Yuka Kagami

Yuka Kagami (Japanese: 鏡 優翔, Hepburn: Kagami Yūka; born 14 September 2001) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler. She won the gold medal in the women's 76 kg event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. She is also a gold medalist at the World Wrestling Championships (2023) and a two-time medalist at the Asian Wrestling Championships.

Early Life and Background

Kagami was born on 14 September 2001 in Yamagata, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. She attended Toyo University Graduate School and is affiliated with Suntory Beverage Solution Co., Ltd.

Career

Youth and Junior Level

Kagami won the bronze medal in the girls' freestyle 73 kg event at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She also served as Japan's flagbearer at the opening ceremony of those Games.

In 2019, she won the silver medal in the women's 72 kg event at the Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. That same year, she claimed gold in the women's 72 kg event at the 2019 Asian Wrestling Championships in Xi'an, China, and silver in the 76 kg event at the 2019 World U23 Wrestling Championship in Budapest, Hungary.

Senior Level

At the 2022 Asian Wrestling Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Kagami won the silver medal in the 76 kg event. She earned a bronze medal in the women's 76 kg event at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

In 2023, Kagami won the gold medal in the women's 76 kg event at the World Wrestling Championships, also held in Belgrade, defeating Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan in the final. This victory earned Japan a quota place for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

2024 Summer Olympics

At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Kagami competed in the women's freestyle 76 kg event. She defeated Kennedy Blades of the United States in the gold medal match, winning Japan's gold medal in the weight class.

Major Achievements