Paris, France, August 11, 2024: With Japan so strong in women’s wrestling, it is hard to break new ground at the Olympic Games.
But that’s exactly what Yuka Kagami did in the final match of the Paris 2024 wrestling competition at Champ-de-Mars Arena on Sunday.
Kagami, 22, became the first Japanese gold medal-winner in the women’s freestyle 76kg – and her victory earned Japan their eighth wrestling gold medal of Paris 2024, along with one silver and two bronze for 11 total medals in this one sport alone.
Furthermore, Japan won a medal in every women’s weight category, comprised of four gold and two bronze medals.
“In Japan, wrestling is very important and popular. We are quite strong in wrestling,” said Kagami, the 2023 world champion.
“I would like to contribute to maintaining that strength in Japanese wrestling, so, by winning this weight category for the first time, I feel I made a contribution.”
The final was a Japan-United States affair, as Kagami defeated Kennedy Blades 3-1, and both players said this wrestling rivalry contributed to the atmosphere.
Kennedy said she really admired the Japanese and that it was inspirational to compete against them.
“It is super cool we were in the finals,” she said. “Japan vs United States is iconic with the crowd and that energy. It is really cool.”
Talking about her opponent, Blades added: “She was definitely strong, and her positioning was great. I knew going into the match that Japan is very disciplined on positioning, so I think that’s what made it a little tough. I’m just going to go back to the drawing board and start working on my stuff again.
“She was ready for what I was going to do, and I was ready for what she was going to do. It was definitely a scramble. It was a fun match. Of course, I do want to be on top, always. But honestly, at the end of the day, it was a battlefield.”
Kagami wore her lucky mouthpiece, which she first used at the Meiji Cup in June 2023 – and hasn’t lost since.
“It brings me luck,” Kagami said. “That’s why I wore it in Paris.”