Akari Fujinami loses for first time since 2017. Now vows to win Olympic gold

Akari Fujinami vowed to bounce back from the first defeat of her career by winning Olympic gold at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. The Japanese wrestling star saw her stunning 155-fight streak end at the Asian Games in Nagoya, but the shock defeat only strengthened her resolve for the next Olympic cycle.

Fujinami suffered her first international and overall loss since 2017 when Korea Republic silver medalist Son Il Sim pinned her in the women’s 57kg semi-final. Son raced to a 10-0 lead before securing a fall, ending an extraordinary undefeated run. However, Fujiinami recovered to win the bronze medal.

Also read: Fariba Hashimi: Afghan cyclist who got out of prison and learned to fly

The defeat left Fujinami deeply frustrated, but also determined to turn the painful experience into motivation. “I feel deeply frustrated. Even though I lost, people supported me, which made me feel both frustrated and determined,” Fujiinami said.

“I decided that at Los Angeles 2028 (Olympic Games) together with everyone who supported me, I will definitely win a gold medal.”

‘I was scared’

The loss was especially difficult because Fujinami had spent years becoming one of the most dominant female wrestlers in the world. She won Olympic gold in the 53kg category at Paris 2024, while also claiming two world titles in 2021 and 2023 and gold at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, all in the 53kg category.

At the Asian Games, Fujiinami competed in the 57kg category after moving up from 53kg. She carried her extraordinary winning record into a new weight class, but Son produced a stunning upset in the semi-finals to end a run that had lasted the past nine years.

The defeat also left Fujina facing emotions she has rarely, if ever, experienced on the wrestling mat. She admitted that returning to the bronze medal competition was a huge mental challenge.

“It was an indescribable emotion that I have never experienced before. I will never forget that feeling and I don’t want to. I was extremely scared to enter the mat again after the semi-finals,” said Fujiinami.

But she found the strength to return to the mat, with her father and supporters helping her through a difficult time.

“But my father and so many people were by my side, giving me words of encouragement and sending messages. I read them all.”

Fujina won the bronze medal to ensure her Asian Games campaign did not end in shock defeat. More importantly, the experience gave the 22-year-old a new perspective after years of near-constant success.

Her undefeated run may be over, but Fujinami now has something she has rarely experienced in her career – a painful defeat to learn from. With Los Angeles 2028 firmly in his sights, he will look to turn the toughest night of his wrestling career into the foundation for another Olympic triumph.

– The end