CA_Wrestler

It puts the lotion on its skin or it gets put into the hard labor camp to never be seen again

For sure!

I think she might make a final run towards LA 2028 even though that's far away and that would be great because after her, there is really nobody else at 57kg for the US that could be this consistent and reach the medal rounds. I always wonder how Team Japan feels about Susaki being good friends with Helen. Especially since Susaki flew out to NY to train with Helen a few months ago and Helen beat Tokuhara in this tournament. Not that Tokuhara was going to place anyways...she's usually 3rd/4th string at 59kg for Japan. It certainly helped that Sakurai isn't Japan's rep this year at 57kg.

Oh yeah, for sure. When I'm watching, I can only pay attention to one match at a time if I'm typing down what's going on in real time.

Terrible performance. As I was saying in a different thread a month or so ago, this is the weakest Womens FS team Japan has sent since 2019. Their 2025 World team is literally all 3rd-4th string besides 50kg(2021 50kg WC) and 62kg(2024 Olympic champ) since the 2024 Olympic reps(minus 62kg) aren't competing this year.

Not really. Japan's 76 this year isn't very good. The only good wrestler they have at 76kg is Kagami, the OIympic champ.

Magomed Kurbanov is his replacement, per UWW

Sadulaev is out, UWW posted

She should be coming back next year, but at 57kg as was reported a few months ago. I'm sure she's just lifting and gaining strength while training and acclimating to the new weight.

The US has a great chance this year and is easily the frontrunner to take the WFS team title only because Susaki, Fujinami, Sakurai and Kagami aren't competing. I think this is the final list of World Team members. One thing to note: I'm not sure if North Korea has qualified any athletes, but if they have....they are extremely tough outs. I still think all of them are on "something", but that's just me. -50 kg Yoshimoto(former Senior WC) One of the favorites for gold, but her offense isn't nearly as dynamic as Susaki's. -53kg Murayama(Okuno, former 3x senior WC) One of the favorites to win gold -55kg Sowaka Uchida(former 2x U17 WC, U20WC) 19 years old. It's hard to make any prediction here since she's never wrestled at the senior level outside of Japan, but she is very, very good. Technique will have to be almost perfect do to lack of strength and experience. -57kg- Himeka Tokuhara (former U2 bronze)Complete and an absolute surprise that she won this spot. Doesn't score very much, stingy on defense. Definitely nowhere near Fujinami's level. Low medal threat. -59kg Sakura Onishi(former U17 U20 WC) 19 years old. Won gold at the Senior Asian championships, definitely a medal threat. Technique will have to be almost perfect do to lack of strength and experience. -62kg- Motoki(former Olympic champ, senior silver, bronze) Gold medal threat -65kg Miwa Morikawa(former Senior WC) High medal threat -68kg Ishii(former Senior WC, U23 WC) Medium medal threat. Can medal or completely lose out. If anybody remembers, she lost in the 2023 Sr WC and placed 5th. That opened the door for Nonoka Ozaki to win the Paris 68KG spot. -72kg Masako Furuichi(former Senior WC) High medal threat -76kg Nodoka Yamamoto Has never made a Senior WC team, low level medal threat

He joined the military several years ago. I'm just guessing that that military club team(PTS) will hire him if he wants to coach.

Little tidbit- Ono was training earlier today in Japan with Rei Higuchi

Saw this when I woke up this morning on UWW's site: Excerpt from the article" "The 20-year-old, using his speed and a lethal gut wrench, dominated Olympic champion Zavur UGUEV (AIN), blanked world champion Vitali ARAJAU (USA) and posted three other technical superiority wins en route to the gold medal at 61kg. All that with a broken ankle." https://uww.org/article/wrestling-prodigy-ono-takes-big-strides-familys-support

I forgot to mention that in the Meiji Cup next May or June, Fujinami(if she's really bumping up this fast) AND Sakurai are going to be entering at 57kg. If either one wins that tournament, they'll have a playoff against Natami for the 2025 57kg spot. There is no way Natami is coming close to beating Fujinami or Sakurai unless there's some fluke or injury.

Well, now she will. Sakurai vs Fujinami and their last match at 59kg this year wasn't particularly close with Fujinami winning. Sakurai never threatened at all because Fujinami is just way too fast for her-just like she's too fast for everybody at 53kg. Kiyooka vs Fujinami has just been utter ownage and Kiyooka is just completely outclassed by Fujinami. It's just not even close. Like I was also speculating earlier this year if Fujinami bumped up to 57kg, Susaki might bump up to 53kg since she's been at 48/50kg since she was 16 and now 25. Remina Yoshimoto(Olso 50kg WC) will slide into the 50kg spot if that does happen. Yoshimoto just beat Umi Ito yesterday in another very close Emperor's Cup finals match, 3-2. Susaki vs Moe Kiyooka(or possibly past 53/55kg WC Haruna Okuno) is going to be very, very good. Yoshimoto is better than Kiyooka, but this will be fun to keep an eye on. Mainly because Kiyooka and Sakurai are teammates, normal training partners, Olympic training partners and Moe Kiyooka's brother won the 65kg gold in Paris. Moe Kiyooka is the hungry dog here and just won the 53kg tournament. Haruna Okuno won the 55kg tourney(will eventually drop to 53kg, but probably not next year) with a come from behind win in the finals against high schooler Sowaka Uchida(1x U20 WC, 2x U17 WC). Okuno was up by 1 toward the end of the match. Uchida scored 1, Uchida had criteria and Okuno's corner challenged and lost. 3-2 Uchida with VERY short time left. Okuno kept the pressure on and got a feet to back for a 6-3 win right before the buzzer. PAST MEETINGS: 2024- Moe Kiyooka beat Haruna Okuno in the 55kg playoff finals, 3-2 and Kiyooka won the 2024 55kg Senior World title(teched Zhang of China in the finals). 2023- 55kg playoff tournament, Okuno beat Kiyooka 2-2 on criteria in the first round and Okuno won the 2023 55kg Senior World title(beat Jacarra in the finals, 4-2). But as far as making the National team goes, you have to win both tournaments (Emperor's Cup and Meiji Cup) to make the team. Susaki and Fujinami will most likely enter the Meiji Cup, try to win that tournament and force a playoff with Kiyooka at 53kg and Sara Natami at 57kg. Fujinami will dominate Natami pretty easily. Susaki and Kiyooka could be a very close match because although Kiyooka is really fast, Susaki is way faster and technically, much better.