MIYAHARA EARNS WORLD TEAM BERTH IN 51KG WRESTLE-OFF

TOKYO (June 25) – Klippan Ladies Open champion Yu Miyahara won two straight bouts in a special national team wrestle-off to earn the women's 51kg berth on the Japanese squad for this year's world championships in Budapest.

Miyahara defeated national champion Hikari Sugawara in their second-round bout and then stepped over a fireman's carry attempt by Meiji invitational winner Nanami Irie to secure a win by technical fall in the third round to secure her ticket to the September 16-22 world meet.

Miyahara, who finished second in both the national championships and the Meiji invitational, earned her trip to the senior world championships after missing chances in 2011 and 2012.

Wrestle-off results

R1 – Nanami Irie df. Hikari Sugawara by TF, 1P=2:52 (10-3)

R2 – Yu Miyahara df. Sugawara, 6-2

R3 – Miyahara df. Irie by TF, 2P=1:45 (8-0)