Every Indian vividly remembers the picture of the Paris Olympics 2024, with Vinesh Phogat crying tears of joy while donning her blue jersey. But do we remember the four-time world champion and the defending Olympic champion opposite her?
Yes, the Japanese wrestler, Yui Susaki, came to India, and shrugging off her heavy memories, she light-heartedly exclaimed, “I am a challenger now.”
She discussed her defeat two years ago. Susaki, in her “not-so-good” English, stated, “I respect her. I heard she had a baby, no?” the Japanese remember. “I don’t know if I will meet her here. Tell her many hellos. I wish her health and a happy family. I am happy for her. If I meet Vinesh, I want to wrestle her again,” she says to TOI.
Susaki is one of those rare athletes whose greatness isn’t immediately obvious. Among the spectators, few would guess that she is a four-time world champion, a reigning Olympic gold medallist, and someone who entered the Paris Olympics 50 kg category. That is until she came up against Vinesh.
However, in contrast to her looking like a stunned, tearful figure the world saw after that defeat two years ago. She appears calm and unburdened, almost like a newly arrived Japanese tourist. She looks ready for a stroll through Delhi without a mask, untouched by the city’s haze and pollution.
When asked about her plans in her free time, she merely shakes her head. “No. Only wrestle, wrestle, wrestle,” she laughingly stated.
While asked about her defeat, she stated, “I didn’t expect that defeat,” she began somberly. “That day, I couldn’t believe it happened. It was really disappointing for me.”
She added, “It was a shocking experience, but that experience was important to me.”
Yui was awarded gold in Tokyo without dropping a single point. Her record was cemented by not losing to a foreign player, with an astonishing 82–0 record. But that day she was 2-0 against Vinesh.
However, the defeat couldn’t touch her sportsperson spree. “Maybe that experience made me realise what I was lacking,” she claimed. “That defeat prompted me to confront myself even more and allowed me to grow in all aspects. It was a frustrating experience, but I see it as a necessary experience for me.”
“Because I want to win gold at the Los Angeles Olympics and Brisbane, I will use the defeat to Vinesh to my advantage,” she nods sagely.
Much like in heavyweight boxing, a crushing defeat can plunge even the greatest athletes into a phase of deep darkness and self-doubt. The question is: how does a champion come to terms with such a moment?
“This was the most painful and demoralising experience of my life,” she said. “But I want to rise again. I want to prove—to myself and to everyone else—that I can be a Japanese champion, a world champion, and an Olympic champion. More than that, I want my journey to give others courage and hope.”
