Yuri Tanaka (born 15 November 2001) is a Japanese multi-event athlete. She won the gold medal in heptathlon at the 2026…Yuri Tanaka (born 15 November 2001) is a Japanese multi-event athlete. She won the gold medal in heptathlon at the 2026 Asian Games and is the national record holder in the event, becoming the first Japanese woman to surpass 6000 points.
Yuzuka Inagaki is a Japanese freestyle wrestler. She won the gold medal in the women's 59 kg event at the 2019 Asian…Yuzuka Inagaki is a Japanese freestyle wrestler. She won the gold medal in the women's 59 kg event at the 2019 Asian Wrestling Championships held in Xi'an, China. In the same year, at the Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2019 held in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, she won the gold medal in the women's 59 kg event. She also competed in the women's 59 kg event at the 2019 World Wrestling Championships held in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan without winning a medal. She was eliminated in her second match by Pooja Dhanda of India. She won the gold medal in the women's 62 kg event at the 2023 Dan Kolov & Nikola Petrov Tournament held in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Sara Natami (born 6 November 2000) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler competing in the 57 kg division. She won the gold…Sara Natami (born 6 November 2000) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler competing in the 57 kg division. She won the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Wrestling Championships and 2025 Asian Wrestling Championships.
Akie Hanai is a Japanese freestyle wrestler. She won the silver medal in the women's 59 kg event at the 2021 World…Akie Hanai is a Japanese freestyle wrestler. She won the silver medal in the women's 59 kg event at the 2021 World Wrestling Championships in Oslo, Norway.
Yukako Kawai (川井 友香子, Kawai Yukako; born 27 August 1997) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler. She won the gold medal in…Yukako Kawai (川井 友香子, Kawai Yukako; born 27 August 1997) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler. She won the gold medal in the women's 62 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan. In 2018, she won the silver medal in the women's 62 kg event at the World Wrestling Championships held in Budapest, Hungary. A year later, she won one of the bronze medals in this event.
Miho Igarashi (born 17 January 1997) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler. She won the gold medal in the 50 kg event at the…Miho Igarashi (born 17 January 1997) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler. She won the gold medal in the 50 kg event at the 2020 Asian Wrestling Championships in New Delhi, India. She won the gold medal in the women's 48 kg event at the 2015 World Junior Wrestling Championships held in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. She also won the gold medal in this event at the 2016 World Junior Wrestling Championships held in Mâcon, France. At the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, she won the silver medal in the 48 kg event.
Risako Kinjo (金城 梨沙子, Kinjo Risako; née Kawai) is a Japanese wrestler. She is a two-time gold medalist at the Olympic…Risako Kinjo (金城 梨沙子, Kinjo Risako; née Kawai) is a Japanese wrestler. She is a two-time gold medalist at the Olympic Games, a three-time gold medalist at the World Wrestling Championships and a four-time gold medalist at the Asian Wrestling Championships. She finished second at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas and represented her country at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where she won the first of her Olympic gold medals, by defeating Maria Mamashuk of Belarus 3-0. She celebrated her Olympic gold medal victory by delivering two fireman's carry takedowns to her coach (Kazuhito Sakae). Kawai's Olympic gold was one of four won by Japan's women's wrestling team at the 2016 Rio games. In 2021, Kawai won the gold medal in the 57 kg wrestling division at the Tokyo Olympics. Her younger sister Yukako had won gold in the 62 kg division the previous day.
Masaaki Noiri (野杁 正明, Noiri Masaaki; born May 11, 1993) is a Japanese kickboxer, currently competing in the…Masaaki Noiri (野杁 正明, Noiri Masaaki; born May 11, 1993) is a Japanese kickboxer, currently competing in the Featherweight Division of ONE Championship, where he is a former interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion. He is a two-weight K-1 champion, having held the K-1 World GP Super Lightweight Championship between 2017 and 2018 and the K-1 World GP Welterweight Championship between 2021 and 2024, as well as a one-time Grand Prix winner, having won the 2021 K-1 World Welterweight Grand Prix. He began practicing karate as a teenager and had great success in both full contact karate and amateur kickboxing in his early teens, which included winning the K-1 Koshien 62 kg (136 lb) schoolboys tournament in 2009, two JKJO titles and a Shin Karate title. After turning professional in 2010, he became a mainstay in the Krush promotion and was victorious in the 2011 Krush Under-22 ~63kg Supernova~ Tournament. Combat Press ranked him as the No. 1 super-featherweight kickboxer in the world between October 2021 and March 2023. He was then removed from the rankings after he moved to the lightweight division. Combat Press also ranked him among the top ten featherweights continuously from September 2014 to January 2021.
Rio Watari (渡利璃穏, Watari Rio; born September 19, 1991) is a Japanese wrestler. She won a gold medal at the 2014 Asian…Rio Watari (渡利璃穏, Watari Rio; born September 19, 1991) is a Japanese wrestler. She won a gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games in the 63 kg category.
Saori Imai (今井 沙緒里, Imai Saori; born 22 August 1990 in Tatsuno, Nagano) is a Japanese retired track and field sprinter…Saori Imai (今井 沙緒里, Imai Saori; born 22 August 1990 in Tatsuno, Nagano) is a Japanese retired track and field sprinter who specialized in the 200 metres. She competed in the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2011 World Championships. She also won a bronze medal at the 2011 Asian Championships in the 200 metres and a gold medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay.
Mio Nishimaki (born July 17, 1987) is a female freestyle wrestler from Japan. She won a gold medal at the 2008 FILA…Mio Nishimaki (born July 17, 1987) is a female freestyle wrestler from Japan. She won a gold medal at the 2008 FILA Wrestling World Championships in the -63 kg category.
Mihoko Higuchi (樋口美穂子, Higuchi Mihoko; born May 13, 1969) is a Japanese figure skating coach, choreographer, and former…Mihoko Higuchi (樋口美穂子, Higuchi Mihoko; born May 13, 1969) is a Japanese figure skating coach, choreographer, and former competitive figure skater.
Kaori Icho (Japanese: 伊調 馨, Hepburn: Ichō Kaori; born 13 June 1984) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler. She is a ten-time…Kaori Icho (Japanese: 伊調 馨, Hepburn: Ichō Kaori; born 13 June 1984) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler. She is a ten-time World Champion and four-time Olympic Champion, winning gold in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. Icho was undefeated between 2003 and 2016. On 29 January 2016 at the Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2016 Icho lost to Pürevdorjiin Orkhon of Mongolia. This was her first loss after a long domination. She is the first female in any sport to win individual-event gold at four consecutive Olympics. On October 20, 2016, she was awarded the People's Honour Award by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for her achievements, the second wrestler to receive the highest award, after Saori Yoshida in 2012. She is the younger sister of Chiharu Icho.
Sara Dosho (土性 沙羅, Doshō Sara; born October 17, 1994) is a freestyle wrestle and Olympic champion from Japan. She won…Sara Dosho (土性 沙羅, Doshō Sara; born October 17, 1994) is a freestyle wrestle and Olympic champion from Japan. She won the gold medal in the women's 69 kg event at the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She also won the gold medal in her event at the 2017 World Wrestling Championships held in Paris, France.