Three-time world champion Tsugumi Sakurai of Japan reached the semifinals of the women’s 57-kilogram wrestling at the Olympic Games in Paris on Thursday.

Of the other two Japanese wrestlers who wrestled in the freestyle competition in the first half of the day, Rio de Janeiro Olympic silver medalist Rei Higuchi advanced to the men’s 57 kg semifinals, but Hayato Ishiguro lost to Aaron Marquel Brooks of the United States in the men’s 86 kg quarterfinals.

Japan’s Tsugumi Sakurai (facing camera) and Ecuador’s Luisa Elizabeth Valverde Melendres compete in the quarterfinals of the women’s 57-kilogram wrestling at the Paris Olympic Games at the Champ de Mars arena in Paris on Aug. 8, 2024. (Kyodo)

The 22-year-old Sakurai, making her Olympic debut after winning the first of three world championships in the 55kg class from 2021 to 2023, scored two dominant victories to secure a clash later in the day with American Helen Louise Maroulis, who defeated three-time Olympic champion Saori Yoshida in the 53kg final at the Rio Games.

Higuchi defeated Darian Toi Cruz of Puerto Rico 12-2 in their quarterfinal bout after winning their first-round bout by walkover at the Champ-de-Mars Arena.

The second game was anything but smooth for Ishiguro: After a 1-1 draw in the first half, the American collected ten points and won 11-1.

Later in the day, two-time world champion Akari Fujinami of Japan will face Ecuador’s Lucia Yamileth Yepez Guzman in a bout for the women’s 53-kilogram gold medal.

In Paris, each weight class is contested over two days. The first day is the weigh-in, and the second day is a second weigh-in for the finalists and repechage qualifiers. If a wrestler fails to make the weight, he is disqualified.

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