Who is Yui Susaki? All you need to know about Japanese grappler

Published at :August 8, 2024 at 9:37 AM

Modified at :August 8, 2024 at 9:37 AM

(Courtesy : Getty Images)

The wrestler is said to be one of the most dominant figures in the sport.

Yui Susaki is one of the most prominent names in the sport of wrestling. Coming into Paris Olympics 2024, she had never lost an international bout in her career, setting up an 82-0 record. She was the top seed and a strong favourite to win gold at the quadrennial event after winning it at the Tokyo Olympics as well.

However, she was in for the biggest shock of her career when India’s Vinesh Phogat, who knows all about standing firm in the face of adversity, defeated her in the opening bout of the women’s freestyle 50kg event. The shock on Yui Susaki’s face was visible for all to see, such was her dominance in this category.

While Vinesh Phogat could not return with any medal despite reaching the final, due to failing to meet the conditions during the weigh-in and being overweight by a mere 100 grams, her victory over Yui Susaki was one of the biggest highlights at the Paris Olympics 2024.

Nobody saw the Japanese grappler losing the bout. A look into her beginning in the sport and unstoppable dominance proves why:

Early days in the sport

Yui Susaki was born on 30 June 1999 in Matsudo, Japan. Her interest in wrestling developed early after watching videos of the sport with her father. She began competing in wrestling events from the second grade of her elementary school onwards. However, she started to excel when Shoko Yoshimura, a five-time world champion himself, became her coach when she was 13.

In her junior high school years, she joined the JOC Elite Academy, organised by the Japan Olympic Committee and then went on to attend Waseda University. There, Susaki trained with male athletes which developed her physical and technical skills even further. Her initial success in the sport came in the form of winning three consecutive world cadet championships from 2014 to 2016 after debuting in 2010.

International success in wrestling

Yui Susaki won the gold medal on her debut at the 2017 World Championships and defended her title at the 2018 World Championships in the 50kg category. She also won gold at the 2018 and 2019 editions of the World Juniors Championships, stamping her authority in the sport on the international level.

Yui Susaki has lost only three times to Yuki Irie in 2015, 2017, and 2019. She could not defend her gold at the 2019 World Championships after losing to Irie in national trials and remained undefeated since 2020 until Paris Olympics 2024.

In 2021, Yui Susaki entered the Tokyo Olympics unseeded but secured gold without conceding a single point. She continued her gold medal streak at the World Championships by winning the 2022 and 2023 editions. The 25-year-old won her second gold at the 2024 Asian Championships with the first coming in 2017 which took place in New Delhi, India.

A living legend

Yui Susaki is going to win plenty of gold medals in forthcoming events, such is her quality and talent. She has already created history after becoming the first wrestler in history to achieve a “grand slam” in the sport. It entails becoming World Champion at U15s, U17s, U20s, U23s, senior and Olympic level.

Talks of being the greatest pound-to-pound wrestler of all time are not unjustified. Yui Susaki has proven time and time again why she deserves all the recognition. Her loss to Vinesh Phogat was a mere bump in the road, a rare occurrence which is just that, rare.

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Who is Yui Susaki? All you need to know about Japanese grappler

The wrestler is said to be one of the most dominant figures in the sport.

Early days in the sport

International success in wrestling

Trending Indian Sports articles

A living legend