In what is being called one of the greatest upsets in Olympic wrestling history, reigning women's 50-kilogram champion Yui Susaki of Japan was defeated by India's Vinesh Phogat in her first match at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, August 6.
Phogat scored a takedown in the final seconds to stun the Tokyo 2020 gold medalist with a 3-2 victory at Champ-de-Mars Arena. It was Susaki's first loss ever in 95 matches against non-Japanese opponents.
"By losing like this, I wasted all the support of so many people," Susaki said, according to Kyodo News. "I couldn't do what I wanted to do.
She added, "I just don't know what went wrong."
Yui Susaki Built a 2-0 Lead in the Match
Susaki, who won the first of her four world championships in Paris, took a 2-0 lead early when the 29-year-old Indian gave up two passivity points.
Phogat was defensive throughout the early stages of the match and did everything she could to prevent the Japanese star from going for her legs.
Even if Susaki did, Phogat used her core strength to prevent the defending champion from rolling her over.
Late in the match, Phogat seized an opportunity, knocking Susaki off balance and then charging ahead for a takedown with just five seconds left.
It was a stunning turn of events for Susaki, who did not concede a single point en route to the gold medal three years ago in Tokyo.
Susaki challenged but it was overruled and victory belonged to Phogat, who dropped to the mat before hugging her coach in delight.
Yui Susaki Wanted to Emulate Kaori Icho
Susaki was devastated by the loss.
"I kept training for the Paris Olympics without doing anything else," Susaki said. "The loss tells me that I don't deserve to be an Olympic champion."
Susaki had previously said it was her goal to win four consecutive Olympic gold medals, to equal legendary compatriot Kaori Icho, who did it between 2004 and 2016.
Also on Tuesday, fellow Japanese Nonoka Ozaki reached the bronze-medal match in the women's 68-kg category with a 6-0 victory over Mongolia's Delgermaa Enkhsaikhan in the repechage round.
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Author: Jim Armstrong
The author is a longtime journalist who has covered sports in Japan for over 25 years. You can find his articles on SportsLook.
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