ASTANA - Japan's Koto Gomi staged a comeback Sunday to win the final of the Greco-Roman 60-kilogram division on his wrestling world championship debut.
The 22-year-old was down 7-1 against Ali Abdollah Ahmadi Vafa of Iran in the final in Astana but reeled off a one-arm shoulder throw before pinning him to win by fall.
"My aim was to seize the champion's belt and I'm really happy to have achieved it," Gomi said. "The opponent was starting to fatigue, and I was able to turn things around anyhow. I was getting a good feel as the match went on."
Gomi became the first Japanese world champion in the division since Kenichiro Fumita, the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist also from Yamanashi Prefecture, achieved the feat in 2019.
On Saturday, Gomi overwhelmed Paris silver medalist Cao Liguo of China 7-1 in the quarterfinals before downing Aidos Sultangali of Kazakhstan, last year's world champ, in the semifinals 5-1.
