After a shocking loss, Japan’s reigning Olympic judo champion Uta Abe was eliminated from the Paris Games in the second round of the women’s under-52kg category.
The athlete, who won gold at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, was defeated by Diyora Keldiyorova of Uzbekistan.
Abe was undoubtedly one of the favourites to win gold in the Champ de Mars Arena, having been a four-time world champion. That is why, after losing her match, she sobbed as she walked off the mat.
In other news, Uta’s brother, Hifumi Abe, was supposed to face Bence Pongracz of Hungary in the round of 16. He also won the men’s under-66kg division at the Tokyo Olympics.
Moreover, in the women’s under-48kg division, Japan’s Natsumi Tsunoda emerged victorious after defeating Baasankhuu Bavuudorj of Mongolia in the championship match.
For any aspiring athlete, securing a berth at the Olympics is a dream come true. So, when Nonoka Ozaki missed out on this opportunity at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships, she immediately fell into despair.
On September 20th, spectators at the World Wrestling Championships 2023 saw some of the world’s best athletes compete, including Japanese wrestlers Nonoko Ozaki and compatriots Yui Susaki, Sakurai Tsugumi, and Kagami Yuka. The four of them concluded their respective bouts with gold medals, demonstrating Japan’s dominant performance on Day 5 of the event.
However, one athlete went home with a heavy heart.
Ozaki disheartened on missing out at Olympics
Ozaki, the twenty year-old female Japanese wrestler, took to the mat of the Štark Arena to show off her undeniable prowess as a grappler. Having won the gold medal last year at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships, she replicated her victory in Belgrade when she won against her competitors and defeated American Macey Kilty without conceding a point. She won with a dominant 10-0 victory.
Ozaki initially rejoiced over her victory in the 65 kg division. But her joy was swiftly eclipsed by disappointment when she learned that the weight class in which she had competed was not contested at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Following the realization that she had failed to qualify for the Olympic Games, Ozaki was observed to be in a state of emotional distress, crying and emitting a sigh of exasperation backstage.
“When I won the title, it hit me that it wasn’t an Olympic weight,” Ozaki said after the match.
In her place, Sakura Motoki secured a berth for Japan at the Paris Olympics by advancing to the 62 kg final of the same event.
“It was tough to see someone else clinch the team spot in my weight class. It was my own fault. Sports is like that. I have to accept it.”
Nonoka OZAKI 🇯🇵 won her second second consecutive world title, but will miss out on the Paris Olympic Games.
Once her teammate Sakura MOTOKI 🇯🇵 reached the 62kg finals, she earned an automatic bid to represent Japan as next year’s Olympics, leaving Ozaki on the sidelines. pic.twitter.com/0Kti866BdN
Currently, the Olympics only contest the following weight divisions for women’s wrestling: 50 kg, 53 kg, 57 kg, 62 kg, 68 kg, and 76 kg. Seeing Ozaki’s talents in the Stark Arena, Japan lost out on an incredibly talented wrestler that could contribute to their nation’s success in next year’s Olympics.
In the previous Summer Olympics, Japan hosted the event at the Makuhari Messe Hall and dominated the women’s wrestling category just as they did on the Serbian ground. Out of the six gold medals, they snared four gold medals.
Next year, fans are anticipating whether Japan will once again reign supreme at the wrestling competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which will be held from July 26, 2024, to August 11, 2024.
Japan achieved a dominant victory in the Women’s Wrestling competition on Day 5 of the World Wrestling Championships, clinching a total of four gold medals in the four weight classes of 65kg, 50kg, 57kg, and 76kg.
From September 16 to September 24, 2023, the world’s leading grapplers converged on the Štark Arena in Belgrade, Serbia, for the 2023 World Wrestling Championships. Japan, being one of the nations that competed, stood tall as their line up this year featured a formidable collection of champions and medalists.
How did Japan do it?
Nonoka Ozaki- 65 kg
And, on Day 5, the female Japanese wrestlers took to the mats in the arena to show their unequaled strength to the world. First up is Nonoka Ozaki, the twenty-year old wrestler who achieved gold medals at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships and 2022 Asian Wrestling Championships. She won against the American wrestler Macey Kilty in the final with a score of 10-0.
Yui Susaki- 50 kg
Olympic gold medalist Yui Susaki proved unbeatable once again in the 50 kg category. Susaki was reported to have suffered a knee injury 19 days before the competition, which could have hampered her performance. But this didn’t stop her from reaching her goal of securing a berth at the Paris Olympics. Looking up to Japan’s basketball team, which qualified for the Olympics, and to her older sister, who sent her a picture with a note saying, “We believe in you,” was enough for Susaki to get back up and rise to the challenge.
And this she did. She emerged as the victor in the 50 kg category when Susaki beat
Otgonjargal Dolgorjav at the final with a score of 10-1 for Japan.
“I injured myself 19 days ago during a practice session because I kept pushing myself too hard to win this world championship. Now I’ve overcome the challenge and all those experiences broaden my abilities. I will use them to build my confidence towards Paris 2024.”, she told Olympics.com.
Sakurai Tsugumi- 57 kg
Another Japanese wrestler made her country proud as she went home with gold and a place at next year’s Paris Olympics after she beat Moldovan wrestler Anastasia Nichita with a score of 3-2 in the 57kg final.
“I went on to the mat believing I’d got stronger than last year,” Sakurai said. “I’m determined to win the gold medal in Paris.”
Kagami Yuka- 76 kg
And finally, Kagami Yuka, just like Sakurai and Susaki, is officially a ‘Paris Olympic bound” wrestler when she placed first in the 76 kg category last September 20. She knocked out Kyrgyzstan wrestler Aiperi Medet Kyzy with a huge score of 8-0, giving Japan their first gold medal in the heavyweight division since 2003.
Although Japan achieved a record-breaking 58 medals at the Tokyo Olympics, expectations for Paris are lower. The absence of seasoned champions, the ban of karate from the Olympics, and the recent expulsion of a promising gymnast due to intoxication and smoking have all dashed expectations.
Despite these losses, Team Japan is determined to outperform its all-time best result when competing abroad, displaying tenacity and drive in the face of difficulties.
According to a recent Nielsen’s Gracenote estimate, Japan would win 11 fewer medals in Paris, more than cutting their total number of gold medals from 27 to 13. Senior Japan Olympic Committee official Mitsugi Ogata, speaking to local media, expressed Japan’s continued optimism and stated that the country wants to win 20 titles.
The home crowd advantage and higher athlete representation of host nations usually translate into success at the Olympics. Despite COVID-19 keeping spectators away, Japan pulled through in 2021. In contrast to prior hosts, Japan might perform differently in the future.
Predictions indicate that Japan is unlikely to win medals in Paris from its fourth and fifth-place finishes in Tokyo. Japan might not receive a comparable boost as Brazil did in Tokyo with a smaller team, while Britain did not benefit from a reduction in athletes. Brazil gained medals at Rio 2016.
Japan’s Paris 2024 contingent is smaller than at Tokyo 2020
Japan, which placed third behind the United States and China in Tokyo with 552 competitors, will only send 409 participants to Paris. Although Gracenote projects that Japan would finish seventh in Paris, their anticipated 47 medals would still be their second-best finish ever and their greatest result abroad.
Shoko Miyata, 19, the prospective captain of the women’s artistic gymnastics team, will be absent. She was sent home last week for smoking, which is against the team’s conduct rule.
Japan’s gymnastics captain may miss the Olympics in Paris due to accusations of smoking
Japan’s women’s artistic gymnastics team captain Shoko Miyata, 19, has withdrawn from the squad for the Paris Games for violating the team’s code of conduct.
Miyata, who had returned to Japan from the team’s training camp in Monaco, was discovered to have broken the rules by smoking and drinking alcohol, the Japanese Gymnastics Association (JGA) announced on Friday.
The JGA announced at a recent press conference that the women’s team would compete with four athletes instead of the customary five.
JGA stated; “From the bottom of our hearts, we apologize for this.”
The Japanse women gymnasts were seeking to win a team medal for the first time since the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The squad was accompanied by Mutsumi Harada, Miyata’s coach, and other officials.
Miyata was ready to take charge of a squad made up entirely of youngsters and first-time Olympians after winning the NHK Trophy for the third time in a row, booking her place in Paris in May. Her knowledge and leadership were expected to be crucial in helping this young and inexperienced team overcome the obstacles of their first Olympic expedition.
Instead, she ended up being dropped for violating the code of conduct.
Coach Harada stands up for Miyata
Miyata’s risky behaviour was confirmed by coach Harada, who blamed it on the intense pressure she was under to perform at the top of her game. With tears in his eyes, he said, “She was carrying an enormous burden every day.” “I urge everyone to understand this.”
As a result of gymnastics sensation Simone Biles’ withdrawal from many competitions during the Olympic Games in Tokyo, mental health issues among young athletes came to light. Scheduled to be held from July 27 to August 5, artistic gymnastics is one of the most popular sports at the Summer Games. Its athletes mental and physical fortitude are highlighted on a global scale at the Olympics.
US athlete Amit Elor wins second title at World Wrestling Championships
United States 19-year-old phenom Amit Elor won her second consecutive Women’s 72 kg World Wrestling Championships gold medal in Belgrade.
Behind her blonde hair, light skin, and sweet smile is a young woman with a ton of muscle who can get really strong inside the arena. Last year, Amit Elor, who was then only 18 years old, became the youngest American wrestler to win a Senior World Championship, defeating her four opponents with a score of 27-2.
Displaying her incredible prowess as a wrestler at such a young age, she was able to register wins against three world medallists: a 3-2 over the 2021 world champ, Masako Furuichi, a 39-second pin over the 2021 world bronze medallist, Buse Tosun, and an incredible 10-0 win over the 2021 world silver medallist, Zhamila Bakbergenova.
Elor defeats Bakbergenova
Even more remarkable, however, is the fact that Elor managed to defeat Bakbergenova in the final in less than 90 seconds, which is considered a technical superiority victory for any fighter.
Proving that last year wasn’t simply luck, Elor repeated her win in Belgrade and outscored her opponents 33-4. She defeated Davaanasan Enkh Amar of Mongolia 8-2 in the final to claim the gold medal at the 72 kg women’s category of the World Wrestling Championships 2023.
Women’s wrestling 72 kg
Gold – Amit Elor (USA)
Silver – Davaanasan Enkh Amar (MNG)
Bronze – Zhamila Bakbergenova (KAZ)
Bronze – Morikawa Miwa (JPN)
At such an early stage of her career, Elor demonstrated her remarkable wrestling skills by achieving two victories in a row. However, after the World Championships, Elor’s ambition is to take her wrestling career to a higher level by participating in the Paris Olympics. But, as the event is not contested at 72 kg, Elor is faced with a dilemma as she would either have to switch her weight class to 68 kg or 76 kg.
“That is a challenge for me to figure out which weight is best for my body,” she told NBC sports. “Growing up, I almost never cut weight. My parents were against it. When I was younger, like 12 years old, I would go in a plus weight class and go with kids that were 30, 40 pounds heavier than me. I just want to take care of my body and not starve myself, not dehydrate myself.”
FloWrestling featured Elor’s victory on X and captioned it as: Amit Elor 🇺🇸 wins her 2nd consecutive Senior World title at 72kg🥇🥇with a 8-2 win over Mongolia 🇲🇳
Amit Elor 🇺🇸 wins her 2nd consecutive Senior World title at 72kg🥇🥇with a 8-2 win over Mongolia 🇲🇳 pic.twitter.com/P7rHZu2Z0v
