Hokkaido’s Sayaka Yoshimura and Sara Takanashi Look Ahead to Their Next Chapters

The heavy responsibilities of the two heroines and what lies ahead

The pressure of her first Olympic appearance weighed heavily on skip Sayaka Yoshimura (34).

Fortius, ranked fifth in the world, participated in the women’s curling event at the Milan–Cortina Olympics. In the first six games of the round-robin stage with 10 teams, they suffered five losses, making elimination highly likely.

“As evidenced by their victory against world No. 1 Switzerland, they have the skill to reach the podium if they perform as they did in domestic selection trials. However, in this tournament, mistakes at critical moments—which normally wouldn’t happen—were conspicuous. Their lack of experience on the big stage showed. It’s unfortunate to be compared with Loco Solare, which has medaled in the past two Games, but at the very least, Fortius was unable to demonstrate their true ability,” said a sports journalist reporting on site.

By the next Winter Olympics in the French Alps in 2030, Yoshimura will be 38, reaching a veteran level for an athlete. Calls for generational change are also being made.

“Fortius coach Ayumu Ogasawara (47) continued competing until age 41. Yoshimura has long said she wants her two-year-old child to see her competing. I can’t imagine she’ll give up the chance to show her grown child her prowess at the French Alps Olympics,” the journalist added.

Sara Takanashi (29), also from Hokkaido, who challenged her fourth Olympics, won the mixed team bronze medal for the first time in two Games, shedding tears.

“At the previous Beijing Olympics mixed team event, Takanashi was disqualified for a suit violation and cried tears of frustration. She even considered retirement but decided to continue, saying, ‘Quitting won’t make amends.’ This time, she contributed to winning a medal, turning tears of regret into tears of joy. It was a moment where her determination and efforts, leading Japanese ski jumping for years, were rewarded,” said a sports journalist reporting on site.

Individually, however, she placed 13th in the normal hill and 16th in the large hill, underperforming. She remains motivated, saying, “I want to keep pushing myself,” while executives at key sports networks say her post-retirement career is secure.

“Key stations are keen to make Takanashi a sports broadcaster. Her achievements as an athlete are impeccable. She has charm backed by makeup skills and influence with over 400,000 Instagram followers. She could become the next Kasumi Ishikawa. She already serves as an ambassador for multiple brands, including the camera brand Insta360, and has a sponsorship deal with Shiseido’s sunscreen brand Anessa. Her post-athletic career will be even more in demand,” said a network insider.

A bright future awaits the two heroines who battled through this once-in-four-years struggle.

From the March 6, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”