Paris Olympic women’s 57kg champion wrestler Tsugumi Sakurai of Japan, aged 24, has announced her retirement to pursue a new career in mentoring young wrestlers and promoting sports as a goodwill ambassador for her hometown in Kochi Prefecture, western Japan. Sakurai’s victory in Paris followed her success in securing three consecutive world titles, including two gold medals at 57kg in 2022 and 2023 after winning at 55kg in 2021.
In an Instagram post, Sakurai expressed her gratitude for the support she received throughout her wrestling career spanning nearly 21 years. She thanked her fans for enabling her to achieve her dream of winning an Olympic gold medal and shared her decision to retire after much contemplation and discussions with various individuals over the past year.
Reflecting on her wrestling journey, Sakurai acknowledged the challenges and joys she experienced in the sport. She revealed her plans to establish a wrestling classroom in Kochi Wrestling Club, Konan City, with a commitment to promoting and strengthening wrestling in the future.
Having previously claimed titles at the U17 World Championship in 2016, as well as gold medals at the Asian Championships and Asian Games in 2022 and 2023, Sakurai faced a setback at the 2024 Asian Championships, where she suffered one of only two international losses in her career to Yongxian Feng of China in the final. However, she made a remarkable comeback by clinching the gold in Paris, defeating renowned wrestlers such as Helen MAROULIS (USA) and Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) on her path to victory.
