2014.04.25

IWAMURE, 2 JAPANESE MEN WIN BRONZE MEDALS AT ASIA C’SHIPS

ASTANA (April 24) – Anna IWAMURE and two of her male teammates grabbed bronze medals in the women’s and men’s freestyle competition on the second day of the Asian wrestling championships.

Iwamure, the 2012 Golden Grand Prix Final winner, tumbled in the semifinals at 48kg to defending champion Tatyana AMANZHOL (KAZ), 0-5, but came back in the bronze medal final for a 3-2 win over Chinese newcomer LI Yuan (CHN).

Iwamure’s bronze medal was Japan’s second medal in women’s freestyle and her third straight medal in international competition. Risako KAWAI (JPN) won a gold medal at 58kg on the first day of the championships.

In men’s freestyle, Ken HOSAKA (JPN) opened with a loss in the semifinals at 70kg but atoned with a triumph over 2013 Asia champion at 66kg Amit Dhankar KUMAR (IND) in the bronze medal final.

Ryoichi YAMANAKA (JPN) opened at 74kg with a win over London 2012 bronze medalist Akzhurek TANATAROV (KAZ) but fell in the semifinals to Takhti Cup winner Reza AFZALI PAEMAMI (IRI). In the bout for a bronze medal, Nakayama pinned 2013 Asia silver medalist ZHANG Chongyao (CHN).

The bronze medals were the first medals in international competition for Hosaka and Yamanaka.

At 61kg, 2006 world bronze medal winner Noriyuki TAKATSUKA notched a win over 2013 champion HWANG Ryong-Hak (PRK), but lost his next two bouts and had to settle for seventh place overall.

With the conclusion of men’s freestyle, Japan found itself in fifth place with 40 points and three bronze medals – one point behind Uzbekistan but three places better than Japan’s finish in 2013.

Meanwhile, Iran won six of eight weight categories to take the men’s freestyle team title with 70 points, followed by Mongolia (63) and host Kazakhstan (51).

Men’s freestyle

61kg – TAKATSUKA, Noriyuki (7th, 12 entries)

R1 – df. HWANG Ryong-Hak (PRK), 4-2

R2 – lost to Bajneesh BAJRANG (IND), 4-7

c1 – lost to LEE Seung-Chul (KOR), 4-4 (criteria)

70kg – HOSAKA, Ken (Bronze, 12 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – lost to Somirsho VOKHIDOV (TJK) by fall, 1P (2-7)

F3 – df. Amit Dhankhar KUMAR (IND), 6-3

75kg – YAMANAKA, Ryoichi (Bronze, 13 entries)

R1 – df. Akzhurek TANATAROV (KAZ) by fall, 1P (10-8)

R2 – lost to Reza AFZALI PAEMAMI (IRI) by TF, 0-10