BEIJING: Japan’s five-time world champion Saori Yoshida retained her Olympic crown yesterday, while Carol Huynh brought Canada their first gold of the Games as the women’s freestyle wrestling got under way.
Yoshida overwhelmed China’s Xu Li in the 55kg final while Huynh, a daughter of Vietnamese refugees outpointed another Japanese and world champion Chiharu Icho for the 48kg title.
“I produced my best wrestling and kept charging forward,” the 25-year-old Yoshida said after a tearful medal ceremony.
“I have never cried like this but they were tears of joy.” Yoshida led from the start taking the first period 2-0 and pressed the 18-year-old Chinese for the fall after scoring a two-point takedown in the second. She made a back flip in joy and was hoisted aloft by her coach Kazuhito Sakae.
Yoshida, a quick tackler at 1.56 centimeters (5 feet 2 inches), said the win marked the beginning of a long road to the next Olympics in 2012.
“I will go for London, indeed. Four years may seem long but can be short. I will try for a third straight title,” added Yoshida whose triumph completed her comeback after she lost her 119-match winning streak six months ago. It was a predictable start for Japan’s four women wrestlers here, the same lineup who won two golds, one silver and a bronze at the Athens Games four years ago when women’s wrestling made its Olympic debut. Icho’s younger sister and Olympic 63kg champion Kaori and 72kg bronze medalist Kyoko Hamaguchi were to compete today, the final day of the four-event women’s competition.
Yoshida lost to unfancied American Marcie van Dusen at the World Cup team competition in China in January when her trademark tackles were countered.
It was her first-ever loss to a foreigner. Van Dusen, 10th at the world championships in Baku in Septemeber, bowed to Colombian Jackeline Renteira 2-0 in the second round.
“I have worked painfully hard in the past half year, hoping that my tackles would not be countered and I am happy there were not countered today,” she said. About van Dusen, she said: “I know there will be a day when I face her again.” Yoshida beat Canada’s Tonya Verbeek 2-0 in the semifinals, a rematch of their final clash at the Athens Games four years ago.
Xu, the 2007 World Cup champion who was third in the 2008 Asian championship contest won by Yoshida in March, moved through a block devoid of Olympic or world medallists, beating Renteira in the semifinals.
“I will learn from this loss for my future training,” she said.
“I will practice harder and I want to defeat Yoshida in the future.” The 27-year-old Huynh took the first period 4-0 with a takedown and a point from Icho’s move outside the contest area. Icho was forced out of the ring twice in the second, and although she battled back to score a point but could not maintain the momentum.
“I’ve been working really hard on being more confident,” said Huynh, the 2001 world silver medalist who was fifth at the worlds last year.
“My parents always worked hard to support my family. It’s very special for them to be here and to see me reach my dream,” she added.
Her mother was Chinese born in Vietnam and her father moved there from China as a child.
“It’s great that they made it here and saw it happen right in front of their eyes,” she said
