Japan's Risako Kawai captured the gold medal Thursday by beating Belarus's Iryna Kurachkina 5-0 in the women's 57-kilogram wrestling final at the Tokyo Olympics.
The 26-year-old Kawai, freestyle champion at 63 kg at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, became the third Japanese female wrestler to win back-to-back Olympic titles, following Kaori Icho, who had four straight titles and Saori Yoshida, who won three consecutive gold medal, respectively, from the 2004 Athens Games.
On Wednesday, Kawai's younger sister, 23-year-old Yukako, won the women's 62-kg title, making them the first Japanese sisters to have both won Olympic gold medals.
But Thursday's victory was even sweeter as the Kawais became the first sisters to take top podium spots at the same Olympic tournament.
"I have to ask myself if it is okay to have such a great day," Kawai said about winning a gold with her sister. "I have struggled with various feelings for a long time. If I said there was no pressure (to defend the title) that would be a lie."
In the final, Kawai took an early 2-0 lead in the first period and added three additional technical points in the second stanza, warding off Kurachkina's fierce attack on her legs as the clock counted down at Makuhari Messe Hall.
"Compared with the Rio Games, every match I had felt really heavy. But I believed that that pressure would help cheer me on. I have to become the type of wrestler who can withstand the pressure and I fought it out till the end."
American Helen Maroulis, the gold medalist at 53 kg who denied Yoshida a fourth consecutive title at the Rio Games, routed Khongorzul Boldsaikhan of Mongolia 11-0 for a bronze along with Evelina Nikolova of Bulgaria, who downed Russian Valeria Koblova 5-0.
Earlier 24-year-old Mayu Mukaida, the 2018 world champion at 55 kg, booked a spot in the 53-kg final in her first Olympics with a 6-3 drubbing of Mongolian Bolortuya Bat Ochir, a 2019 bronze medalist at 55 kg, and will face China's Pang Qianyu in Friday's final.
"My opponent was really strong, and I felt all of the wrestlers here have the fierce determination of competing in the Olympics," Mukaida said. "I have also been training hard for the Olympics. I am glad I was able to keep that feeling in mind to fight till the end. I have one last bout to go, so I want to give everything during the entire six minutes of the final," she said.
In men's freestyle, Russian Zavur Uguev, the 2019 world champion, downed Kumar Ravi of India, in the 57-kg final, giving the 26-year-old his first Olympic gold. Nurislam Sanayev of Kazakhstan and Patrick Gilman of the United States won bronze medals at 57 kg.
At 86 kg, American David Taylor had a stunning 4-3 come-from-behind final win over Iran's Hassan Yazdani, the Rio Games champion at 74 kg, the 2018 world champion tackling the legs of his opponent to snatch the gold in the dying seconds of the bout.
Russian Artur Naifonov claimed a bronze, as did Myles Amine of San Marino, winning his country's first Olympic wrestling medal.
Earlier at 74 kg, Keisuke Otoguru was eliminated when he lost by fall to Daniyar Kaisanov of Kazakhstan in his first match. Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau of Belarus reached Friday's 74-kg final clash against Russian Zaurbek Sidakov.
At 125 kg, American Gable Steveson broke his way into the final where he will face Georgian Geno Petriashvili, a bronze medalist in the weight class at the Rio Games.
Related coverage:
Olympics: Yukako Kawai wins women's 62-kg wrestling gold for Japan
Olympics: Japan's Shohei Yabiku wins 77-kg Greco-Roman bronze
Olympics: Japan wrestler Fumita wins Greco-Roman 60 kg silver in Tokyo
