By Ken Marantz
OCA Media
Nagoya, Japan, October 1, 2026: Nonoka Ozaki has long thought of her bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in the 68kg weight class of women’s wrestling as something of a consolation prize.
Her objective has long been to establish herself as the top gun in the 62kg division, and she took another step toward entrenching herself with a solid victory at the Asian Games on Thursday.
Ozaki completed a solid run to the gold medal with a 3-0 victory in the final over DPR Korea’s Kim Ok Ju, avenging a loss to her at the 2025 Asian Championships and adding to the title she won at this year’s continental tournament in April in Bishkek.
“I knew it would be a tough match,” Ozaki said. “I had lost to her the previous time. I went into the match feeling that I was the challenger. In an international tournament, you have to do whatever it takes.”
Ozaki took a 2-0 lead with a double-leg takedown in the first period, then received an activity clock point in the second before fending off a late offensive push from Kim.
“At the end, I felt I was able to stay focused very well,” Ozaki said. “The score was only 3-0, but I was able to keep my opponent from breaking through over a long span. I feel that was the key to victory.”
That avenged a loss by fall to Kim in the semifinals of the 2025 Asian Championships in Amman, where Ozaki had to settle for a bronze medal, and also marks the second time Ozaki has gained retribution against a DPR Korea wrestler.
At the Hangzhou Asian Games three years ago, Ozaki suffered a heartbreaking 6-6 defeat on criteria in the final by Mun Hyong Gong—a loss she would avenge in the final in Bishkek.
Ozaki, a two-time former world champion, has finally taken the upper hand in her domestic rivalry with Olympic champion Sakura Motoki.
Motoki pipped her for the spot at 62kg to Paris, after which Ozaki made the team at 68kg with a dramatic last-second win in a playoff over Ami Ishii, who won the gold in that weight class on Wednesday in Nagoya.
For Kim, it was her second tough loss to a Japanese opponent. At last year’s World Championships in Zagreb, Motoki pulled off an astounding 5-4 victory over Kim by scoring with a late headlock throw with 00.3 seconds on the clock.
In the bronze-medal matches on Thursday, China’s Zhang Qi squashed Chinese Taipei’s Pai Hsin-ping 10-0, while Mongolia’s Altjin Togtokh, a world bronze medalist at 59kg, forged a 5-2 victory over India’s Mansi.
Ozaki made the host country 2 for 2 in women’s finals over the first two days.
Over the next two days, there will be two women’s weight classes per day. Next up for the powerful Japan squad will be Paris Olympic champion Yuka Kagami at 76kg and Tokyo gold medalist Yui Susaki at 50kg.
