Takuto Otoguro

Takuto Otoguro (乙黒 拓斗, Otoguro Takuto, born December 13, 1998 in Yamanashi Prefecture) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler who competes at 65 kilograms. A two-time Japan National champion, he claimed the World Championship in 2018, and the Asian Championship in 2020. Otoguro was also a Cadet World Champion in the age-group circuit.[1]

Takuto Otoguro
乙黒拓斗
Personal information
NationalityJapanese
Born13 December 1998 (1998-12-13) (age 22)
Yamanashi Prefecture, Chūbu region, Japan
Height173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
Weight65 kg (143 lb)
Sport
CountryJapan
SportWrestling
Event(s)Freestyle
ClubYamanashi Gakuin University
Medal record
Freestyle Wrestling
Representing  Japan
World Championships
2018 Budapest 65 kg
Asian Championships
2020 New Delhi 65 kg
Japan National Championships
2019 Tokyo 65 kg
2018 Tokyo 65 kg
Cadet World Championships
2015 Sarajevo 50 kg
2013 Zrenjanin 46 kg

Career

Early career

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.[2].His first international appearance came at the 2013 Cadet World Championships, where he claimed a bronze medal.[3] After earning the 2014 Cadet Asian Championship,[4] Otoguro was unable to medal at the 2014 Cadet World Championship, placing eleventh.[5] In 2015, Otoguro became a Cadet World Champion.[6]

2018

Otoguro made his senior freestyle debut on April 2018, at the World Cup, where he posted wins over '16 World Champion and four-time NCAA DI champion Logan Stieber and India's '17 Junior Asian Champion Sharvan.[7][8] Otoguro then comfortably claimed the All-Japan Invitational crown with a tremendous 6–0 win in the finals against '16 Olympic Silver medalist Rei Higuchi, qualifying him for the JPN World Team Trials.[9] At the WTT, he faced '18 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.[10]

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 18' 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 '18 Asian Games Gold medalist Bajrang Punia, whom he defeated 16–9 to claim the World Championship at 65 kilograms.[11][12] In doing so, Otaguro became the youngest Japanese wrestler to ever win a world title at the age of 19.[13] 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.[14] After his championship performance through 2018, Otaguro was named one of the Breakout Performers of the Year by United World Wrestling.[15]

2019

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.[16] At the tournament, limited preparation seemed to affect Otoguro's, who lost by technical fall to Rei Higuchi, in his first career loss as a senior.[17] As the '18 Japan National champion, Otoguro rematched Higuchi at the WTT, and was able to defeat him to earn the spot.[18]

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.[19] 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 '18 Russian National runner-up Ismail Musukaev to place fifth.[20] Otoguro then became a two-time Japan National Champion and Olympian on December, with a victory over '17 U23 World champion Rinya Nakamura in the finals.[21]

2020

Otoguro came back in big fashion on February, when he claimed the '20 Asian Championship while posting notable and dominant victories over '19 World Championship runner-up and three-time Asian Champion Daulet Niyazbekov (10-3) and the accomplished veteran Bajrang Punia in a rematch (10-2).[22]

Otoguro was scheduled to represent Japan at the 2020 Summer Olympics on August,[23] however, the Olympic Games were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and are now expected to take place on August 1–7, 2021.[24]

Personal life

Takuto has a brother named Keisuke, who is also a world-class wrestler.[25]

Freestyle record
Senior freestyle matches
Res. Record Opponent Score Date Event Location
2020 Asian Championships at 65 kg
Win 23-3 Bajrang Punia 10-2 February 18–23, 2020 2020 Asian Wrestling Championships

New Delhi, India

Win 22-3 Nyamdorj Battulga TF 11-1
Win 21-3 Daulet Niyazbekov 10-3
Win 20-3 Mohammed Al Jawad Zuhair Kareem TF 10-0
2019 Japan Nationals at 65 kg
Win 19-3 Rinya Nakamura TF 10-0 December 19, 2019 2019 Japan National Championships Tokyo, Japan
Win 18-3 Ryoma Anraku 8-1
2019 World Championships 5th at 65 kg
Loss 17-3 Ismail Musukaev 3-5 September 19–20, 2019 2019 World Wrestling Championships Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
Win 17-2 Haji Mohamad Ali 6-1
Win 16-2 Haji Aliyev 11-9
Loss 15-2 Gadzhimurad Rashidov 1-8
Win 15-1 Vazgen Tevanyan 6-0
2019 JPN World Team Trials at 65 kg
Win 14-1 Rei Higuchi July 6, 2019 2019 Japan Play-offs Wakō, Saitama, Japan
2019 Meiji Cup at 65 kg
Loss 13-1 Rei Higuchi TF 5-15 June 17, 2019 2019 All-Japan Invitational Championships Tokyo, Japan
Win 13-0 Yujiro Ueno TF 10-0
2018 Japan Nationals at 65 kg
Win 12-0 Daichi Takatani TF 10-0 December 20, 2018 2018 Japan National Championships Tokyo, Japan
Win 11-0 Rei Higuchi 8-3
2018 World Championships at 65 kg
Win 10-0 Bajrang Punia 16-9 October 21–22, 2018 2018 World Wrestling Championships Budapest, Hungary
Win 9-0 Akhmed Chakaev 15-10
Win 8-0 Andrei Prepeliţă TF 12-2
Win 7-0 Vasyl Shuptar TF 11-0
Win 6-0 George Bucur TF 13-2
2018 JPN World Team Trials at 65 kg
Win 5-0 Daichi Takatani TF 11-0 July 7, 2018 2018 Japan Play-offs Wakō, Saitama, Japan
2018 Meiji Cup at 65 kg
Win 4-0 Rei Higuchi 6-0 June 15, 2018 2018 All-Japan Invitational Championships Tokyo, Japan
Win 3-0 Koki Shimizu TF 10-0
2018 World Cup as Team JPN
Win 2-0 Sharvan Sharvan TF 10-0 April 7–8, 2018 2018 Wrestling World Cup - Men's freestyle Iowa City, Iowa
Win 1-0 Logan Stieber 10-5

References
  1. "Freestyle wrestling - Takuto Otoguro (Japan)". www.the-sports.org. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  2. "乙黒拓斗Ｖ「申し訳ないけど、うれしい」／一問一答 - スポーツ : 日刊スポーツ". nikkansports.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  3. "Russia upends Azerbaijan, Iran to win Cadet Freestyle title". United World Wrestling. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  4. "OTOGURO WINS GOLD FOR JAPAN ON FINAL DAY OF ASIA CADET C'SHIPS". Japan Wrestling Federation (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  5. "Spencer Lee Wins Cadet World Freestyle Championship". PA Power Wrestling. 2014-07-19. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  6. Eric. "Japan, U.S. Derail Russian Rout in Cadet World Championships Freestyle". United World Wrestling. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  7. "Team USA Up 2-0 After Day One of Men's Freestyle World Cup; Kyle Snyder and Logan Stieber Go 3-1". Eleven Warriors. 2018-04-07. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  8. Steen, Alex (2018-04-08). "2018 MFS World Cup: Full Results Through Session III". The Open Mat. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  9. "Meiji Cup: Susaki gains revenge, 50kg title; Takahashi, Kawai sisters bound for Budapest". Japan Wrestling Federation (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  10. "Susaki, Fujinami earn tickets to world championships". Japan Wrestling Federation (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  11. "World Wrestling: Bajrang settles for Silver after losing final to Takuto Otoguro". Sportstarlive. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  12. "Wrestling World Championships: Bajrang Punia clinches silver after losing to Japan's Takuto Otoguro in men's 65kg final - Sports News , Firstpost". Firstpost. 2018-10-22. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  13. "Takuto Otoguro advances to final at worlds". The Japan Times Online. 2018-10-22. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  14. "Icho scores dramatic win over Kawai for 57kg gold; Otoguro lands 1st natl title, Emperor's Cup". Japan Wrestling Federation (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  15. "Otoguro, Azizli, and Rong Appointed Breakout Performers of the Year | United World Wrestling". unitedworldwrestling.org. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
  16. Eric. "Emboldened Kawai knocks off Icho as Susaki shines again, Otoguro dealt stunning loss". United World Wrestling. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  17. "Meiji Cup: Kawai avenges loss to Icho to set up rematch for world team berth; Susaki, Otoguro take divergent paths to playoffs". Japan Wrestling Federation (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  18. "RESULT: Risako Kawai beat Kaori Icho and World champion Yui Susaki lost". Japan Wrestling Federation (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  19. "Wrestling World Championships: World champion Otoguro defeated, Tevanyan loses opportunity of consolation match | NEWS.am Sport - All about sports". sport.news.am. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  20. "Tynybekova earns first ever world wrestling gold for Kyrgyzstan". www.insidethegames.biz. 20 September 2019. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  21. "Otoguro nails down Tokyo 2020 spot with All-Japan win; Susaki heads to Asian qualifier". Japan Wrestling Federation (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  22. Gallo, Ed (2020-03-06). "Wrestling breakdown: 2018 World champion Takuto Otoguro rebounds with Asian Championship gold". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  23. Anonym. "Takuto Otoguro decides Tokyo Olympics Wrestling All Japan Championship | tellerreport.com". www.tellerreport.com. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  24. "Tokyo Olympics officially postponed until 2021". ESPN.com. 2020-03-24. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  25. "Bajrang Punia's nemesis Takuto Otoguro's brother also qualifies for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games". Wrestling TV. March 9, 2020.
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