Saori Yoshida

Yoshida started competing internationally as a cadet, in 1998, in the 52 kg category. By 2002, when she moved to seniors, she competed in the 59 kg division. The same year, she lost 4 kg, and remained in the 55 kg category until 2014. She moved to the 53 kg class at the 2014 World Cup and World Championships as part of her preparation for the 2016 Olympics,[8] where the traditional 48–55–63–75 kg scheme will be changed to 48–53–58–63–69–75 kg.[9] However, two weeks after the World Championships she returned to the 55 kg category at the 2014 Asian Games, which kept the old weight divisions.[4] Yoshida announced her retirement on Twitter in January 2019.[10]

Yoshida is the daughter of Eikatsu Yoshida, a former national champion and wrestling coach.[11][1] She started training in wrestling aged 3, following her father and two elder brothers.[12] Since 2011 she is a face of the ALSOK security group and regularly appears in their commercials.[13]

In December 2008, the wrestling singlet which Yoshida wore in the Olympic final bout earlier that year, was sold for 551,000 yen (ca. US$6,123) at an internet auction, and the money was donated to the Japanese Red Cross society.[3]

In 2013, when the International Olympic Committee named wrestling as a candidate for exclusion from the Games, she became an active part of the Japanese lobbying team that persuaded the IOC to retain wrestling at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.[5]

In May 2014 Yoshida made a cameo appearance in the Japanese television drama Tokyo Metropolitan Guard Center, and later wished to resume acting after retiring from wrestling.[1]

• Tokyo Sports
  • Wrestling Special Award (2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)[14][15]

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event
• List of multiple Olympic medalists in one event
• List of multiple Summer Olympic medalists

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saori Yoshida.

• Athlete Biography at beijing2008

Olympic Games
Preceded by Ai Fukuhara	Flagbearer for  Japan London 2012	Succeeded by Keisuke Ushiro