Japan wrestler Mayu Mukaida wins women’s 53 kg at Tokyo Games

Two-time world champion Mayu Mukaida of Japan rallied to defeat two-time world bronze medallist Pang Qianyu of China in the women’s 53kg freestyle wrestling gold medal match at the Tokyo Olympics on Friday.

Pang took an early 4-0 lead in the first period, but the Japanese came back in the second, showing her experience and class by scoring five unanswered points to win 5-4 and claim the gold.”

Japan’s Mayu Mukaida reacts after defeating Mongolia’s Bolortuya Bat-Ochir in their women’s freestyle 53kg wrestling semi-final match during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Makuhari Messe in Tokyo on August 5, 2021. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP)

I should play more aggressive when I took the lead,” said Pang, “It’s a pity to have a silver in my first Olympic Games, I believe I can win the gold three years later in Pairs Olympic Games.”

Bolortuya Bat Ochir of Mogolia and Vanesa Kaladzinskaya of Belarus shared the bronze medals.China’s Sun Yanan, who claimed bronze in the 48kg at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, advanced into the final of the women’s freestyle 50kg with a last-second victory 10-7 against Sarah Ann Hildebrandt of the U.S..Hildebrandt built a 7-0 lead in the first period, but Sun cut the deficit to 7-6 with 10 seconds left then made the winning score in the last second.”My opponent became too passive because I knew she wanted not to lose any further points until the end of the match. I thought I still had plenty of time to get a comeback.” said Sun.Sun will meet Japan’s Yui Susaki in the final.Zaurbek Sidakov won the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) its third wrestling gold medal by overwhelming Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau of Belarus 7-0 in the men’s freestyle 74kg final.

Kyle Douglas Dake from the U.S. defeated Frank Chamizo Marquez of Italy for one bronze medal while Bekzod Abdurakhmonov of Uzbekistan took the other.In the men’s freestyle 125kg final, the U.S. also got the third gold as the Gable Dan Steveson stunned the title favorite Geno Petriashvili from Georgia 10-8 with a last-second score.”I was guaranteed a medal, but I knew I could fire that last shot off and give him that last trick, and he bit it.” Steveson said.
@Xinua