Super 8 Ambassador: Saori Yoshida

DOB: October 5, 1982
Where: Tsu, Japan
Highest Accomplishment: 3x Olympic Champion, 12x World Champion
Weight: 55KG
Height: 1.56M
Competes: Japan (JPN)

How and when did you get started in wrestling?
I was very fortunate because there was dojo (training hall) near my home. My father was coaching at the dojo and I think it was natural for me to start. And I was young when I started, only 3.

How do people react when you tell them you are a wrestler?
It was funny, they would all say, “ Oh, you don’t look it!”

What’s your best memory of wrestling?
Carrying my father on my shoulders after winning the 2012 London Olympics. I had carried my other coach the first two times, but for winning my third Gold Medal at Olympics

Who has been the biggest inspiration during your life in wrestling?
I think it I would need to be former athlete and world champion Seiko Yamamoto. She is now coaching in the United States. 

What’s your favorite thing about wrestling?
There are many things about wrestling that I appreciate -- I don’t think I can choose just one thing!  I like winning!

What does being part of the Olympic family mean for women’s wrestling?
The Olympics is a dream and goal for every female wrestler.

What are your hopes for the future of women’s wrestling?
I want wrestling to remain and stay in the Olympic Games forever. I also want it to become as popular a discipline as the other sports in the Games. The Olympic Games are the dream of every female wrestler