freestyle wrestler
Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling i ...
who competes at 65 kilograms. At the
2020 Summer Olympics
The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July.
Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...
, Otoguro claimed the
gold medal
A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture.
Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
Gadzhimurad Rashidov
Gadzhimurad Gazigandovich Rashidov ( rus, Гаджимурад Газигандович Рашидов, , ɡəd͡ʐʐɨmʊˈrat rɐˈʂɨdəf, Dargin: Гъазиганла урши ХӀяжимурад; born 30 October 1995) is a Russian frees ...
Haji Aliyev
Haji Aliyev ( az, Hacı Azər oğlu Əliyev; born 21 April 1991, in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan SSR) is an Azerbaijani freestyle wrestler. He competed at the 61 kg division in the 2014 European Wrestling Championships and won the gold medal af ...
. A Cadet World Champion, Otoguro first broke into the senior scene when he went undefeated (16–0) in 2018, claiming the
World Championship
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
and the National Championship at age 19. He then went on to become a two–time Asian Continental Champion (claiming titles in
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
and
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
).
Career
Early career
Otoguro begun
wrestling
Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
at a young age. During his junior high school years, he studied and trained at the Elite Academy, which is hosted by the
Japanese Olympic Committee
The is the National Olympic Committee in Japan for the Olympic Games movement, based in Tokyo, Japan. It is a non-profit organisation that selects teams and raises funds to send Japanese competitors to Olympic events organised by the Internati ...
. His first international appearance came at the 2013 Cadet World Championships, where he claimed a bronze medal. After earning the 2014 Cadet Asian Championship, Otoguro was unable to medal at the 2014 Cadet World Championship, placing eleventh. In 2015, Otoguro became a Cadet World Champion.
Senior level
2018
Otoguro made his senior freestyle debut in April 2018, at the
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
Logan Stieber
Logan Stieber (born January 24, 1991) is an American former freestyle and folkstyle wrestler, who competed internationally at 61 and 65 kilograms. In the Olympic year of 2016, he won the non-Olympic world championship at 61kg, and in 2018, ...
and India's 2017 Junior Asian Champion Sharvan. Otoguro then comfortably claimed the All–Japan Invitational crown with a flawless 6–0 win in the finals against 2016 Olympic Silver medalist
Rei Higuchi
Rei Higuchi (Japanese: 樋口黎; born 28 January 1996) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler who won a silver medal in the 57 kg division at the 2016 Olympics.'2018 Asian Championship runner–up Daichi Takatani, whom he was able to flawlessly drive to a
technical fall In amateur wrestling, a technical fall, or technical superiority, is a victory condition satisfied by outscoring one's opponent by a specified number of points. It is wrestling's version of the mercy rule. It is informally abbreviated to "tech" as b ...
in under two minutes to claim the spot.
At the
World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
, Otaguro made his way to the semifinals with three technical falls, including one over the accomplished veteran
Vasyl Shuptar
Vasyl Shuptar (born January 27, 1991, in Lviv) is a Ukrainian
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographi ...
Akhmed Chakaev
Akhmed Osmanovich Chakaev (russian: Ахмед Османович Чакаев; born 23 March 1988) is a Russian freestyle wrestler. He is a two-time world freestyle wrestling bronze medalist. He is a silver medalist in the Golden Grand Prix Ivan ...
, whom he was able to edge 15–10 to make the finals. In the finals, he had another 25–point score match, now against 2018 Asian Games Gold medalist
Bajrang Punia
Bajrang Punia (born 26 February 1994) is an Indian freestyle wrestler, who competes in the 65-kg weight category. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Punia won a bronze medal by defeating Kazakhstan's Daulet Niyazbekov with a wide 8-0 margin. Punia ...
, whom he defeated 16–9 to claim the World Championship at 65 kilograms. In doing so, Otaguro became the youngest Japanese wrestler to ever win a world title at the age of 19. He then wasted no time and became Japan's National Champion with wins over the accomplished
Rei Higuchi
Rei Higuchi (Japanese: 樋口黎; born 28 January 1996) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler who won a silver medal in the 57 kg division at the 2016 Olympics.'18 Asian Games Silver medalistDaichi Takatani (by technical fall), being named the ''Outstanding Wrestler''. After his championship performance through 2018, Otaguro was named one of the ''Breakout Performers of the Year'' and his match with
Punia Punia can refer to:
* ''Punia'' (cicada), a genus of cicadas
*Punia, Lithuania, a town in Lithuania
*Puniya Poonia or Punia is a clan (or gotra) of Jats.
Notable people who bear the surname and may or may not be associated with the clan include:
...
was named the ''Match of the Year'' by
United World Wrestling
United World Wrestling (UWW) is the international governing body for the sport of amateur wrestling; its duties include overseeing wrestling at the Olympics. It presides over international competitions for various forms of wrestling, including ...
.
2019
Otoguro was not able to compete at the
Asian Championships
An Asian Championship is a top level international sports competition between Asian athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs.
List of Championships (Summer Olympic Sports)
;Aquatics
* Asian ...
nor the
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
due to a knee injury and was able to practice again a month before the All-Japan Invitational Championships. At the tournament, limited preparation seemed to affect Otoguro, who lost by technical fall to
Rei Higuchi
Rei Higuchi (Japanese: 樋口黎; born 28 January 1996) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler who won a silver medal in the 57 kg division at the 2016 Olympics.Higuchi at the WTT, and was able to defeat him to earn the spot.
At the
World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
, the returning champion got through the first round with a comfortable 6–0 score, but was then soundly defeated by two–time
World Championship
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
runner-up and eventual winner of the championship
Gadzhimurad Rashidov
Gadzhimurad Gazigandovich Rashidov ( rus, Гаджимурад Газигандович Рашидов, , ɡəd͡ʐʐɨmʊˈrat rɐˈʂɨdəf, Dargin: Гъазиганла урши ХӀяжимурад; born 30 October 1995) is a Russian frees ...
with a score of 1–8. As the Russian kept advancing, Otoguro was able to go through repechage, where he had a 20–point score battle against three–time World and
European
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
Champion
Haji Aliyev
Haji Aliyev ( az, Hacı Azər oğlu Əliyev; born 21 April 1991, in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan SSR) is an Azerbaijani freestyle wrestler. He competed at the 61 kg division in the 2014 European Wrestling Championships and won the gold medal af ...
, whom he edged 11–9, and a 6–1 victory over Haji Mohamad Ali to make it to the third-place match. In the bronze-medal match, he was defeated by 2018 Russian National runner–up
Ismail Musukaev
Ismail Timurovich Musukaev (russian: Исмаил Тимурович Мусукаев, hu, Muszukajev Iszmail Timurovics; born 28 January 1993) is a Russian freestyle wrestler of Balkar heritage, who has been representing Hungary since 2019. He ...
to place fifth. Otoguro then became a two–time Japan National Champion and Olympian on December, with a victory over 2017 U23 World champion
Rinya Nakamura
is a Japanese mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler who currently competes in the bantamweight division. Competing at 61 kilograms, Nakamura became the 2017 U23 World Champion during his wrestling career, before retiring at age 25 ...
Daulet Niyazbekov
Daulet Niyazbekov ( kk, Дәулет Шораұлы Ниязбеков; born 12 February 1989) is a Kazakh freestyle wrestler, who was a member of the Olympic Games 2012. He competed in the men's freestyle 55 kg and he lost his bronze medal matc ...
(10–3) and the accomplished veteran
Bajrang Punia
Bajrang Punia (born 26 February 1994) is an Indian freestyle wrestler, who competes in the 65-kg weight category. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Punia won a bronze medal by defeating Kazakhstan's Daulet Niyazbekov with a wide 8-0 margin. Punia ...
in a rematch (10–2).
Otoguro was scheduled to represent Japan at the
2020 Summer Olympics
The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July.
Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...
on August, however, the
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
were postponed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, and are now expected to take place on August 1–7, 2021.
2021
After a full year of no competition due to the
pandemic
A pandemic () is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of individuals. A widespread endemic (epidemiology), endemic disease wi ...
, Otoguro competed at the 2021 Asian Championships in April 17–18. To make the finals, he dominated 2019 Junior Asian Continental runner–up Nodir Rakhimov to a
technical fall In amateur wrestling, a technical fall, or technical superiority, is a victory condition satisfied by outscoring one's opponent by a specified number of points. It is wrestling's version of the mercy rule. It is informally abbreviated to "tech" as b ...
and defeated Morteza Ghiasi. In the finals, he was set up to face rival
Bajrang Punia
Bajrang Punia (born 26 February 1994) is an Indian freestyle wrestler, who competes in the 65-kg weight category. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Punia won a bronze medal by defeating Kazakhstan's Daulet Niyazbekov with a wide 8-0 margin. Punia ...
, but Punia pulled out of the match due to an elbow injury, resulting in Otoguro claiming his second gold medal from the Asian continental championships.
At the 2020 Summer Olympics, an unseeded Otoguro debuted against former U23 Asian Champion,
Tömör-Ochiryn Tulga
Tömör-Ochiryn Tulga ( mn, Төмөр-Очирын Тулга; born 11 February 1998) is a Mongolian wrestler. He competed in the men's freestyle 65 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics
The , officially the and also known as , was a ...
, and defeated the Mongolian by a 6–3 score; in the quarter-final, Otoguro would then face
Ismail Musukaev
Ismail Timurovich Musukaev (russian: Исмаил Тимурович Мусукаев, hu, Muszukajev Iszmail Timurovics; born 28 January 1993) is a Russian freestyle wrestler of Balkar heritage, who has been representing Hungary since 2019. He ...
, who defeated Otoguro at the 2019 World Championships for a bronze medal. Otoguro would exact revenge, and defeated Musukaev by 4–1, thus advancing Otoguro into the semi-final - against
Gadzhimurad Rashidov
Gadzhimurad Gazigandovich Rashidov ( rus, Гаджимурад Газигандович Рашидов, , ɡəd͡ʐʐɨmʊˈrat rɐˈʂɨdəf, Dargin: Гъазиганла урши ХӀяжимурад; born 30 October 1995) is a Russian frees ...
, another former opponent from 2019. After a competitive six minutes, Otoguro, again, exacted revenge and defeated the 2019 World Champion, by 3–2, gaining entry to the final - opposite Azerbaijan's
Haji Aliyev
Haji Aliyev ( az, Hacı Azər oğlu Əliyev; born 21 April 1991, in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan SSR) is an Azerbaijani freestyle wrestler. He competed at the 61 kg division in the 2014 European Wrestling Championships and won the gold medal af ...
. Against another one of his former 2019 World Championship opponents, Otoguro defeated the former Olympic Bronze medalist, and three-time World Champion, Aliyev by 5–4 in the final, to gain his first ever Olympic medal, and took first place on the podium.
Personal life
Takuto has a brother named Keisuke Otoguro, who is also a world-class wrestler.
Haji Aliyev
Haji Aliyev ( az, Hacı Azər oğlu Əliyev; born 21 April 1991, in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan SSR) is an Azerbaijani freestyle wrestler. He competed at the 61 kg division in the 2014 European Wrestling Championships and won the gold medal af ...
2020 Summer Olympics
The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July.
Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
, -
, Win
, 35–3
, align=left,
Gadzhimurad Rashidov
Gadzhimurad Gazigandovich Rashidov ( rus, Гаджимурад Газигандович Рашидов, , ɡəd͡ʐʐɨmʊˈrat rɐˈʂɨdəf, Dargin: Гъазиганла урши ХӀяжимурад; born 30 October 1995) is a Russian frees ...
Iszmail Muszukajev
Ismail Timurovich Musukaev (russian: Исмаил Тимурович Мусукаев, hu, Muszukajev Iszmail Timurovics; born 28 January 1993) is a Russian freestyle wrestler of Balkar heritage, who has been representing Hungary since 2019. He ...
Tömör-Ochiryn Tulga
Tömör-Ochiryn Tulga ( mn, Төмөр-Очирын Тулга; born 11 February 1998) is a Mongolian wrestler. He competed in the men's freestyle 65 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics
The , officially the and also known as , was a ...
Bajrang Punia
Bajrang Punia (born 26 February 1994) is an Indian freestyle wrestler, who competes in the 65-kg weight category. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Punia won a bronze medal by defeating Kazakhstan's Daulet Niyazbekov with a wide 8-0 margin. Punia ...
, style="font-size:88%", INJ
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, April 17–18, 2021
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, 2021 Asian Continental Championships
, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=3,
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to 1936 as an autonomous republic as part of t ...
Bajrang Punia
Bajrang Punia (born 26 February 1994) is an Indian freestyle wrestler, who competes in the 65-kg weight category. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Punia won a bronze medal by defeating Kazakhstan's Daulet Niyazbekov with a wide 8-0 margin. Punia ...
, style="font-size:88%", 10–2
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, February 18–23, 2020
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2020 Asian Continental Championships
, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=4,
New Delhi, India
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...
Daulet Niyazbekov
Daulet Niyazbekov ( kk, Дәулет Шораұлы Ниязбеков; born 12 February 1989) is a Kazakh freestyle wrestler, who was a member of the Olympic Games 2012. He competed in the men's freestyle 55 kg and he lost his bronze medal matc ...
Rinya Nakamura
is a Japanese mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler who currently competes in the bantamweight division. Competing at 61 kilograms, Nakamura became the 2017 U23 World Champion during his wrestling career, before retiring at age 25 ...
, style="font-size:88%", TF 10–0
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, December 19, 2019
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2019 Japanese National Championships
, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=4,
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
Iszmail Muszukajev
Ismail Timurovich Musukaev (russian: Исмаил Тимурович Мусукаев, hu, Muszukajev Iszmail Timurovics; born 28 January 1993) is a Russian freestyle wrestler of Balkar heritage, who has been representing Hungary since 2019. He ...
, style="font-size:88%", 3–5
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, September 19–20, 2019
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2019 World Championships
, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=5,
Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan.
The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmo ...
Haji Aliyev
Haji Aliyev ( az, Hacı Azər oğlu Əliyev; born 21 April 1991, in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan SSR) is an Azerbaijani freestyle wrestler. He competed at the 61 kg division in the 2014 European Wrestling Championships and won the gold medal af ...
Gadzhimurad Rashidov
Gadzhimurad Gazigandovich Rashidov ( rus, Гаджимурад Газигандович Рашидов, , ɡəd͡ʐʐɨmʊˈrat rɐˈʂɨdəf, Dargin: Гъазиганла урши ХӀяжимурад; born 30 October 1995) is a Russian frees ...
Vazgen Tevanyan
Vazgen Tevanyan (born 27 October 1999) is an Armenian freestyle wrestler who competes at 65 kilograms. An accomplished athlete, Tevanyan has most notably claimed the 2020 Individual World Cup and the 2019 U23 European Championships. He qualifi ...
Rei Higuchi
Rei Higuchi (Japanese: 樋口黎; born 28 January 1996) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler who won a silver medal in the 57 kg division at the 2016 Olympics.Wakō, Saitama
is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 84,161 in 42,434 households and a population density of 7600 persons per km². The total area of the city is .
Geography
Wakō is located on the southern b ...
Rei Higuchi
Rei Higuchi (Japanese: 樋口黎; born 28 January 1996) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler who won a silver medal in the 57 kg division at the 2016 Olympics.Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
, -
, Win
, 15–0
, align=left,
Rei Higuchi
Rei Higuchi (Japanese: 樋口黎; born 28 January 1996) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler who won a silver medal in the 57 kg division at the 2016 Olympics.Rinya Nakamura
is a Japanese mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler who currently competes in the bantamweight division. Competing at 61 kilograms, Nakamura became the 2017 U23 World Champion during his wrestling career, before retiring at age 25 ...
Bajrang Punia
Bajrang Punia (born 26 February 1994) is an Indian freestyle wrestler, who competes in the 65-kg weight category. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Punia won a bronze medal by defeating Kazakhstan's Daulet Niyazbekov with a wide 8-0 margin. Punia ...
, style="font-size:88%", 16–9
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, October 21–22, 2018
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2018 World Championships
, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=5,
Budapest, Hungary
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population of ...
, -
, Win
, 11–0
, align=left,
Akhmed Chakaev
Akhmed Osmanovich Chakaev (russian: Ахмед Османович Чакаев; born 23 March 1988) is a Russian freestyle wrestler. He is a two-time world freestyle wrestling bronze medalist. He is a silver medalist in the Golden Grand Prix Ivan ...
Vasyl Shuptar
Vasyl Shuptar (born January 27, 1991, in Lviv) is a Ukrainian
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographi ...
Wakō, Saitama
is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 84,161 in 42,434 households and a population density of 7600 persons per km². The total area of the city is .
Geography
Wakō is located on the southern b ...
Rei Higuchi
Rei Higuchi (Japanese: 樋口黎; born 28 January 1996) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler who won a silver medal in the 57 kg division at the 2016 Olympics.Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
2018 World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded the hosting righ ...
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City, offically the City of Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the time ...
, -
, Win
, 1–0
, align=left,
Logan Stieber
Logan Stieber (born January 24, 1991) is an American former freestyle and folkstyle wrestler, who competed internationally at 61 and 65 kilograms. In the Olympic year of 2016, he won the non-Olympic world championship at 61kg, and in 2018, ...