Natsumi Tsunoda Wins Gold as Predicted and Considers Moving to Mixed Martial Arts

The judo competitions at the ongoing Paris Olympics have come to an end. Japan lost to the host country, France, in the mixed team competition on the final day, but won the silver medal. Japan won a total of three gold medals, two silver medals, and three bronze medals in the individual and team competitions.

Of these, the only woman to win a gold medal was Natsumi Tsunoda (32) in the 48-kilogram weight class on the first day of the judo competition on July 27 (Japan Standard Time, hereafter the same). She became the oldest woman in the history of Japanese judo at 31 years and 11 months old to win a gold medal at the Olympics, and the first in the same weight class in 20 years since Ryoko Tani (48) in Athens in 2004. On the same 28th, the media reported how Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (67) called to congratulate her.

In addition, in the mixed team competition final against France, she came in fourth. In the final of the mixed team competition against France, he came in fourth and won by ippon with his signature move, the tomoe nage, against a competitor in the 57-kilogram weight class, two weight classes higher than himself.

He had won the World Championships in the same weight class three times in a row from 2009, when the Tokyo Olympics were held, to last year. “I had won the World Championships in the same weight class three times in a row from 2009, when the Tokyo Olympics were held, until last year, so it was a gold medal as expected. However, I have not always followed the elite course of judo, and this time I dropped one weight class to compete in the Olympics because of the presence of Abe Uta (24), who was expected to win a second consecutive gold medal in the 52-kilogram weight class.

In addition to judo training, he studied and researched Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the Russian martial art of sambo, and grappling, a kumitei martial art in which one does not wear street clothes, and established a unique style of aiming for ippon through newaza from the Tomoe nage (巴投げ). He is a hard worker who finally won a gold medal at the Olympics,” said a reporter in charge of Olympic competitions for a sports newspaper.

Kakuda, however, made her YouTuber debut this year and opened her official channel, “Kakuda Natsumi’s Room. By the time the Olympics began, she had uploaded 43 videos of her training and daily life. As of midnight on the 28th, immediately after winning the gold medal, the number of registered users was about 17,000, but by noon on the 5th, the number had more than tripled to about 60,000.

One of the most popular videos was a collaboration with Seika Izawa (26), a junior member of the judo club at her alma mater, Tokyo Gakugei University, and the women’s super atomweight champion of the martial arts event RIZIN, entitled “I want to get married. The video was titled “I want to get married.

Isawa’s husband, martial artist Coro (36), also appeared in the video. As Izawa and her husband were talking about how they met and got married at a restaurant, he asked her about her recent love life and she replied, “Nothing. However, she revealed that she has no partner and that she has not been able to meet men because she is too shy to talk to them.

Kakuta said, “I have lots of ideas, but I want to do a dojo. I think I will be active for about one more year. The next Olympics is also in my age range. …… I want to do dojos and go overseas. Well, I am also interested in mixed martial arts (MMA),” he said .

He also laughed, saying, “I’m busy thinking about where I’m going to get married, where I’m going to have children, and if I’m going to do mixed martial arts, where I’m going to do it. He also touched on his talent activities , saying, “It depends on the results (of the Olympics), but I’d be happy if I get an offer. I won’t make it my sole focus, though.

In the other videos of his collaboration with Izawa, he was dominating in judo, throwing the opponent to the ground, but when it came to grappling, he was getting the better of Izawa. If he wants to debut in the mixed martial arts, he needs to learn more wrestling-like moves and practice striking as well.

RIZIN will be severely damaged by the recent announcement of the retirement of Mirai Asakura (32), a charismatic and popular fighter at big events, who suffered a crushing defeat to Ren Hiramoto (26). Since it is hoped that new star athletes will be discovered, the martial arts debut of Ms. Tsunoda, the only gold medalist in women’s judo at the Paris Olympics, would create a great buzz,” said a source in the martial arts industry.

(A source in the martial arts industry said, “If Ms. Tsunoda, the only female judo gold medalist at the Paris Olympics, makes her debut in martial arts, she will be the talk of the town.

Nevertheless, Kakuta’s overwhelming performance in the individual and mixed team events at the Paris Olympics has inevitably led to expectations from those around her that she will win again. It will be interesting to see what kind of decision she makes regarding her future.