Natsumi Tsunoda

Natsumi Tsunoda has redefined dominance in women’s lightweight judo. At 31, she crowned her remarkable rise by winning Olympic gold at the Paris 2024 Games, confirming her status as the undisputed leader of her division.

Originally a top athlete in U52kg, where she claimed World silver in 2017, Tsunoda made the bold decision to move down in weight in 2019. The change transformed her career. From 2021 to 2023 she captured three consecutive World Championship titles in Budapest, Tashkent and Doha, an extraordinary sequence that established her as the absolute champion of U48kg. Since her triumph in Doha in 2023, she has dominated almost every contest with authority.

Tsunoda’s technical identity is unmistakable. A master of tomoe-nage and ne-waza, she has scored a mountain of ippon with her explosive sacrifice throw and lightning-fast armlocks. Her transitions from standing to groundwork are seamless, often leaving opponents with no chance to recover.

Her medal collection extends across the World Masters, which she won in Guangzhou in 2018, and multiple Grand Slam victories. She claimed gold in Tokyo in 2016 and 2023, Paris and Ulaanbaatar in 2022, Antalya in 2024 and Baku in 2025.

With Olympic gold and three straight world titles, Tsunoda has not only conquered her category but reshaped it. In January 2026 she announced her retirement.

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