JapanтАЩs Ken Matsui won the menтАЩs 55-kilogram Greco-Roman title Friday at the wrestling world championships, outpointing reigning European champion Emin Sefershaev of Russia 7-1 in the final.
With his victory in the non-Olympic weight division, world championship debutant Matsui claimed JapanтАЩs fifth gold medal of the tournament in Oslo.
He also became the countryтАЩs youngest-ever Greco-Roman world champion at 20 years and eight months, according to the Japan Wrestling Federation.
тАЬI wasnтАЩt expecting to win, so IтАЩm really surprised. I was facing a superior opponent in the final, so I decided to show all my skills and not have any regrets,тАЭ Matsui said.
In the menтАЩs 60-kg Greco-Roman division, JapanтАЩs Ayata Suzuki saw his title bid end in a quarterfinal loss to AzerbaijanтАЩs Murad Mammadov.
JapanтАЩs Yuta Nara and Arata Sonoda bowed out in opening-round matches of the menтАЩs 97-kg and 130-kg Greco-Roman, respectively.
The Japanese team for the Oct. 2-10 championships in Norway does not include any members of the Tokyo Olympic squad.
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KEYWORDS
wrestling, Ken Matsui
