Judo

Confidence Propels Veteran Judoka Natsumi Tsunoda to an Olympic Gold

Three-time world champion Natsumi Tsunoda relied on experience and self-assurance to earn Japan's 500th Summer Olympic medal, the nation's first at Paris 2024.

by
Ed Odeven
July 28, 2024

Natsumi Tsunoda was overcome with a sense of pride after winning the women's 48-kilogram weight class gold medal on Saturday night, July 27 at the Paris Olympics.

And who can blame her?

C'est magnifique, a magnificent performance.

Think of it this way: It was a mission accomplished for the three-time world champion (2021, 2022, 2023), who hails from Chiba Prefecture. And at age 31, Tsunoda was making her Olympic debut on the first full day of activities at the Paris Games.

In addition, Tsunoda collected Japan's first medal of Paris 2024. And it just happened to be Japan's 500th overall Summer Olympic medal.

Who earned the first?

Left-handed men's singles tennis player Ichiya Kumagae, the silver medalist at the 1920 Antwerp Games in Belgium.

*Japanese tennis player Ichiya Kumagae in an undated photo. (PUBLIC DOMAIN)*

In her fifth victorious match on a busy day in the French capital, Tsunoda secured the gold medal with a waza-ari against Mongolia's Baasankhuu Bavuudorj, the reigning world champion.

At Champ-de-Mars Arena, Agence France-Presse captured the essence of Tsunoda's title-clinch effort in the gold-medal match, noting she was "rolling on her back and flipping Baasankhuu Bavuudorj head-first to the mat."

Natsumi Tsunoda Reacts to Winning Olympic Title

Tsunoda became Japan's first women's 48-kg Olympic judo titlist since Ryoko Tani at the 2004 Athens Games.

"During the competition, it was hard for me to get my moves going, and I thought I was being taken advantage of," Tsunoda said, describing the experience, according to Kyodo News.

Throughout the day, she remained determined to succeed.

"I tried to believe in myself until the very end," Tsunoda told reporters.

Reflecting on participating at the Olympics, Tsunoda acknowledged it had its own unique characteristics.

"Unlike usual competitions, there was a lot of pressure. But I was able to grow," Tsunoda said, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK. "But I think I was able to grow as a person."

The new Olympic champion then said with a smile, "I had turned away from my goal [of winning the gold medal] for a long time, but I am glad that it became a reality."

In an introspective mood after receiving her gold medal at the awards ceremony, Tsunoda answered a reporter's question about her path to becoming an Olympic champion.

"There were many tough times, and I don't want to go back," Natsumi Tsunoda said with another smile, NHK reported.

Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.