Yoshida Dominates to Asian Games Gold in Major Step Up

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Yoshida Dominates to Asian Games Gold in Major Step Up | United World Wrestling

NAGOYA, Japan (September 30) -- Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) thunderous performance earned Japan its first wrestling gold medal of the 20th Asian Games at the Inae Sports Center on Wednesday.

Yoshida, who recently became Japan's first-ever U20 world champion in Greco-Roman, handed Asian champion Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) an 11-1 defeat in the 87kg final.

The two-time age-group world champion posted his third technical superiority win of the day. He began with two four-point throws against Callum ROBERTS (PHI) for a 11-0 win before handing Sunil KUMAR (IND) an 11-0 defeat in the semifinal.

In the other side of the bracket, Zhanyshov defeated Shamil OZHAEV (KAZ) in the semifinal and began will against Yoshida but the Japanese increased the pressure on the Kyrgyzstan wrestler. Yoshida relentless attacks tired Zhanyshov out and the last pushout from Yoshida turned out to be a four-pointer.

"I strongly felt that if I just execute what I need to do, I can win," Yoshida said. "Up until now, my victories were in the 82kg category, which isn’t a major competition weight class. So I used to think, maybe this isn’t my true ability."

Yoshida, a 2023 U17 world champion, was the Asian champion at 82kg in 2024 before winning a senior world bronze medal at 82kg last year. Last month, he won the U20 world gold in Bratislava, Slovakia.

“But the crowd’s support didn’t let me compromise at all. It was the absolute best support. I was able to score consistently from standing and felt that my standing techniques, which I already thought were a good weapon, turned into a proven weapon that works even in the 87kg category," he said.

Yoshida will now try to win the senior world title in Astana, where the World Championships will begin from October 24. But the Nippon Sports Science University graduate was not fixated on the gold medal.

“As for the World Championships, you could say it’s a tournament where winning isn’t the absolute priority, but since I won here, opponents will definitely mark me and prepare harder," he said. "I want to fight with the mindset of overcoming opponents who have scouted and prepared for me, because that experience will directly connect to the Olympics."

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Japan had another chance to win gold in Greco-Roman after Kotaro SOGABE (JPN) made it to the 67kg final. However, world champion at 63kg Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) eked out a tough 3-2 win.

Sogabe had lost to Khalmakhanov earlier this year at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series but kept it close in Nagoya.

Khalmakhanov scored exposure points from par terre to lead 3-0 against Sogabe who scored only two points in the second period, handing the Uzbekistan wrestler the victory.

Sogabe revealed after the final that he would have liked to score points from par terre in the first period but failed to do so.

“At the very, very end, I couldn’t score the points. I realised the weakness of my own strength," Sogabe said. "I wanted to take the ground position first and turn the opponent with a par terre roll, but I couldn’t stick to my style through to the end. So I feel very frustrated.”

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Mirzazadeh Repeats

At 130kg, defending champion Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) was the favorite coming into the Games and he managed to defend his gold medal after beating Rafael TSITSUASHVILI (UZB) 3-1, thanks to a gut-wrench for two points.

"This medal is very important because it’s my second time [winning] at the Asian Games and I am still happy to get a gold medal," Mirzazadeh said. "There were hard days but I am proud to get the medal for Iran."

The world champion had to work hard for a 1-1 criteria win over Lingzhe MENG (CHN) in the semifinals, in what was a rematch of the 2022 Asian Games final. But he recovered to clinch the final.

“He is an Olympic medallist and of course we fight at the same level, and I tried to be better than him," he said.

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Ishii Gets Japan Off to Golden Start

In the one Women's Wrestling weight category in action, world champion Ami ISHII (JPN) showed that she is the best at 68kg as she triumphed 7-2 over Sol Gum PAK (PRK) in the final.

Japan, the traditional powerhouse of Women's Wrestling, is represented by Tokyo Olympic champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) at 50kg, world champion Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) at 53kg, Olympic champion Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) at 57kg, former world champion Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) at 62kg, and Olympic champion Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) at 76kg apart from Ishii.

The gold medal from Ishii puts Japan on track to sweep the golds in Women's Wrestling if other give can win as well.

Ishii began with a 9-2 win over world silver medalist Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) before blanking former world silver medalist Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL), 11-0.

In the semifinals, Ishii built an 8-4 lead before pinning world bronze medalist Jia LONG (CHN) and book a place in the final against Sol Gum PAK (PRK) who defeated NISHA (IND), 4-4, in the first bout, then Hyeonyeong PARK (KOR), 11-0, in the second before holding on to an 1-1 criteria win over Paris Olympic silver medalist Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ), 1-1.

Ishii gave no chance to Pak in the final despite the scoreline suggesting. Pak soon gave up against the powerful Ishii, who is now looking to repeat as a world champion.

“I had won the Asian Championships before. But I am really happy," Ishii said. “Knowing my techniques work at this level is a really rewarding experience for me. I wasn’t really thinking about her attacks. I was just constantly thinking about what I could do to score points. As a result, I ended up blocking her attacks too.”