Misaki Emura Sets Sights on 2028 LA Olympics

The absolute ace of the fencing world who won a team bronze medal at the Paris Olympics

Wearing heavy armor and thrusting swords equipped with sensors, fencing is a sport known for its mechanical nature. In stark contrast, shining with golden hair, it was Misaki Emura (26), the ace of the women’s sabre team, who dominated the sports world in 2024.

She was entrusted with the important role of flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics last year, and won a bronze medal with the women’s team. She also appeared on New Year’s Day’s Celebrity Ranking Check! (broadcasted by TV Asahi), and was in high demand for TV specials during the holiday season. Her blonde hair became her trademark, and now, it’s not something she can easily let go of.

“As of now, I don’t plan to change my high-tone hair color. I thought I might stop once I got tired of it, but I haven’t gotten tired of it at all (laughs).”

 

The unexpected reason for her becoming blonde.

 

She first dyed her hair blonde two and a half years ago.

“After the Tokyo Olympics, I kept going. My energy didn’t stop.”

At her first Olympic Games, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (held in 2021), she was eliminated in the second round of the individual event (13th place) and finished fifth in the team event. The phrase my energy didn’t stop is something that might be hard for anyone but the athlete herself to understand.

“I was super frustrated, but at the same time, I thought, maybe I could have beaten the medalists, maybe I could have gotten a medal myself. That gave me hope and energy, and I didn’t feel like resting at all. So, I kept practicing even after the tournament, but one day, I suddenly burned out. I decided to take a break and thought about what could refresh me, and that’s when I thought of dyeing my hair blonde.”

She was prepared to face criticism from people within the fencing community, but there was no backlash, and on the contrary, it was well-received.

“I didn’t just want to stand out; it was part of my love for fashion. I just wanted to enjoy it.”

Emura is Japan’s first professional athlete in fencing. She is not tied to a particular company, so there are no restrictions on activities outside of competitions. However, there is the risk that if her results don’t match up, she might lose sponsorships.

“If people don’t want to support me, I won’t even have the funds to go on overseas trips. But maybe that’s just the kind of person I am.”

After the Tokyo Olympics, Emura made a fresh start, and her results improved. She won back-to-back World Championship titles in 2022 and 2023, becoming the face of the fencing world.