Looking at the women's freestyle Olympic weight class results from the Asian Championships

Photo credit: Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling

While there were no Olympic spots on the line at the 2020 Asian Championships, the tournament gave us some insight into which wrestlers could represent their countries at the Asian Olympic Games Qualifier in March and potentially the Olympic Games. If a wrestler placed in the top five at an Olympic weight class at the 2019 World Championships, they already qualified their country for the Olympic Games, and the country will not have a representative at the qualifier.

It should be noted that China, a traditional women’s freestyle power, did not have any wrestlers entered in the competition.

Let’s take a look at the 2020 Asian Championships Olympic weight class women’s freestyle medalists.

50 kg Place Winners
Gold – Miho Igarashi (Japan)
Silver – Devi Nirmala (India)
Bronze – Valentina Islamova Brik (Kazkhstan)
Bronze – Dauletbike Yakhshimuratova (Uzbekistan)

At 50 kg, Japan’s Miho Igarashi came out on top. Per Japan’s procedures, any 2019 World medalist at an Olympic weight class secured their position as the 2020 Olympic representative. However, at the 2019 World Championships, Japan’s representative Yuki Irie finished in eighth, so the spot is up for grabs. Igarashi will certainly be a contender given her age group successes. She is a 2014 Cadet World champion, a 2015 and 2016 Junior World champion and a 2017 and 2018 U23 World champion.

The frontrunner to qualify the weight for Japan is most likely Yui Susaski. While Susaki did not make the 2019 Senior Japanese World Team, she was a World champion in 2017 and 2018. Additionally, she won Junior world titles in 2018 and 2019 and Cadet World titles in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Devi Nirmala of India finished with a silver medal. She has competed at five Senior World championships with her most recent being in 2014. Her best finish was 20th in 2009. India could send Nirmala to qualify the weight class, or they could elect to send 2019 World Team member Seema Seema. Seema finished 11th in 2019 and was also the representative in 2018.

2019 World bronze medalist Valentina Islamova Brik of Kazakhstan earned a bronze medal. Given that she has already qualified the weight class, it seems likely that she will be Kazakhstan’s Olympic representative.

The other bronze medalist was Dauletbike Yakhshimuratova of Uzbekistan. Yakhshimuratova finished 15th at the 2019 World Championships. She also competed at the 2014 World Championships where she finished 24th.

53 kg Place Winners
Gold – Tatyana Akhemetova Amanzhol (Kazakhstan)
Silver – Mayu Mukaida (Japan)
Bronze – Vinesh Phogat (India)
Bronze – Aktenge Keunimajaeva (Uzbekistan)

Tatyana Akhemetova Amanzhol of Kazakhstan won an impressive bracket featuring several 2019 World medalists. In the finals, Akhemetova Amanzhol, who placed 17th at the 2019 World Championships, defeated 2019 World silver medalist Mayu Mukaida of Japan by fall. Trailing, 8-0, Akhemetova Amanzhol stepped over a Mukaida gutwrench attempt to secure the pin. With her 2019 World medal, Mukaida already secured her spot as Japan’s Olympic representative.

2019 World bronze medalist Vinesh Phogat of India took home one of the bronze medals. It seems likely that she will represent India at the Olympics given that she has already qualified the weight class.

Aktenge Keunimajaeva of Uzbekistan claimed the other bronze medal. Keunimajaeva finished 25th at the World Championships.

57 kg Place Winners
Gold – Risako Kawai (Japan)
Silver – Davaachimeg Erkhembayar (Mongolia)
Bronze – Altynay Satylgan (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Anshu Anshu (India)

2016 Olympic champion and three-time Senior World champion Risako Kawai of Japan took gold at 57 kg. Kawai has claimed titles at the past three World Championships and locked up her spot as Japan’s Olympic representative. Kawai was dominant, defeating Mongolia’s Davaachimeg Erkhembayar in the finals, 10-0.

Erkhembayar competed at the 2017 and 2018 World Championships at 55 kg, placing eighth and ninth. Mongolia’s 2019 Worlds representative at 57 kg was Tserenchimed Sukhee, who placed 17th. Mongolia could also utilize 2019 World bronze medalist at 55 kg Bolortuya Bat Ochir at 57 kg. However, in January she competed at 53 kg at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, taking third.

Altynay Satylgan of Kazakhstan finished with a bronze. Satylgan finished 12th at the 2018 Senior World Championships and fifth at the 2019 U23 World Championships. Kazakhstan’s 2019 Senior Worlds representative was Emma Tissina, who finished 30th. Marina Sendeva, the fifth place finisher at 55 kg at the World Championships, could be another wrestler in the picture attempting to qualify the weight class.

The other bronze medalist was Anshu Anshu of India. Anshu finished 5th at the 2019 Junior Championships and in January finished runner-up at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series tournament in Rome. India’s 2019 World representative was Sarita Sarita, who finished 25th. Sarita claimed gold at the Asian Championships wrestling at 59 kg. Another wrestler who could contend for the spot is Pooja Dhanda, who placed fifth at 59 kg at the 2019 Worlds. Dhanda was a 2018 World bronze medalist at 57 kg.

62 kg Place Winners
Gold – Yukako Kawai (Japan)
Silver – Ayaulym Kassymova (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Nomin Erdene Purvee (Mongolia)
Bronze – Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan)

Yukako Kawai, who already secured her spot on Japan’s Olympic Team with a 2019 World bronze medal, took gold at 62 kg. Yukako is the sister of Risako Kawai and is a 2018 Senior World silver medalist and U23 World champion. In the opening round, Kawai defeated 2019 World champion Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan, 6-1. Tynybekova, Kyrgyzstan’s first women’s freestyle World champion, batted back for third and will almost certainly be the Olympic representative for Kyrgyzstan.

Ayaulym Kassymova of Kazakhstan finished runner-up. She placed 27th at the 2019 World Championships. Aina Temirtassova, who placed 7th at Worlds at 65 kg could potentially drop down in attempts to qualify the weight class for Kazakhstan if they opt to not go with Kassymova.

Nomin Edene Purvee took home a bronze for Mongolia. Purvee placed fifth at the 2018 U23 World Championships at 72 kg. Mongolia’s 2019 World Team member at 62 kg was Gantuya Enkhbat, who placed 11th. She is a two-time U23 World bronze medalist. Another option for Mongolia for this weight class is Shoovdor Baatarjav, a 2018 and 2019 World bronze medalist at 59 kg.

68 kg Place Winners
Gold – Divya Kakran (India)
Silver – Naruha Matsuyuki (Japan)
Bronze – Delgermaa Enkhsaikhan (Mongolia)

India’s Divya Kakran went 4-0, pinning every opponent she faced, to claim gold in a five-woman bracket at 68 kg. Kakran finished 26th at last year’s World Championships and more recently placed fifth at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series Tournament. She seems like India’s best bet to attempt to qualify the weight class.

Finishing runner-up with a 3-1 record was Naruha Matsuyuki of Japan. Matsuyuki was the 2019 Junior World champion and is a 2017 U23 World silver medalist. Sara Dosho qualified the weight class for Japan by finishing fifth at the 2019 World Championships. Dosho is a 2016 Olympic champion and a 2017 World champion. Additionally, she is a two-time World bronze medalist and one-time runner-up.

Another wrestler that could contend for the Olympic spot for Japan is Masko Furuichi. In 2019, Furuichi earned a bronze medal at Senior Worlds at 72 kg and was the U23 World champion at 68 kg. Furuichi is also a three-time Cadet World champion and a three-time Junior World champion.

However, at the Japanese Championships in December, Dosho finished fifth and Furuichi finished third in the 68 kg bracket. The top-two finishers were Miwa Morikawa and Matsuyuuki. Morikawa, who could be the favorite to represent Japan in 2020, is the 2019 Junior World champion at 65 kg and the 2018 U23 World runner-up at 68 kg.

Delgermaa Enkhsaikhan of Mongolia was the sole bronze medalist in the bracket. She went 2-2. Two-time World champion and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Soronzonboldyn Battsetseg finished with a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships, qualifying the spot for Mongolia. She is the most likely candidate to be their Olympic representative.

76 kg Place Winners
Gold – Hiro Minagawa Suzuki (Japan)
Silver – Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan)
Bronze – Elmira Syzdykova (Kazakhstan)

2019 World silver medalist Hiro Minagawa Suzuki of Japan claimed the 76 kg title. Minagawa Suzuki, a 2019 Junior World champion and 2017 U23 World runner-up, will be Japan’s representative at the Olympics.

Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan finished with silver. Medet Kyzy has represented Kyrgyzstan at the World Championships the past three years finishing, 15th, 16th and tenth. Medet Kyzy has considerable age-group success, finishing third at the 2019 U23 World Championships, first at the 2017 Junior World Championships and second at the 2016 Cadet World Championships. She will most likely attempt to qualify the weight for Kyrgyzstan.

Elmira Syzdykova of Kazakhstan finished third. She already qualified the weight class for Kazakhstan by finishing fifth at the 2019 World Championships and will most likely be their Olympic representative. She is a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist.