall order, to say the least. "I will use and reflect on what I gained here as a plus, and prepare to win in June," Yoshimoto said.
Asked if the victory boosted her confidence, she replied, "More than confidence, my true feeling is that it shows I have room for growth. I really feel that it was good that I entered this tournament. That's the way I will regard it as I head to June."
Like Yoshimoto, Ishii is both facing stiff domestic competition in the race for Paris and won her title on Tuesday via a fall, after Nisha DAHIYA (IND) abandoned the fight in the 68kg final when the score hit 10-0.
"I'm relieved," Ishii said. "As for how I felt I did, I can't say that everything was good, but I think that much of it was worth noting."
Ishii, who also won a world U20 gold last year, used a low single to score two takedowns in the first period. Dahiya, a world U23 bronze medalist, attempted but was stopped on two arm throws in the second period, and Ishii got behind after the second one to make it 6-0.
Another single-leg takedown upped the lead to 8-0, and when Ishii levered Dahiya over, she flopped onto her back where the referee called the fall at 5:37, giving the Japanese the title in her senior Asian debut.
"I hadn't really thought about the 'first appearance, first title ' aspect of it," she said. "But the result, becoming Asian champion, that emotion has set in and I'm happy about that."
Ishii will now begin preparations for making Japan's team to the World Championships in a weight class that includes world 65kg champion Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) and Tokyo Olympic champion Yukako KAWAI (JPN). Ishii defeated both in winning the title at the All-Japan Championships.
"Taking in what I did here and the result, I will do what needs to be done over the next two months to prepare for the second qualifier," Ishii said.
Sakano, making her senior Asian debut at age 28, gave Japan its second gold of the night with a 5-1 victory in the 59kg final over ZHUOMALAGA (CHN).
Sakano, who received an activity point in the first period, scored her lone technical point when Zhuoumalaga shot in on a single and the Japanese counter-lifted her for a 2-point exposure. The Chinese scrambled out and behind for a reversal, but was unable to gain exposure points of her own.
Sakano's victory was tougher than the one between the two earlier in the day, a 13-2 technical fall in the round-robin competition of the seven-women weight class. She said her opponent had learned well from their first encounter and made it much harder the second time around.
"Actually, both matches were tough. Even though I was a bit tired, I was able to exert all of my energy," Sakano said. "She had figured out what I was going to do, so it made it harder, but all I thought about was fighting hard to win."
For Sakano, the trip to Astana marked a rare chance to represent Japan on the senior level. She finished fifth at the 2016 World Championships at 60kg, and was the world U23 champion in 2017, but has not recently been able to break into the lineup given the country's depth.
Asked how she felt about the opportunity, Sakano replied, "Both nervous and excited. I'm grateful to all those who have supported me and helped me get to this point."
At 55kg, Pang added to the Asian gold she won in 2016 by forging out a 6-2 victory in the final over Otgontuya CHINBOLD (MGL).
Starting with an activity point, Pang built a 5-0 lead with a combination duck-under takedown and gut wrench. In the second period, Chinbold got on the scoreboard with a reverse arm throw, but Pang scrambled behind for a reversal that capped the scoring.
"I am not satisfied with the process of my wrestling here, but the gold medal is some relief for me," said Pang, a two-time world bronze medalist.
Pang did derive some satisfaction in defeating a Japanese wrestler en route to the gold, having knocked off unheralded Rino KATAOKA (JPN) in the semifinals. For years, Japan has haunted Pang, mainly in the form of Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN), among whose wins over Pang includes one in the 53kg final at the Tokyo Olympics.
"For a long time, I have struggled against Japan and don't beat them usually," Pang said. "But today I managed to do that. It is good to do these things on the mat and achieve the results."
Shalygina bags bronze after decade-long hiatus
Local star Yelena SHALYGINA (KAZ), who returned to the mat last year after taking a decade off to start a family, earned her sixth Asian medal -- and first since gold in 2012 -- by taking bronze at 68kg, although not under the best of circumstances.
Shalygina was awarded the victory by injury default when 2021 world champion Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) was unable to continue due to an unstoppable bloody nose less than a minute into the bout.
No points had been scored when the match was halted. The tournament doctors did what they could to stop the bleeding, even resorting to wrapping a bandage around Zhumanazarova's head and over her nose, but to no avail. The decision left Zhumanazarova in tears.
It still counts as a win for the 34-year-old Shalygina, adding to a long list of honors from long ago that includes two Asian golds, three world medals, and a bronze from the Beijing Olympics -- for the young ones, that was in 2008.
Kazakstan also got a bronze at 55kg from Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ), who used a double arm lock from standing to put NGUYEN Thi My Trang (VIE) onto her back, recording a fall at 5:45 with a 9-6 lead. Sedneva used the same move twice earlier, and Nguyen stopped the second for 2.
China came away with three bronzes, from Ziqi FENG (CHN) at 50kg, veteran Feng ZHOU (CHN) at 68kg and Juan WANG (CHN) at 76kg.
Feng, the 2019 world U23 silver medalist, made short work of NEELAM (IND), scoring a takedown and spinning off four straight lace-lock rolls for a 10-0 technical fall in :55.
Zhou, a two-time world medalist and two-time Asian champion, captured her sixth career Asian medal with a 9-2 victory over 2021 Asian silver medalist Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL).
Zhou had a 4-point takedown off a single leg tackle in the first period and never looked back in winning her first major medal since an Asian silver in 2019.
Not to be outdone, Wang emulated Feng and used a takedown and four lace-lock rolls for a 10-0 technical fall in 1:26 over Ozoda ZARIPBOEVA (UZB).
In the other 76kg match, teenager PRIYA (IND) assured that Japan would not medal in every weight class when she scraped out a 2-1 win over Mizuki NAGASHIMA (JPN), who was making her national senior team debut.
Priya gained an activity point in each period while limiting Nagashima to a stepout in the final seconds of the match.
At 55kg, Kataoka rebounded from her semifinal loss by beating Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB), 10-4. Kataoka had earned some notice by winning both of her matches at the World Cup in December.
Miran CHEON (KOR) picked up her first senior Asian medal in three tries with a 4-2 victory over Yi Jing CHEN (TPE) at 50kg. Chen got the opening takedown, but Cheon responded with one of her own to lead 2-2 on criteria going into the second period. She then used a driving tackle to pad her lead and secure the victory.
Kalmira BILIMBEK KYZY (KGZ) won the lone bronze up for grabs at 59kg when she built up a 7-point lead in the first period and held on for an 11-6 victory over Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ).
Day 3 Results
Women's Wrestling
50kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) df. Jasmina IMMAEVA (UZB) by Fall, 2:50 (7-0)
BRONZE: Ziqi FENG (CHN) df. NEELAM (IND) by TF, 10-0 (:55)
BRONZE: Miran CHEON (KOR) df. Yi Jing CHEN (TPE), 4-2
Semifinal: Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) df. NEELAM (IND) by Fall, 2:43 (8-0)
Semifinal: Jasmina IMMAEVA (UZB) df. Miran CHEON (KOR), 8-1
55kg (8 entries)
GOLD: Qianyu PANG (CHN) df. Otgontuya CHINBOLD (MGL), 6-2
BRONZE: Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) df. NGUYEN Thi My Trang (VIE) by Fall, 5:40 (9-6)
BRONZE: Rino KATAOKA (JPN) df. Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB), 10-4
Semifinal: Otgontuya CHINBOLD (MGL) df. Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) by TF, 10-0 (:47)
Semifinal: Qianyu PANG (CHN) df. Rino KATAOKA (JPN), 6-1
59kg (7 entries)
GOLD: Yui SAKANO (JPN) df. ZHUOMALAGA (CHN), 5-1
BRONZE: Kalmira BILIMBEK KYZY (KGZ) df. Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ), 11-6
Semifinal: Yui SAKANO (JPN) df. Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ) by TF, 10-0 (3:26)
Semifinal: ZHUOMALAGA (CHN) df. Kalmira BILIMBEK KYZY (KGZ), 6-2
68kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Ami ISHII (JPN) df. Nisha DAHIYA (IND) by Fall, 5:37 (10-0)
BRONZE: Yelena SHALYGINA (KAZ) df. Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) by Inj. Def., :58 (0-0)
BRONZE: Feng ZHOU (CHN) df. Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL), 9-2
Semifinal: Ami ISHII (JPN) df. Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ), 6-2
Semifinal: Nisha DAHIYA (IND) df. Feng ZHOU (CHN), 7-6
76kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) df. Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) by Fall, 4:25 (5-0)
BRONZE: Juan WANG (CHN) df. Ozoda ZARIPBOEVA (UZB) by TF, 10-0 (1:26)
BRONZE: PRIYA (IND) df. Mizuki NAGASHIMA (JPN), 2-1
Semifinal: Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) df. Juan WANG (CHN), 6-4
Semifinal: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Mizuki NAGASHIMA (JPN), 3-2
