Top Medal Contenders in Wrestling and Fencing Emerge from the Strongest Generation

“From July 27th, the ‘Paris Olympics’ will begin. Following the Tokyo Olympics, which shone with a record 58 medals, this tournament is also expected to have many medal-winning events. We thoroughly interviewed legends about the highlights of notable events. Let’s revel in the medal rush of the Japanese athletes!”

Akari Fujinami (20) [Wrestling]

Women’s Freestyle 53kg Semifinal: August 8th, 1:55 AM (TBD)
　　　　　　　　　　　　　    Final: August 9th, 4:15 AM (TBD)

Akari Fujinami’s gold medal in the women’s 53kg wrestling category is virtually assured. Sosuke Takatani, head coach of the Takushoku University wrestling team, who has participated in three consecutive Olympic Games, comments:

“Training under coach Kaori Icho (40), who won gold medals in four consecutive Olympic Games, Fujinami has recorded 133 consecutive victories in official matches, surpassing Saori Yoshida (41), who won gold medals in three consecutive Olympic Games. She can execute tackles from various angles, has a wide range of techniques, and a strong core. A gold medal is certain, and there are no rivals in the 53kg category.

She is looking beyond just the gold medal. She once sent me a message saying, ‘If there’s anything I can do to help promote wrestling, please let me know!’ She is a wrestler who fights not only to become stronger but also with the mission of making wrestling a major sport.”

The legend of the “New Strongest Primate Woman” begins.

Yui Susaki (25) [Wrestling]

Women’s Freestyle 50kg Semifinal: August 7th, 1:55 AM (TBD)
　　　　　　　　　　　　　   Final: August 8th, 4:15 AM (NHK General)

Aiming for an unprecedented achievement of “two consecutive tournaments with a perfect record”—Tokyo Olympics women’s 50kg gold medalist Yui Susaki has returned to the Olympics even stronger.

“Her defining characteristic is her low stance. She drops her hips parallel to the ground and executes high-speed tackles from there. Her stoicism is also one of her strengths. In May of this year, she traveled alone to Dagestan, a strong wrestling nation, for training, which seems to have further enhanced her power to overpower foreign competitors” (Takatani, as mentioned earlier).

The only thing to be cautious about is the start.

“If she fails a tackle in the early stages when the opponent still has stamina, there’s a possibility of being countered. However, in the latter half, it will be Susaki’s stage. As long as she avoids mistakes, a complete victory is expected this time as well” (as mentioned earlier).

For her, the Paris Olympics is merely a stepping stone.

Misaki Emura (25) [Fencing]

Women’s Sabre Individual Final: July 30th, 1:30 AM (Fuji TV Network)
Women’s Sabre Team Final: August 4th, 3:00 AM (TBD)

“Her weapon is the dynamically executed long attack. Its offensive power possesses the strength to overwhelm even athletes from strong countries.”

This is said by Koji Emura, Misaki’s father, who served as the fencing coach for the Japanese team at the Beijing Olympics. In sabre, where both thrusts and cuts are used and dynamism is required, Emura won back-to-back world championships in 2022 and 2023. She holds the top spot in the world rankings.

Her impressive height of 170 cm enhances her attacking ability, but three years ago, she faced significant challenges, according to Koji Emura.

“At the Tokyo Olympics, despite being expected to win a medal, she was eliminated in the third round. There was even a period when she experienced ‘burnout syndrome.’ Nevertheless, she took about two weeks off, and for Paris, she underwent intense training again. She also refreshed her look with blonde hair around this time.
She invited a coach from France, the home of fencing, and learned the delicate European steps. This combination has made her not only strong in attack but also in defense and footwork, earning her the top spot in the world rankings.”

If she wins a medal, it will be the first achievement for a Japanese female fencer. As a coach and father, what are his thoughts on his daughter’s second major stage?

“Before departing for Paris, Misaki invited the family to dinner. However, we hardly talked about the competition. Last time, she asked questions like, ‘What is the Olympics like?’ but this time, such discussions didn’t come up. Right now, I just want her to give it her all.”

The evolved fencer will cut through to an unprecedented realm on the stage in Paris.

From the August 9, 2024 issue of FRIDAY