Shoko Yoshimura

Shoko Yoshimura (吉村 祥子, Yoshimura Shoko, born 14 October 1968) is a retired Japanese Wrestler.[2] She competed in 10 World Wrestling Championships and won 9 medals, including 5 gold medals.[1][2][3]

Shoko Yoshimura
Shoko Yoshimura at 2018 Summer Youth Olympics
Personal information
Native name吉村 祥子
NationalityJapanese
Born14 October 1968 (1968-10-14) (age 55)[1]
Kanagawa Prefecture[1]
Height153 cm (5 ft 0 in)[2]
Sport
CountryJapan
SportWrestling
Event(s)Freestyle
Medal record
Women's freestyle wrestling
Representing  Japan
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1990 Martigny44 kg
Gold medal – first place 1990 Ostia44 kg
Gold medal – first place 1993 Stavern44 kg
Gold medal – first place 1994 Sofia44 kg
Gold medal – first place 1995 Moscow44 kg
Silver medal – second place 1992 Villeurbanne44 kg
Bronze medal – third place 1987 Lørenskog44 kg
Bronze medal – third place 1991 Tokyo44 kg
Bronze medal – third place 1996 Sofia44 kg
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 1996 Xiaoshan44 kg
Gold medal – first place 1997 Taipei46 kg
Gold medal – first place 2000 Seoul46 kg

Biography

Yoshimura aspired to be a professional wrestler when she was at Seijo Gakuen High School because she admired Crush Gals (クラッシュギャルズ) (Chigusa Nagayo and Lioness Asuka).[4] In 1986, She auditioned for Professional Wrestling, but was turned away because she was too short at 153 cm.[5] At that time, she was invited by former world champion Tomiaki Fukuda, which led her to start Amateur Wrestling instead of professional wrestling.[4][5] In 1987, she entered Seijo University.[1] That year, she competed and placed third at the first Women's World Championships in Oslo, Norway, in the 44kg weight class.[1][2] She won the 1989 World Wrestling Championships for the first time, followed by the 1990 World Wrestling Championships.[1][2] She also won three consecutive World Championships from 1993 to 1995.[1][2] She then had a period of time away from wrestling due to a knee injury, but continued to wrestle until 2004.[1][2] In 2009, she was inducted into the UWW (then FILA) Hall of Fame and has coached the Japanese women's national team since then.[2][3][6] Among others, she has personally coached Yui Susaki since she was 13 years old, who won the gold medal in the 50kg weight class at the Tokyo Olympics.[3]

References
  1. "吉村祥子" [Shoko Yoshimura] (in Japanese). Japan Wrestling Federation (日本レスリング協会). Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  2. "世界チャンピオン/女子（2）…吉村祥子" [World Champions/Women（2）Shoko Yoshimura] (in Japanese). Japan Wrestling Federation (日本レスリング協会). Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  3. "須崎優衣の恩師・吉村祥子コーチは国際殿堂入りの軽量級最強女王「100点満点をあげたい」" [Yui Susaki's mentor, Coach Shoko Yoshimura was the strongest lightweight queen named to the International Hall of Fame "I would give her a perfect score of 100"]. Sports Hochi (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan. 7 August 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  4. "なぜ少女たちはクラッシュ・ギャルズに涙したか" [Why Girls Cried for Crush Gals]. Nikkei (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan. 18 April 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  5. Fuse, Koji (2008). 吉田沙保里―119連勝の方程式 [Saori Yoshida - Formula for 119 consecutive wins] (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Shinchosha. p. 50. ISBN 978-4103080619.
  6. "女子レスリング吉村祥子さんが殿堂入り" [Shoko Yoshimura of women's wrestling was inducted into the Hall of Fame]. Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan. 12 March 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
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