Kaori Matsumoto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kaori Matsumoto

Personal information
Nationality	Japanese
Born	(1987-09-11) 11 September 1987 (age 37)
Died	Not recognized as a date. Years must have 4 digits (use leading zeros for years < 1000). (aged Error: Need valid year, month, day)
Occupation	Judoka
Sport
Country	Japan
Sport	Judo
Weight class	–57 kg
Achievements and titles
World finals	(2010, 2015)
Regional finals	(2008, 2010)
Olympic finals	(2012)
Medal record Women's judo Representing  Japan Olympic Games Gold 2012 London ‍–‍57 kg Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro ‍–‍57 kg World Championships Gold 2010 Tokyo ‍–‍57 kg Gold 2015 Astana ‍–‍57 kg Bronze 2011 Paris ‍–‍57 kg Asian Games Gold 2010 Guangzhou ‍–‍57 kg Asian Championships Gold 2008 Jeju ‍–‍57 kg World Masters Gold 2010 Suwon ‍–‍57 kg Gold 2012 Almaty ‍–‍57 kg Silver 2011 Baku ‍–‍57 kg IJF Grand Slam Gold 2008 Tokyo ‍–‍57 kg Gold 2009 Moscow ‍–‍57 kg Gold 2010 Paris ‍–‍57 kg Gold 2010 Rio de Janeiro ‍–‍57 kg Gold 2010 Tokyo ‍–‍57 kg Gold 2011 Tokyo ‍–‍57 kg Gold 2014 Tokyo ‍–‍57 kg Silver 2009 Tokyo ‍–‍57 kg Bronze 2009 Paris ‍–‍57 kg IJF Grand Prix Gold 2010 Düsseldorf ‍–‍57 kg Gold 2012 Düsseldorf ‍–‍57 kg Gold 2014 Düsseldorf ‍–‍57 kg Gold 2014 Budapest ‍–‍57 kg Gold 2016 Düsseldorf ‍–‍57 kg Silver 2011 Düsseldorf ‍–‍57 kg Bronze 2009 Hamburg ‍–‍57 kg Bronze 2015 Ulaanbaatar ‍–‍57 kg
Updated on 24 May 2023.

Kaori Matsumoto (born September 11, 1987) is a famous retired Japanese judoka. She was known for her strong fighting style and became an Olympic champion.

Kaori Matsumoto's Judo Journey

Kaori Matsumoto started learning judo when she was just 6 years old. Her judo school also included wrestling practice once a week. This helped her develop a unique forward-leaning stance, which was very useful in judo. As a child, she even won medals in national wrestling competitions. She won her first national judo tournament in her final year of junior high school.

Favorite Judo Techniques

Kaori Matsumoto had several favorite judo moves. These included Kosoto gari (a small outer reap), Sode tsurikomi goshi (a sleeve lifting pulling hip throw), and Newaza (ground techniques).

Overcoming Challenges

During her high school and college years, Kaori faced several injuries. She broke her right shoulder in high school and her nasal bone and right elbow in college. In 2009, she also injured her right hand during the World Championships. These experiences taught her the importance of healthy eating habits. After focusing on her diet, she went on a winning streak. She won seven international championships in a row from January to December 2010.

Major Achievements in Judo

Kaori Matsumoto achieved many great things in her judo career.

World Championships Success

In 2010, Kaori won the gold medal in the lightweight (57 kg) division at the 2010 World Judo Championships in Tokyo. The next year, in August 2011, she earned a bronze medal at the World Championships in Paris. In December of that year, she won another gold medal at the Grand Slam Tokyo event. She continued her success by winning another gold medal at the 2015 World Judo Championships in Kazakhstan in the under 57 kg women's division.

Olympic Glory

In 2012, Kaori Matsumoto won gold medals at the Masters in January and the Düsseldorf Grand Prix in February. Later that year, she competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She won the gold medal in the women's -57 kg final. This was Japan's first gold medal at the 2012 Olympics and their only gold in judo that year.

At the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Kaori Matsumoto won a bronze medal, adding another Olympic medal to her collection.

Life After Competition

Kaori Matsumoto officially retired from competitive judo in 2019. After the 2012 Summer Olympics, she started doing volunteer work, especially with children in Japan. She even voiced a motorcycle policewoman character, inspired by herself, in the 2013 movie Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods. Kaori is married and has two children.