Japan’s Rei Higuchi wins gold in men’s 57kg freestyle wrestling at Paris Olympics; ‘Macaron Prince’ conquers weight loss with wife’s support

PARIS — Rei Higuchi’s grueling weight loss earned him fame Friday at the Paris Olympics, where the wrestler won gold in the 57-kilogram class of the men’s freestyle event.

The 28-year-old Higuchi was previously disqualified during the qualifications for the Olympic Games in Tokyo after failing to make the correct weight.

After learning from the failure, Higuchi stood on the top of the podium in Paris, saying: “It has not been an easy road.”

At the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Higuchi’s sharp tackles were decisive for his silver.

In Rio, he was a 20-year-old, fresh-faced athlete who had such a sweet tooth that he was nicknamed “Makaron Oji” (The Macaroon Prince), after his favorite sweet.

He paid little attention to his diet, often drinking Frappuccinos with fresh cream at Starbucks and eating regularly at McDonald’s.

Then came the surprise on the way to the Tokyo Olympics, where he planned to take a big step forward in his career.

It was April 2021 during the Asian qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympics. Higuchi would have been eligible to be selected as a participant if he had achieved the highest position.

But he was disqualified after weighing 50 grams more than the allowed amount.

To make matters worse, one of his rivals later defeated him in a qualifying match.

From that day on, Higuchi vowed to “dedicate my entire existence to winning a gold medal in Paris.”

If he didn’t make any effort to lose weight, his 164-centimeter-tall, well-trained body would weigh 65 kilograms.

The question for Higuchi was how to lose those last 50 grams, the equivalent of one egg, after having suffered so many setbacks while trying to lose weight.

Higuchi paid close attention to his daily eating habits and calculated his calorie intake.

He removed the skin from every chicken he cooked and, as far as possible, avoided eating unnecessary foods. He took supplements to get the right nutrition and abstained from eating sweets.

His 29-year-old wife Yuki saw his long struggle: his cheeks were sunken and his eyes were empty; he rarely drank – not even water – and there was no response when she spoke to him.

Yuki said she hoped that “his efforts would be rewarded, as he had endured severe hardships.” She sometimes ate at a nearby supermarket to avoid eating in front of her husband.

The day before the opening match of the Paris Olympics, Higuchi was about 3 pounds over the weight limit. He repeatedly went to the sauna to try to sweat out the weight. He finally made it — just barely.

Repeating the same failure from the past was never an option.

“I went through adversity and despair, but I managed to succeed by believing in myself. Still, I don’t think I could have won the gold medal with my own efforts alone,” Higuchi said.

He repeatedly expressed his gratitude to the people around him.