At the 2023 World Championships in Belgrade, the Japanese won ten Olympic licenses - six in women's wrestling and two each in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling.
Among those who suffered a setback in Serbia was Takuto Otoguro, the Tokyo Olympic champion at 65 kg. After two victories, he lost in the 1/8 finals to Hungary's Ismail Musukaev, who became world champion.
After this fight the Japanese was unable to continue his performance in the consolation - the foot injury, which he damaged in January at the training camp, made itself felt. Before that, the reigning Olympic champion did not appear at major tournaments for more than a year after the games in Tokio, and it made itself felt.
After the injury, Otoguro was preparing for Japan's Emperor's Cup Olympic qualifier, where he suffered his biggest collapse. Otoguro won two bouts before suffering a dramatic 6-6 loss to Kotaro Kiyoka in the semifinals. During the bout, there were many questionable decisions on the part of the refereeing, but in the end it is what it is. Unhappy with the refereeing, Otoguro refused to talk to reporters and quickly left the arena.
In the end, Kotaro Kiyoka won an Olympic license at the Asian License Tournament and put his name on the Japanese team for the Olympics.
That's how one of the world's most talented wrestlers - who won the World Championships at 18 and became an Olympic champion - got lost after the big win.
