Tomohiro Matsunaga hoped to spring a surprise gold medal for Japan on Tuesday but had to settle for second place after losing to American Henry Cejudo in the men's freestyle 55 kg at the Beijing Olympics.

Cejudo denied Matsunaga the chance to win Japan's first gold since the 1988 Seoul Games. Japan's Kenichi Yumoto, meanwhile, dominated Bazar Bazarguruev to take the bronze at 60 kg.

Matsunaga, whose mild-mannered demeanor masks a fierce competitor inside, said he regretted that he was unable to prevent Cejudo from grabbing his leg for a tackle in the second period after the American narrowly beat him in the first at China Agricultural University Gymnasium.