Sakura Motoki (元木 咲良, Motoki Sakura; born 20 February 2002) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler competing in the 62 kg division.[1] She won the gold medal in the women's 62 kg event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.[2]
Motoki reached the semi-finals in the women's freestyle 59 kg category at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, by defeating Turkish Ebru Dağbaşı in the first round with a 5–0 lead and Alyona Kolesnik, competing for Azerbaijan, in the quarter-finals with a 6–0 lead. She lost to Anastasia Nichita from Moldova 7–5 in the semi-final. In the bronze medal match, she won the bronze medal by beating China's Zhang Qi with a pin while leading 7–0.[3]
In 2023, Motoki competed in the women's 62 kg event at the World Wrestling Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia and won the silver medal.[4] As a result, she earned a quota place for Japan for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.[5]
In 2024, she won the silver medal in the women's 62 kg event at the Asian Wrestling Championships held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.[6] Motoki won the gold medal in the women's 62 kg event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.[2][7] She defeated Iryna Koliadenko of Ukraine in her gold medal match.[2][7]
| Year | Tournament | Location | Result | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | World Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 3rd | Freestyle 59 kg |
| 2023 | World Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 2nd | Freestyle 62 kg |
| 2024 | Asian Championships | Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan | 2nd | Freestyle 62 kg |
| Summer Olympics | Paris, France | 1st | Freestyle 62 kg |
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