Japanese Sports Briefs

Oct 6, 2008 - 3:04 PM (Courtesy of Kyodo News Service)

TOKYO, Oct. 6 Kyodo ----------

Swimming: Two-time Olympic bronze medalist Nakamura retires

TOKYO - Japanese backstroke swimmer Reiko Nakamura, who won bronze medals at the last two Olympics, announced her retirement Monday.

Nakamura, 26, finished third in the 200-meter final at the 2004 Athens Games and again in Beijing in August to become the first Japanese woman in 72 years to win medals at consecutive Olympic Games. ----------

Baseball: Hanshin slips back to 1st-place tie in CL

TOKYO - Masanori Ishikawa threw six solid innings and Yasushi Iihara went 3-for-4 with an RBI as the Yakult Swallows dropped the Hanshin Tigers back to a tie for the Central League lead with a 3-1 victory on Monday.

The Yokohama BayStars beat the Hiroshima Carp 2-1 in the other Central League game, while the Softbank Hawks downed the Rakuten Eagles 4-1 in the Pacific League. ----------

Judo: Olympic champ Ishii plans to turn professional martial artist

TOKYO - Japanese judoka Satoshi Ishii, who won the men's over 100-kilogram gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, intends to quit the sport and become a professional martial artist, judo officials said Monday.

Kazuo Yoshimura, chief technical director of the All Japan Judo Federation, said he has been notified of Ishii's intention directly from the 21-year-old and added the federation plans to drop him from the list of top-ranked athletes. ----------

Sumo: Ama beats Hakuho to win 1-day tourney

TOKYO - Sekiwake Ama beat fellow Mongolian and grand champion Hakuho in the final to win a one-day tournament Monday.

Ama, who posted an impressive 12-3 record at last month's Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament, eliminated Estonian komusubi Baruto in the semifinals and then took home the top prize of 2.5 million yen with a force-out win over Hakuho at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan. ----------

Sumo: Asashoryu returns to Mongolia, may sit out next tournament

TOKYO - Yokozuna Asashoryu left Japan for Mongolia on Monday to receive treatment for his injured elbow and may not return to the ring until the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament, possibly putting his career on the line.

Asashoryu, who pulled out midway through the autumn meet last month, presented the Japan Sumo Association earlier in the day with a medical certificate saying he would need a four-week rest because of a damaged ligament in his left elbow. ----------

Baseball: Hiroshima manager Brown to stay at helm

TOKYO - Hiroshima Carp manager Marty Brown is set to be offered a contract extension after guiding the Central League team to playoff contention, baseball sources said Monday.

Hiroshima, which has finished in the bottom half of the league since its third-place result in 1997, came close to making a postseason appearance in the final year of Brown's three-year contract before losing a tight race to the Chunichi Dragons for the third and final playoff berth. ----------

Tennis: Nishikori moves to career-high 77th in world rankings

TOKYO - Up-and-coming Japanese teenager Kei Nishikori has climbed to a career-high 77th in the world, according to the latest ATP rankings released Monday.

Nishikori moved up seven spots from a week ago and bettered his previous highest ranking of No. 81, reached on Sept. 9, after he won two matches at the Japan Open that ended Sunday.