Jūdōka Tsunoda Natsumi a Dominant Force for Japan at Paris Olympics

Golden Opportunity

Tsunoda Natsumi is hoping to kick off a medal rush for Japan at the Paris Olympics. The jūdōka will compete in the 48 kg women’s jūdō competition held on the first day of the games. If she can assert the dominance she has shown at recent international events, she has a strong chance of bringing home Japan’s first gold medal in the extra-lightweight class since Tani Ryōko at the Athens Games in 2004. Victory would also earn her the honor of being Japan’s 500th medalist, an extra feather in her cap in her maiden Olympic appearance.

The All Japan Jūdō Federation tapped Tsunoda for the Olympics in June 2023 following her win at the world championships in Doha. Something of a late bloomer, she emerged as one of the top competitors in her weight class in her late twenties, racking up an impressive list of titles that includes consecutive golds at the World Jūdō Championships from 2021 to 2023. At 31 years and 11 months, she is the oldest female jūdōka ever to represent Japan at the games, topping the record set by Hamada Shōri by more than a year.

Changing Weight Class

Although extremely talented, Tsunoda never dreamed of competing at the Olympics. It was her transition to the 48 kg class in 2019, however, that proved to be a major catalyst for her subsequent success. Tsunoda had previously set her sights set on the 52 kg class, one of the most competitive categories that is dominated by the likes of Abe Uta and Shishime Ai. However, an unfortunate injury during Olympic qualifying pushed her out of contention. With little hope of representing Japan in the half-lightweight category at Tokyo, she made the difficult call to drop down a weight class.

“I was getting older, and Tokyo felt like my last chance to compete at an Olympics,” Tsunoda said of her decision. “I felt that if there was little hope of making it at the 52 kg class, I might as well put everything on the line and try my luck in another class.”

Cutting weight presented its own challenges as the 48 kg category is also very competitive. As one of Japan’s traditional jūdō classes, it is dominated by the likes of Tonaki Fūna, Rio gold medalist Kondō Ami, and junior world champion Koga Wakana. Tsunoda took the challenge seriously and remained realistic about her chances while keeping her focus on the Olympics.

Tsunoda Natsumi pins Spain’s Julia Figueroa with her trademark newaza during the women’s 48 kg final at Tokyo Grand Slam 2023 in December. (© Jiji)

With little time for Tsunoda to prove her abilities at her new weight class, though the AJJF in the end chose Tonaki to represent Japan at the Tokyo games. Having missed her chance at being selected for the national team, Tsunoda mulled the idea of retiring. Then at the World Jūdō Championships that took place ahead of the Tokyo games, she won the 48 kg category, an achievement she says inspired her and gave her the confidence to keep competing.

Describing her thinking after the win, she said that she kept her sights clearly set on the going to the Olympics: “I decided to pour everything I had into achieving that goal. The experience reconfirmed for me my desire to continue with jūdō. I’ve been taking things one year at a time and one competition at a time with the attitude that if I lose, it’s all over.”

A veteran competitor, Tsunoda keeps getting better with age. Among her advantages is her ability to leveraging her strength to topple her opponents to the ground, where she is able to apply her well-honed newaza. Fans will be eager for her to prove herself against the best in the world in Paris.

Winning Moves

Tsunoda has two dominant moves in her arsenal that she will be certain to unleash on her opponents in Paris, the tomoe nage (circle throw) and the ude hishigi jūji gatame arm lock.

Tsunoda throws Germany’s Katharina Menz in the final of the 2022 World Jūdō Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. (© Kyōdō)

Tsunoda’s offensive style is rooted in her involvement in grappling and jujitsu, pursuits she started when she was in university. She developed an especial fondness for the diverse range of ground techniques and locks in jujitsu, building her skills and confidence in her take-down and controlling techniques with every competition.

Of course, Tsunoda’s range is much broader than these two techniques. At the Antalya Grand Slam in March, the last major tournament before the Olympics, Tsunoda scored an ippon victory against Kazakhstan’s Abiba Abuzhakynova in the semifinals with a kata guruma throw, deftly lifting her opponent onto her shoulders and depositing her onto the mat in one swift motion. In the final, though, Tsunoda showed how devastating she is with her trademark moves. Facing rising Turkish star Sila Ersin, she scored a waza-ari with a dazzling tomoe nage before deciding the bout with an ude hishigi jūji gatame, earning her the gold and giving her ippon wins in all five of her matches.

Tsunoda is highly motivated to make the most of her Olympic chance after years of struggle, an opportunity made possible by her love of and dedication to jūdō. She says she wants to confirm her decision to remain in the sport in Paris and give back to everyone who supported her through her many setbacks.

It is unlikely that Tsunoda will win all her bouts by ippon, but she is physically and mentally prepared for the tough battle that awaits her. On July27, she will finally get her long-awaited opportunity to step onto the mat in the Olympics. And if she wins gold, it will be the crowning achievement of her career.

(Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo: Tsunoda Natsumi after winning Paris Grand Slam 2024 in the 48 kg category in February 2022. © Reuters.)