Born in 1992 in Chiba Prefecture. She won the gold medal in the women’s 48 kg judo category at this year’s Paris Olympics and also contributed to the silver medal in the mixed team event.After winning the gold medal in the women’s 48 kg judo category at the Paris Olympics, Natsumi Tsunoda’s (32) life drastically changed. As she took on unfamiliar tasks, such as appearing on television variety shows, she also began to be approached more frequently by people on the street. The company that makes the brain-boosting tape she wore on her temple during matches has even reached out with a sponsorship offer. “Right now, I feel like I’m just going with the flow of all the excitement. It’s not so much that I want to be famous, but I really wanted people to recognize me as a judoka. Athletes tend to have a strong desire for approval, don’t they? (laughs). The reaction to my Olympic gold medal is on a different scale compared to the World Championships.” Top judo athletes in Japan tend to come from strong schools like Tokai University, Kokushikan University, and Tenri University, but Tsunoda is a graduate of the National Tokyo University of the Arts. The judo club there is small, and the practice time is limited, so Tsunoda took it upon herself to practice groundwork during any free time and frequently visited dojos for other martial arts like Brazilian jiu-jitsu to hone her skills. This approach helped her develop a winning pattern, from the Harai-goshi throw to joint locks. “In judo, we usually separate standing and groundwork techniques, but in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, you combine both standing and groundwork in a flowing manner. That method really suited me.” At the previous Tokyo Olympics, Tsunoda had aimed for the 52 kg weight class. In that class, Japan’s star athlete, 24-year-old Uta Abe, was competing. Abe struggled with Tsunoda’s groundwork, and Tsunoda had a better winning record against her, but Tsunoda’s compatibility with Ai Shishime (30) wasn’t ideal, and the three-way competition for the spot was won by Abe. “I think Uta felt a lot of pressure back then, but as she kept fighting, she got stronger, and I began to feel a sense of threat from her as well.” A 4kg difference in weight after dropping down a weight class Tsukuda considered the Tokyo Olympics a turning point in her judo career. “Given my age, I thought Paris would be difficult,” she said. However, after losing the representative selection, she decided to change weight classes and aim for Paris. This meant not gaining weight, but instead facing the challenge of cutting weight to compete in the 48 kg category. “During my time in the 52 kg category, I hardly had to cut weight, and sometimes I fought at around 51 kg on competition days. So, I decided to drop a weight class, but the 4 kg difference turned out to be much bigger than I imagined.” In weight-class judo, athletes must reduce their body weight to the required limit before the weigh-in the day before the match. “When you’re dieting, you gradually lose weight to avoid rebound, right? But with weight cutting, after losing the required weight by the weigh-in the day before, you need to gain some weight before the match the next day. If you’ve undergone extreme weight loss, even after eating after the weigh-in, your stomach can be shocked, and you won’t be able to gain the weight back or move properly. Some athletes even get sick the morning of the match from eating the night before and losing sleep. So, for me, I made sure to have a cheat day once a week, where I ate whatever I wanted to stimulate my stomach.” After overcoming the weight loss, Tsukuda’s signature Harai-goshi throw shone through in Paris, and she won the final with an Ippon. “When I won the gold medal, the feeling of relief outweighed the happiness. There were many times I almost gave up, but I’m glad I continued. As for the future, I have shoulder injuries, so I’ll focus on training for the rest of the year and probably start competing next year.” She did not make any clear statements about the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but said, “From now on, I want to continue judo for myself.” As long as she stands on the blue mat, she will continue to shine.