By Ece Toksabay
CHIBA, Japan (Reuters) – The Japanese Yui Susaki stormed into the women’s Olympic freestyle semi-finals in the women’s flyweight division on Friday with two sovereign victories thanks to technical superiority and finished both fights in the first third.
Susaki, Japan’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony, first defeated Namuuntsetseg Tsogt-Ochir of Mongolia before dominating Lucia Guzman of Ecuador and starting the fight with a four-point throw to leave Guzman looking for answers.
Susaki wants to become Japan’s third wrestler after the Kawai sisters to win gold in Tokyo https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/wrestling-magic-man-taylor-wins-final-death-japans-kawai-claims -gold-2021-08-05 – Risako and Yukako – won the light and middle weight categories.
The 22-year-old meets the three-time Olympic champion from Azerbaijan, Mariya Stadnik. Susaki had previously beaten her in the final of the 2018 World Cup.
India’s medal hope Bajrang Punia reached the semi-finals in the men’s lightweight freestyle after defeating Kyrgyzstan Ernazar Akmataliev and Iranian Morteza Ghiasi – the only win until autumn that day.
A single takedown in a 3-3 result made all the difference against Akmataliev, while 27-year-old Asian champions Punia trailed Ghiasi before pinning the Iranian, who was desperate to escape but failed.
Punia will face three-time world champion Haji Aliyev from Azerbaijan, who defeated Kazakhstan’s Daulet Niyazbekov 9-1 in a controlled quarter-final.
Niyazbekov was previously embroiled in one of the biggest bouts of the Games when he took an unlikely win against Cuban Alejandro Valdes and slid back 11-3 to 21-11 in the second period, 11-3 back.
The other semi-final will be a duel between two world champions when the Russian Gadzhimurad Rashidov meets the Japanese Takuto Otoguro.
Russian Abdulrashid Sadulaev defeated Azerbaijani Sharif Sharifov in the round of 16 in the men’s heavyweight freestyle match between two Olympic gold medalists.
Sadulaev, the 2016 middleweight champion, then outclassed Georgian Elizbar Odikadze 10-0 and won through technical superiority to secure a semi-final place against Cuban Reineris Salas.
(Letter from Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; edited by Lincoln Feast.)
