Japan's Kaori Icho wins 63-kg wrestling gold at Beijing Games

Sunday 17th August, 06:33 PM JST

BEIJING —

Japanese wrestler Kaori Icho won the gold medal in the women’s 63-kilogram category at the Beijing Games on Sunday, claiming a second consecutive Olympic title. Icho, gold medalist at Athens four years ago, beat Alena Kartashova of Russia in the final.

In the 72-kg semifinals, five-time world champion Hamaguchi was outmaneuvered by the 20-year-old Wang throughout the match and pinned in the second period for a fall. The 30-year-old Hamaguchi will wrestle for the bronze medal later in the day.

Kyodo

Latest 15 of 20 Total Comments Show All

pathat at 09:27 PM JST - 17th August

"I can imagine Hamaguchi winning a gold medal one of these days."

Not me. She will be 34 for London in 2012.

The biggest thing women`s wrestling needs is for there to be enough of a talented pool of wrestlers worldwide to make it a more legitimate Olympic sport, and possibly increase the number of weight classes. There are too few women participating in this sport to put it on a par with most others in the Olympics.

It got its start in Athens, but it has a long way to go.
ExPrinceska at 09:30 PM JST - 17th August

Wrestling is much more ligitimate sport than soft ball and baseball :)
pathat at 09:45 PM JST - 17th August

Princess:

You will not get an argument from me the baseball and softball belong in the Olympics. I am glad the IOC has seen fit to give them the axe after these Games.

But I do think that women`s wrestling is still very much in the developmental stage, with too few women in a very small number of countries involved. Hopefully this will gradually change in the coming years.
ExPrinceska at 09:54 PM JST - 17th August

Hopefully this will gradually change in the coming years.

Do you really want to see more women in this sport? I have nothing against emancipation but women's wrestling and weightlifting do not make women look good.
northlondon at 10:54 PM JST - 17th August

Just great to see the Japan womens softball team outperforming the Japan mens all-star baseball team, plus the Japan womens soccer team also outperform the Japan mens prima donna soccer team. It shows that Japanese women are more talented than the men !
romulus3 at 03:07 AM JST - 18th August

wow, no wonder the Chinese are doing good. check this...

How much is China's first gold medal worth? According to one recent report, weightlifter Chen Xiexia, who won China's first gold medal in Beijing, will receive as much as 10 million yuan (NZ$2m) for the feat. The 25-year-old lifter isn't counting on that, the Oriental Sports Daily reported, but income from a variety of sources is sure to make her China's next millionaire. The General Administration of Sport of China (GASC) will award each Chinese gold medallist 250,000 yuan. But that's just the beginning. Awards from athletes' home provinces and other sources are likely to be much more lucrative. The Fok Ying Tung Foundation, launched by a Hong Kong entrepreneur and philanthropist, has awarded every Chinese gold medallist since 1984 one kilogram of gold and US$80,000. Also, Chinese athletes who earn cash rewards or other prizes as a result of success at the Olympic Games will be exempt from individual income tax. All told, the total for a gold medal is expected to be at least 1.5 million yuan.
USNinJapan2 at 08:34 AM JST - 18th August

...but women's wrestling and weightlifting do not make women look good.

Ah yes appearance. That of course is such an important aspect of sports...
fatloser at 12:03 PM JST - 18th August

Hamaguchi is a dirty wrestler!!! NHK showed a close up of her cramming 4 fingers up the American oppenents exhaust pipe during the match. That is probably the reason why she received such an unfriendly rebuff to her post match handshake. Not only that but she was cautioned for trying to break her Chinese opponent's arm. Her ape like journey into the stands was a disgusting display of unsportmanship!!!!!!!!!
ExPrinceska at 12:13 PM JST - 18th August

I did not like Hamaguchi before but after this Olympics I tend to find her quite likable, no complaints against the opponents who beat her, so gracious, genuinely happy about her achievement, lovely smile, so non-Japanese attitude!
fatloser at 12:16 PM JST - 18th August

Good on you,Matey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ExPrinceska at 12:16 PM JST - 18th August

Ah yes appearance. That of course is such an important aspect of sports...

Not about appearance, but you should agree, the women in these sports look like men. Especially some athletes, who cut their hair like men, have flat bodies, can you recognize if this is a woman or a man?
USNinJapan2 at 12:49 PM JST - 18th August

ExPrinceska

Especially some athletes, who cut their hair like men, have flat bodies, can you recognize if this is a woman or a man?

It doesn't matter. Do you not understand this? Unlike you, for these female athletes their priority is excelling in their sport, not being attractive to the opposite (or same) sex. If they cared more about how they looked they wouldn't be competing.
northlondon at 01:17 PM JST - 18th August

Hamaguchi is a dirty wrestler!!! NHK showed a close up of her cramming 4 fingers up the American oppenents exhaust pipe during the match. That is probably the reason why she received such an unfriendly rebuff to her post match handshake. Not only that but she was cautioned for trying to break her Chinese opponent's arm.

This is Olympic Wrestling pal. What do you expect Olympic Wrestling opponents do ? Say, 'excuse me, but this might hurt a little' when they wrestle each other ? I am afraid this is a little more rough than the rythmic gymnastics.

Her ape like journey into the stands was a disgusting display of unsportmanship!!!!!!!!!

Most of us viewed it as an emotional ending to years of training and hardship to gain an Olympic medal. I find that sort of thing quite romantic, but there again I also dedicated years of high school life to sport and a training regime.
fatloser at 01:47 PM JST - 18th August

Watch your telly, chum!!!
romulus3 at 02:19 PM JST - 18th August

fatloser,

NHK showed a close up of her cramming 4 fingers up the American oppenents exhaust pipe during the match.

Your just jealous because you cant get any