Kaori Matsumoto
Brought a wrestler's forward stance to Olympic gold
- Born
- September 11, 1987, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
- Nationality
Japan- Height
- 163 cm (5′4″)
- Stance
- Right
- Style
- Wrestling-style forward attacker
- Weight
- 57 kg
- Active
- 2005–2019
- Status
- Retired · age 39
The medals
2012 Olympic gold, world titles 2010 and 2015
The story
aori Matsumoto started judo at six in Kanazawa at a club that also taught wrestling once a week, and she won medals at national wrestling events as a child. She carried that forward-leaning, attacking stance into judo. Injuries, including a broken hand at the 2009 Worlds, led her to overhaul her diet, and in 2010 she won seven international events in a row, among them the world title at 57 kg. At London 2012 she won the final when Romania's Corina Căprioriu was disqualified in golden score, giving Japan its only judo gold of those Games. She regained the world title in 2015, took bronze at Rio 2016 and retired in 2019.
Tap a technique with an arrow to learn how it works.
- Olympic champion, 57 kg (2012)
- World champion, 57 kg (2010, 2015)
- Asian Games champion, 57 kg (2010)
- World Masters champion (2010, 2012)
Defining matches
- 2010WINvs Telma Monteiro (World Championships 57 kg final, Tokyo)
- 2012WINvs Corina Căprioriu (London Olympic final; opponent disqualified in golden score)
- 2015WINvs Corina Căprioriu (World Championships 57 kg final, Astana)
- 2016LOSSvs Sumiya Dorjsuren (Rio Olympic semi-final; went on to take bronze)
Matsumoto attacked the legs from a low, forward stance with kouchi gari and kosoto gari rather than waiting for big hip throws. Wrestlers crossing into judo can use the same level and pressure, finishing with legal foot reaps instead of leg grabs.
