Takuto Otoguro (乙黒 拓斗, Otoguro Takuto, born December 13, 1998) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler who competes at 65 kilograms.[1] At the 2020 Summer Olympics, Otoguro claimed the gold medal after beating the likes of defending World Champion Gadzhimurad Rashidov and three-time World Champion Haji Aliyev.[2] A Cadet World Champion, Otoguro first broke into the senior scene when he went undefeated (16–0) in 2018, claiming the World Championship and the National Championship at age 19.[3][4] He then went on to become a two–time Asian Continental Champion (claiming titles in 2020 and 2021).[5][6]

Takuto Otoguro
乙黒拓斗
Personal information
Native name乙黒拓斗
Born13 December 1998 (1998-12-13) (age 25)
Yamanashi Prefecture, Chūbu region, Japan
Height173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
WebsiteInstagram Profile
Sport
Country Japan
SportWrestling
Weight class65 kg
EventFreestyle
ClubJSDF Physical Training School
Achievements and titles
Olympic finalsGold (2020)
World finalsGold (2018) 5th(2019)
Regional finalsGold (2020) Gold (2021)
Medal record
Men's freestyle wrestling
Representing  Japan
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo 65 kg
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2018 Budapest 65 kg
World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Iowa Team
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Almaty 65 kg
Gold medal – first place 2020 New Delhi 65 kg
Japan National Championships
Gold medal – first place 2019 Tokyo 65 kg
Gold medal – first place 2018 Tokyo 65 kg
All-Japan Invitational Championships
Gold medal – first place 2018 Tokyo 65 kg
Silver medal – second place 2019 Tokyo 65 kg
World Cadets Championships
Gold medal – first place 2015 Sarajevo 54 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Zrenjanin 46 kg
Asian Cadets Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Bangkok 50 kg

Career edit

Early career edit

Otoguro begun wrestling 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.[7] His first international appearance came at the 2013 Cadet World Championships, where he claimed a bronze medal.[8] After earning the 2014 Cadet Asian Championship,[9] Otoguro was unable to medal at the 2014 Cadet World Championship, placing eleventh.[10] In 2015, Otoguro became a Cadet World Champion.[11]

Senior level edit

2018 edit

Otoguro made his senior freestyle debut in April 2018, at the World Cup, where he posted wins over 2016 World Champion and four–time NCAA champion Logan Stieber and India's 2017 Junior Asian Champion Sharvan.[12][13] 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, qualifying him for the JPN World Team Trials.[14] At the WTT, he faced '2018 Asian Championship runner–up Daichi Takatani, whom he was able to flawlessly drive to a technical fall in under two minutes to claim the spot.[15]

At the World Championships, Otaguro made his way to the semifinals with three technical falls, including one over the accomplished veteran Vasyl Shuptar. In the semis, he had a 25–point score match against Russian National champion Akhmed Chakaev, 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, whom he defeated 16–9 to claim the World Championship at 65 kilograms.[16][17] In doing so, Otaguro became the youngest Japanese wrestler to ever win a world title at the age of 19.[18] He then wasted no time and became Japan's National Champion with wins over the accomplished Rei Higuchi and '18 Asian Games Silver medalist Daichi Takatani (by technical fall), being named the Outstanding Wrestler.[19] After his championship performance through 2018, Otaguro was named one of the Breakout Performers of the Year and his match with Punia was named the Match of the Year by United World Wrestling.[20][21]

2019 edit

Otoguro was not able to compete at the Asian Championships nor the World Cup due to a knee injury and was able to practice again a month before the All-Japan Invitational Championships.[22] At the tournament, limited preparation seemed to affect Otoguro, who lost by technical fall to Rei Higuchi in his first career loss as a senior.[23] As the '18 Japan National champion, Otoguro rematched Higuchi at the WTT, and was able to defeat him to earn the spot.[24]

At the World Championships, the returning champion got through the first round with a comfortable 6–0 score, but was then soundly defeated by two–time World Championship runner-up and eventual winner of the championship Gadzhimurad Rashidov with a score of 1–8.[25] 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 Champion Haji Aliyev, 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 to place fifth.[26] Otoguro then became a two–time Japan National Champion and Olympian on December, with a victory over 2017 U23 World champion Rinya Nakamura in the finals.[27]

2020 edit

Otoguro came back in big fashion on February, when he claimed the Asian Continental Championship while posting notable and dominant victories over 2019 World Championship runner-up and three–time Asian Champion Daulet Niyazbekov (10–3) and the accomplished veteran Bajrang Punia in a rematch (10–2).[28]

Otoguro was scheduled to represent Japan at the 2020 Summer Olympics on August,[citation needed] however, the Olympic Games were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and are now expected to take place on August 1–7, 2021.[29]

2021 edit

After a full year of no competition due to the pandemic, Otoguro competed at the 2021 Asian Championships in April 17–18.[30] To make the finals, he dominated 2019 Junior Asian Continental runner–up Nodir Rakhimov to a technical fall and defeated Morteza Ghiasi.[31] In the finals, he was set up to face rival Bajrang 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.[6]

At the 2020 Summer Olympics, an unseeded Otoguro debuted against former U23 Asian Champion, Tömör-Ochiryn Tulga, and defeated the Mongolian by a 6–3 score;[32] in the quarter-final, Otoguro would then face Ismail Musukaev, 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, another former opponent from 2019. After a competitive six minutes, Otoguro, again, exacted revenge and defeated the 2019 World Champion, by 3–2,[33] gaining entry to the final - opposite Azerbaijan's Haji Aliyev.[34] Against another one of his former 2019 World Championship opponents, Otoguro defeated the former Olympic Bronze medalist,[35] and three-time World Champion, Aliyev by 5–4 in the final,[36] to earn his first ever Olympic medal, and took first place on the podium.[37]

Personal life edit

Takuto has a brother named Keisuke Otoguro, who is also a world-class wrestler.[38]

Freestyle record edit

Senior freestyle matches
Res. Record Opponent Score Date Event Location
2023 Japan Nationals 5th at 65 kg
Loss   Toshihiro Hasegawa FF December 21–24, 2023 2023 Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships   Tokyo, Japan
Loss 46–5   Kotaro Kiyooka 6–6
Win 46–4   Kaiji Ogino 8–2
Win 45–4   Takurō Matsubara TF 11–0
2023 World Championships DNP at 65 kg
Loss   Adil Ospanov FF September 19, 2023 2023 World Championships   Belgrade, Serbia
Loss 44–4   Ismail Musukaev Fall
Win 44–3   Erik Arushanian TF 10–0
Win 43–3   Islam Dudaev 9–2
2023 Japan Nationals   at 65 kg
Win 42–3   Ryoma Anraku 9–0 June 15–18, 2023 2023 Meiji Cup All–Japan Invitational Championships   Tokyo, Japan
Win 41–3   Kaiki Yamaguchi 3–2
Win 40–3   Kaiji Ogino 2–0
2022 Japan Nationals   at 65 kg
Win 39–3   Ryoma Anraku 4–0 December 22–25, 2022 2022 Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships   Tokyo, Japan
Win 38–3   Kaiji Ogino TF 10–0
Win 37–3   Kenho Uto TF 10–0
2020 Summer Olympics   at 65 kg
Win 36–3   Haji Aliyev 5–4 August 6–7, 2021 2020 Summer Olympics   Tokyo, Japan
Win 35–3   Gadzhimurad Rashidov 3–2
Win 34–3   Iszmail Muszukajev 4–1
Win 33–3   Tömör-Ochiryn Tulga 6–3
2021 Asian Championships   at 65 kg
Win   Bajrang Punia INJ April 17–18, 2021 2021 Asian Continental Championships

  Almaty, Kazakhstan

Win 32–3   Morteza Ghiasi 8–2
Win 31–3   Nodir Rakhimov TF 13–0
2020 Asian Championships   at 65 kg
Win 30–3   Bajrang Punia 10–2 February 18–23, 2020 2020 Asian Continental Championships

  New Delhi, India

Win 29–3   Nyamdorj Battulga TF 11–1
Win 28–3   Daulet Niyazbekov 10–3
Win 27–3   Mohammed Al Jawad Zuhair Kareem TF 10–0
2019 Japan Nationals   at 65 kg
Win 26–3   Rinya Nakamura TF 10–0 December 19, 2019 2019 Japanese National Championships   Tokyo, Japan
Win 25–3   Ryoma Anraku 8–1
Win 24–3   Shoya Shimae 6–1
Win 23–3   Yasuki Tsutsumi 5–2
2019 World Championships 5th at 65 kg
Loss 22–3   Iszmail Muszukajev 3–5 September 19–20, 2019 2019 World Championships   Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
Win 22–2   Haji Mohamad Ali 6–1
Win 21–2   Haji Aliyev 11–9
Loss 20–2   Gadzhimurad Rashidov 1–8
Win 20–1   Vazgen Tevanyan 6–0
2019 JPN World Team Trials   at 65 kg
Win 19–1   Rei Higuchi PP July 6, 2019 2019 Japan Play-offs

  Wakō, Saitama

2019 Meiji Cup   at 65 kg
Loss 18–1   Rei Higuchi TF 5–15 June 17, 2019 2019 All–Japan Invitational Championships   Tokyo, Japan
Win 18–0   Yujiro Ueno TF 10–0
Win 17–0   Kouki Shimizu 3–0
2018 Japan Nationals   at 65 kg
Win 16–0   Daichi Takatani TF 10–0 December 20, 2018 2018 Japanese National Championships   Tokyo, Japan
Win 15–0   Rei Higuchi 8–3
Win 14–0   Rinya Nakamura TF 10–0
Win 13–0   Hirotaka Abe TF 14–3
2018 World Championships   at 65 kg
Win 12–0   Bajrang Punia 16–9 October 21–22, 2018 2018 World Championships   Budapest, Hungary
Win 11–0   Akhmed Chakaev 15–10
Win 10–0   Andrei Prepeliţă TF 12–2
Win 9–0   Vasyl Shuptar TF 11–0
Win 8–0   George Bucur TF 13–2
2018 JPN World Team Trials   at 65 kg
Win 7–0   Daichi Takatani TF 11–0 July 7, 2018 2018 Japan Play-offs

  Wakō, Saitama

2018 Meiji Cup   at 65 kg
Win 6–0   Rei Higuchi 6–0 June 15, 2018 2018 Meiji Cup   Tokyo, Japan
Win 5–0   Koki Shimizu TF 10–0
Win 4–0   Shoya Shimae TF 11–0
Win 3–0   Ryoma Anraku 4–0
2018 World Cup   for Team JPN at 65 kg
Win 2–0   Sharvan Sharvan TF 10–0 April 7–8, 2018 2018 World Cup   Iowa City, Iowa
Win 1–0   Logan Stieber 10–5

References edit

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  4. ^ Gallo, Ed (2020-03-06). "Wrestling breakdown: 2018 World champion Takuto Otoguro rebounds with Asian Championship gold". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
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  6. ^ a b "Ravi retains Asian title, Bajrang settles for silver after withdrawing from final due to injury". www.outlookindia.com/. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
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  8. ^ "Russia upends Azerbaijan, Iran to win Cadet Freestyle title". United World Wrestling. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
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External links edit