Nao Kusaka cheers after winning the men’s 77-kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling event at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday.
17:51 JST, August 8, 2024
PARIS — Nao Kusaka won the gold medal in men’s Greco-Roman wrestling in the 77-kilogram class on Wednesday at the Olympic Games in Paris.
For the 23-year-old Kusaka it was his debut at the Olympic Games, he finished on the highest podium place.
Medalists — from left: Yusneylis Guzman of Cuba, silver, Sarah Hildebrandt of the United States, gold, Yui Susaki of Japan, Ziqi Feng of China, bronze — celebrate the women’s 50-kilogram freestyle wrestling medal ceremony on Wednesday.
Top: Japan’s Akari Fujinami (left) and Cnina’s Qianyu Pang compete in their semi-final of the women’s freestyle under 53 kilograms on Wednesday. Above: Tomokazu Harimoto (center) reacts after the defeat to Sweden in the men’s table tennis semi-final on Wednesday.
Yui Susaki, 25, the gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics in the women’s 50-kilogram freestyle wrestling, who was eliminated in the semi-finals, won the bronze medal match to add another medal to her collection.
Akari Fujinami, 20, is assured of a gold or silver medal in the 53-kilogram class after winning the semi-finals of the freestyle wrestling competition.
In the men’s table tennis team event, Japan was defeated by Sweden by two sets and missed the chance to advance to the final. Japan will compete in the bronze medal match on Friday.
In track and field, Ryuji Miura, 22, finished eighth in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase final, a two-time top-eight finish in the event after finishing seventh at the Tokyo Games.
Rachid Muratake became the first Japanese athlete to reach a final in the men’s 110 metres hurdles at the Games after his strong performance in the semi-finals.
Left: Ryuji Miura (center) competes in the men’s 3,000 meter steeplechase final on Wednesday. Right: Rachid Muratake will compete in the semi-finals of the men’s 110m hurdles on Wednesday.
