| Sakura Motoki | |
| Headercolor: | lightblue |
| Native Name: | 元木咲良 |
| Birth Date: | 2002 2, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Saitama, Japan |
| Height: | 1.6m (05.2feet) |
| Weight: | 62kg (137lb) |
| Country: | Japan |
| Sport: | Women's freestyle wrestling |
| Event: | 62 kg |
is a Japanese freestyle wrestler competing in the 62 kg division.[1] She won the gold medal in the women's 62kg event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.[2]
Sakura Motoki reached the semi-finals in the women's freestyle 59 kg category at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, by defeating Turkish Ebru Dağbaşı in the first round with a 5–0 lead and Alyona Kolesnik, competing for Azerbaijan, in the quarter-finals with a 6–0 lead. She lost to Anastasia Nichita from Moldova 7–5 in the semi-final. In the bronze medal match, she won the bronze medal by beating China's Zhang Qi with a pin while leading 7–0.[3]
In 2023, Motoki competed in the women's 62kg event at the World Wrestling Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia and won the silver medal.[4] As a result, she earned a quota place for Japan for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.[5]
In 2024, she won the silver medal in the women's 62kg event at the Asian Wrestling Championships held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.[6] Motoki won the gold medal in the women's 62kg event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.[2] [7] She defeated Iryna Koliadenko of Ukraine in her gold medal match.[2] [7]
| Year | Tournament | Location | Result | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | World Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 3rd | Freestyle 59kg |
| 2023 | World Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 2nd | Freestyle 62kg |
| 2024 | Asian Championships | Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan | 2nd | Freestyle 62kg |
| Summer Olympics | Paris, France | 1st | Freestyle 62kg |