<figure id="attachment_456815" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2054px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-456815"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="54b2ac6e"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/2df3cf41ce9f75cb6c4608f3161de0cc.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-456815" class="wp-caption-text">Sayaka Yoshimura, the team’s strategist, channels the frustration of a comeback loss four years ago as she faces a strong Swedish team in the opening match.</figcaption></figure>
<h3>All photos (1 total) – Fortius Women’s Curling</h3>
Schedule:
February 12, 17:05 – Sweden
February 13, 3:05 – Denmark
February 14, 17:05 – Switzerland
February 15, 3:05 – USA
Four winters ago, Fortius, at rock bottom, finally reached the Olympic stage for the first time.
In September 2021, they suffered a comeback defeat to Loco Solare in the Japanese Olympic qualifying match, and by December the same year their main sponsor contract had ended. At one point, the team had zero sponsors, forcing members to dip into personal savings and fund activities via crowdfunding. It was a difficult period.
“The turning point came in 2023 when skip Sayaka Yoshimura (34) left the team for maternity leave, and second Yuna Kotani (27) gained experience as skip. This expanded shot options and tactical depth, raising the team’s level significantly. After Yoshimura returned, the team evolved into one with enough depth that every member could be a leading player,” said curling writer Soichiro Takeda.
Takeda describes Yoshimura as a relentless competitor, and that determination helped the team prevail in the Japanese national qualifying tournament in September 2025. They also cleared the December world final qualifiers, securing their Olympic berth. The number of sponsors has grown to 26, and the team now publicly declares its aim for a gold medal.
“Anna Omiya (36), whose shot consistency is top-level even compared to the world, will be key. The first match is against Sweden, who won bronze at the Beijing Olympics, but a victory there would greatly increase the team’s medal hopes,” Takeda added.
We look forward to the moment when these athletes, having overcome adversity, stand atop the ice.
From the February 20–27, 2026 combined issue of &#8220;FRIDAY&#8221;

 Hiroyuki Komatsu, Kyodo News, Yohei Nagata/Afro Sports Reuters/Afro

 Four years ago in the winter, "Fortius", which had hit rock bottom, finally made it to the Olympic stage for the first time. At one point, the team had no sponsors, and the members had to scrape by with their savings to fund their activities.

From Struggle to Spotlight — Fortius Eyes First Medal at the Big Stage

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