CA_Wrestler

I didn't post this back in April when this tournament happened because it was nowhere near the event, but Japan's U23 team is as follows unless Sakurai doesn't compete: 50kg- Umi Ito(21, #3 in Japan), Just won the National Sports festival in Japan at 53kg on 9/22. 2022 U20 World Champion(teched Audrey Jimenez in the finals) **Fun fact**: Akari Fujinami's last loss was in Jr High to.....Umi Ito. Ito beat Fujinami 7-2 in the National Jr High School finals. 53kg- Mako Ohno(21, #5 in Japan at 53kg) 55kg- Umi Imai(22, Japanese Military, #3 at 57kg) 57kg- Tsugumi Sakurai(22, 2023 57kg Senior World Champion, #1 in Japan) 59kg- Sena Nagamoto(23, #2 in Japan) 62kg- Yuzuka Inagaki(22, #2 in Japan at 62kg-Beat Ozaki 6-6 on criteria in their WTT quarters, then lost to Motoki 8-2 in the finals) Last international tournament was Dan Kolov, 1st place. 65kg- Suzu Teramoto(20, #3 in Japan) 68kg- No entry at this time. All wrestlers competed for the 68kg senior spot a few weeks after this tournament. 72kg- Waji Misaki(22, unranked) 76kg- Nodoka Yamamoto(21, #3 in Japan) Here by default, no other entries in the qualifying tournament All other 76kg wrestlers competed for the kg senior spot after this tournament.

I wouldn't say she's the odds on favorite if she went to 68. I would definitely say she'd absolutely be the best wrestler competing for that spot with the best neutral and scoring ability. In Japan's WTT trials, anybody can beat you if you make a tiny mistake, so a lot of times I see a lot of the world champions for their WFS team wrestle much more conservatively within Japan than at the World Championships. I do think her skills, speed and technique will definitely beat out heavier wrestlers in Japan or if she makes the world championships. Kind of like how Morikawa bumped up two weight classes this week and won bronze even though it's a non-Olympic weight.

Yeah, he's been injured for a while.

No, it's because all last year, that was Ozaki's weight in Japan before she lost the spot in December. She was the 62kg senior, junior and U23 world champion at 62kg last year.

Japan changed their OT selection to the current format for the Tokyo Olympics in 2019. As far as the Kawai sisters go: Yukako Kawai(62kg Olympic Champ) lost to Ozaki*first time meeting) last May in the 62kg finals. Ozaki was winning 3-1 with very short time and Kawai had Ozaki in a head pinch. Kawai tried turning her shoulders past 90, but couldn't get it. If there were a few more seconds left, I think she would have got it and won on criteria because Ozaki's shoulders were . Risako Kawai lost to Sae Nanjo(2023 59kg rep) when she had turned her right before the buzzer in their playoff match a few months ago. As far as Ozaki goes compared to Motoki at 62kg. Ozaki is much, much better in neutral. Motoki wrestled amazing that night last Dec and beat Yukako Kawai 9-2 and Ozaki 4-2 the same night to take the 62kg spot. As far as 68kg goes, my projected wrestlers are: Ozaki, Morikawa(Hard to believe she bumped up 2 weights and took 3rd at 72kg), Ishii, Yukako Kawai(maybe), Masako Furuichi(maybe, could be retired), one of the Matsuyuka twins and maybe 1-2 more junior wrestlers. It'll be really interesting to see who else enters at 68kg in December for the Emperor's Cup and then next May for the Meiji Cup.

Close! If you medal at an Olympic weight the year prior to the Olympics, then the Olympic spot is yours. With Ishii losing, it just opened up a floodgate to 68kg in Japan. Ozaki is probably going to be staring down Ishii on the plane ride home lol

I figured why she started crying right away. She was 1 second away from winning the match against Motoki, but didn't have full control of the TD in their WTT. What happened in her match against Motoki is why I knew Kilty was going to get hammered in the 65kg finals. I bet Ozaki going 68kg and she'll be going against her good buddy, Morikawa, Ishii, Kawai and many more.

Final WFS Team standings: Japan 195 USA 135 Mongolia 80

With Bruntil AND Ishii losing in their bronze matches, they're gonna have a wrestle off for the last Olympic quota at 68kg. This means that Ishii doesn't have Japan's spot and I have a very, very good feeling that Ozaki will bump up to 68kg to try and take that spot for Paris.

Next up for their WFS team, the Asian Games in China (already started the other week) where we'll see many of the same competitors from other countries that competed at the World Championships. Olympic weights only. Japan's world team reps were given the choice in competing or letting somebody else go. Wrestling is from Oct 4th-7th starting with Greco and ending with MFS. Team: 50kg- Remina Yoshimoto(Japan #2) 53kg- Akari Fujinami(Japan #1) 57kg- Tsugumi Sakurai(Japan #1) 62kg- Nonoka Ozaki(Japan #2) 68kg- Naruha Matsuyuki(Japan #5) 76kg- Kazuyoshi Yamamoto(Japan #3)

As reported on the UWW site, Susaki competed with a torn knee ligament, wasn't really able to train properly and didn't go to national team camp prior for leaving to Belgrade.

After Kagami won, almost all of their Olympic team is complete. Japan's rule is that if you medal at this World Championships at an Olympic weight, the Olympic spot is yours. So: 50kg- Susaki(2023 World Champion) 53kg- Fujinami(In the finals tomorrow night) 57kg- Sakurai(2023 World Champion) 62kg- Motoki(In the finals tomorrow night) 68kg-Ishii if she wins bronze tomorrow night 76kg- Kagami(2023 World Champion)

Pretty much hit the nail on the head.

I'm sure people might have noticed with Japan's WFS team, but their entire team are comprised of their #1s and #2s from the Olympic weights. All of the non-Olympic weight team members lost to the Olympic weight members in their version of the WTT. In almost every case, the wins were razor thin with short time/almost at the buzzer. The only exceptions to that were 50kg and 53kg.

Also 3x Cadet, 2x Junior and 1x U23 World Champion