Saori Yoshida
Thirteen world titles built on a lightning tackle
- Born
- October 5, 1982, Tsu, Mie, Japan
- Nationality
Japan- Height
- 157 cm (5′2″)
- Style
- High-speed tackle specialist
- Weight
- 55 kg, 53 kg
- Active
- 2002–2016
- Status
- Retired · age 44
The medals
3 Olympic golds, 13 world titles
The story
aori Yoshida set the standard for women's wrestling. Competing mostly at 55 kg, the Tsu native won Olympic gold in Athens in 2004, Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012, and stacked up 13 world titles between 2002 and 2015 while losing only a handful of senior matches. Her weapon was a high-speed tackle, often set up with a swaying 'pendulum' rhythm that pulled opponents off balance before she drove into the gap. American Marcie Van Dusen ended a 119-match winning streak in 2008, and another American, Helen Maroulis, beat her in the Rio 2016 final at 53 kg. Japan honored her with the People's Honour Award in 2012, and she announced her retirement in 2019.
- Olympic champion (2004, 2008, 2012)
- Olympic silver medalist (2016)
- World champion ×13 (2002–2015)
- Asian Games champion ×4 (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014)
- People's Honour Award (2012)
- Japan's flag bearer, London 2012 Olympics
Defining matches
- 2008LOSSvs Marcie Van Dusen (Team World Cup, 0-2; ended a 119-match winning streak)
- 2008WINBeijing Olympics (second Olympic gold)
- 2012WINLondon Olympics (third Olympic gold)
- 2016LOSSvs Helen Maroulis (Rio Olympic final, 1-4)
Make your opponent move first: Yoshida swayed side to side to pull opponents off balance, then tackled into the space it opened. Drill a rhythmic stance-and-motion setup that ends in a fast double leg.
