After notching three wins by technical fall in the early session at the Yarygin Sports Palace, Icho could not find her rhythm or range in the evening against Purevdorj and crashed to a 10-0 technical fall loss on the opening day of competition.

Purevdorj, a bronze medallist at the 2013 Junior World Championships, forced Icho into a passivity point and then drove the 31-year-old legend out of bounds for a second.

Shaken, Icho became hurried in her attack as Purevdorj drove over one takedown attempt and then slipped behind another.

With a quick gut wrench, the 21-year-old student from Ulaanbaatar stretched her lead to 9-0 before adding the force-out for the technical fall.

Since her forfeit loss at the 2007 Asian championships, Icho had won 108 straight bouts before her meeting with Purevdorj.

That aside, Icho’s last loss on the mat was to the United States’ Sara McMann at the Klippan Open in March 2003, since when she had won 189 bouts in a row.

"We’re lucky it wasn’t the Olympic Games," said Kazuhito Sakae, Japan’s national team director.

"We have some time before the Olympics to correct some things.

"She knows what needs to be done and I’m convinced that she is an athlete who can correct herself, so I’m not worried."

Icho won Olympic gold in the 63 kilograms category at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

She is a 10-time world champion and also claimed top honours at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.