The Japanese wrestler had never lost a professional match until she ran into North Korea’s Il Sim Son at the 2026 Asian Games

Published on: Oct 3, 2026, 11:50:42 IST

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Mumbai: The last time Akari Fujinami had lost a wrestling match, tears had been shed.

“I can still picture myself after the match going to the toilet and crying by myself,” she told United World Wrestling (UWW).

That defeat had come nine years ago, when a 13-year-old Fujinami lost in the final of the National Junior High School Championship in 2017. It proved to be a defeat that turned the tide for her.

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From being a budding wrestler playing her sport “for fun”, she became determined to perfect her craft and went on an astonishing nine-year winning spree.

That run ended on Saturday in the semi-final of the Asian Games at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Centre. Once again, there were tears. But not from Fujinami.

The Japanese wrestler, pinned in a 10-0 defeat in the semi-final of the women’s 57kg freestyle event, lay flat on her back on the mat for a few moments that may have felt like a lifetime. An emotional Il Sim Son of North Korea at once clapped in disbelief, then slapped the mat a few times in celebration for picking up a win she could have only hoped for.

For the first time in nine years, at the end of 155 consecutive wins in wrestling matches across all levels, Fujinami had finally been defeated.

But what a run this was from a 22-year-old who has won every major title there is in her sport. She has won the U-17 and U-23 World Championships. She has won multiple Asian Championships and World Championship gold medals. She is the reigning Olympic champion. And she came to the ongoing Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, after winning gold in the 53kg freestyle event at the previous edition in Hangzhou, China.

After all these years and achievements though, the 22-year-old still remembers that loss in 2017, which set in motion an all-conquering journey that lasted nine years.

“Up to then I had been doing wrestling for fun,” she said to UWW, about the defeat to her school senior Umi Ito. “But I wanted to beat Ito-san so badly, I became serious about it. More than getting better myself, I thought about what I could do every day to get stronger so I could beat Ito-san.”

A journey that started with the goal of beating a wrestler 18-months her senior, Fujinami became the one to beat.

Since her win at the Paris Olympics though, she has sought a new challenge for herself as she moved up from the 53kg to the 57kg event.

In the new weight category, she already picked up a title by winning the U-23 Worlds last year.

But as she prepares for bigger titles in the new division, particularly at the 2028 Olympics, the defeat to Son on Saturday might give her a boost – just like the one she got the last time she lost.

“I felt that I couldn’t win by just enjoying it. As such, I started working harder,” she said. “If I had easily beaten everyone in my first year of junior high, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am now. It’s because I encountered such obstacles and was determined to overcome them.”

The nine-year streak was thrilling and historic while it lasted. Fujinami will now hope to do it all over again. Perhaps, go even better.

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