Japan’s Women’s Curling Team Finalized: Sayaka Yoshimura Leads the Way After Satsuki Fujisawa

All three teams were evenly matched

Tears and smiles alike on the ice, the goddess finally smiled upon the challenger.

From September 11–14, the Japanese Women’s Curling National Selection Tournament took place in Wakkanai, Hokkaido. This critical competition determined Japan’s representative for the final Olympic qualifier for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics. The three teams—Loco Solare, two-time consecutive Olympic medalists; their longtime rivals Fortius; and the up-and-coming SC Karuizawa Club, with an average age of 22.8—competed in a best-of-three format. Each team finished with two wins and two losses, and after a tiebreaker and final match, Fortius earned their first Olympic berth.

Although Loco Solare seemed to have the advantage with their experience, sports writer Soichiro Takeda, who has covered curling for over 15 years, analyzed:

“At the 2022 Beijing Olympics selection, Fujisawa’s Loco Solare and Yoshimura’s Fortius were evenly matched. Back then, Fortius had a chance for the Olympics but lost in a comeback. Using that frustration from four years ago as motivation, they maintained their focus throughout this tournament. All three teams were neck-and-neck with two wins and two losses, but ultimately, Fortius simply outperformed Loco Solare technically.”

He continued:

“Fujisawa and Yoshimura belong to curling’s highly regarded ‘golden generation,’ and both serve as skips—the team strategists. Moreover, they are from the same Hokkaido cohort and have been rivals since their junior years.”

After the match, Fujisawa, the runner-up, shed tears, while Yoshimura, having achieved her long-awaited victory, beamed with a full smile. Wiping her tears, Fujisawa praised the winners: “Fortius’s performance was amazing.”

Just a little time left until the Olympics

The rivalry has been settled but the real challenge is yet to come. The final Olympic qualifier will be held in December in Kelowna, Canada. Of the ten spots available, one goes to host nation Italy, and seven others are determined by last year’s and this year’s World Championship results. The remaining two spots will be contested by eight teams in a high-stakes battle.

“Fortius gained an advantage by experiencing a win-or-go-home scenario just before the December final qualifier, which will prove valuable in actual competition. One area to improve is stability. Ice conditions can vary depending on the time of day, audience presence, and stone behavior. Teams that quickly adapt to these conditions will have the upper hand. Since the teams in the final qualifier didn’t place highly at the World Championships, Fortius has a real chance to win,” explained Takeda.

Using the rival teams’ tears of defeat as motivation, they will aim to triumph in this decisive match to secure their Olympic spot.

From the October 3-10, 2025, issue of “FRIDAY”