Heavyweight, Freestyle (≤76 kg), Women

The heavyweight was the only weight class in women’s freestyle wrestling where Japan never won gold, or even had an Olympic finalist. In the history of this sport, including Tokyo 2020, Japan had won 15 out of 19 gold medals in all other divisions and, in Paris 2024, Japan won three of five golds in the lower weight classes. This time, however, the favorite in the heavyweight class was a Japanese competitor. The 22-year-old Yuka Kagami won bronze and gold in the last two World championships, and in 2018 she had been a bronze medalist at the Youth Olympic Games. Both finalists of the Tokyo Olympics did not compete in Paris. German gold medalist Aline Rotter-Focken retired, and American Adeline Gray was ousted in the US trials by 20-years old newcomer Kennedy Blades.

Kagami won her first three bouts with solid, but not really superior, victories on points. In the semi-final, she defeated #3 seeded Colombian Tatiana Rentería, the 2022 U-23 World champion. In the upper half of the brackets, the #1 seeded Aiperi Medet from Kyrgyzstan had an equally difficult time reaching the semi-final. After placing fifth in Tokyo, she took silver at the 2023 World Championships, losing the final against Kagami. In the Paris semi, Medet met Kennedy Blades, who achieved an upset victory, winning 8-6 on points.

In the final, Kagami claimed the first women’s heavyweight gold for Japan. Nevertheless, Blades did a good job holding Kagami to a 1-1 draw after the first period. Eventually, the Japanese wrestler scored the match’s only takedown for two points. Kagami’s defense was too strong for Blades’ late attempts to come back. In her bronze medal match, the Cuban Milaimys Marín snatched the medal from Aiperi Medet after a clear upset victory of 6-0 on points. In an all-South American bronze medal match, Rentería secured the medal for Colombia, by a narrow 2-1 success over Génesis Reasco from Ecuador.