Middleweight, Freestyle (≤62 kilograms), Women

Kyrgyzstan’s Aysuluu Tynybekova was the 2019 World Champion and the 2020 World Cup Champion and came in seeded first. Seeded #2 was Bulgaria’s Taybe Yusein, the 2018 World Champion, who had lost to Tynybekova in the finals at the 2019 Worlds. Yukako Kawai had medals from the last two World Championships, and had won the 2020 Asian Games and the 2018 U-23 World Championship and was seeded third. Japan’s Kaori Icho, likely the greatest ever female wrestler, had won gold at 62 kg in 2004, 2008, and 2012 and at 58 kg in Rio. Since retired, Icho’s absence opened up the 62 kg class for other wrestlers looking to medal.

There were no major upsets in the early rounds as all three top seeds made it to the semi-finals, joined there by Ukraine’s Iryna Koliadenko. Koliadenko met Tynybekova but was no match for her, losing by technical superiority, 10-0, in 3:57. The other semi went to Kawai in a very close bout over Yusein, which Kawai finally won 3-2.

The final was also close but Kawai won in a minor upset, on points over Tynybekova, 4-3. Two days later, Kawai would be joined by her older sister, Risako Kawai, who won gold at 57 kg, defending her title from Rio in that class. Japan also secured victories in the four lightest weight classes of female wrestling, which would have delighted the Tokyo fans – had there been any.

The bronze medals went to Yusein and Koliadenko. Koliadenko won her repêchage final over Latvian Anastasija Grigorjeva on points, 3-1, while Yusein dominated ROC team member Lyubov Ovcharova, winning on technical superiority in only 56 seconds.