Kotaro Kiyooka
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Japan Kiyooka at Paris 2024 Summer Olympians and Paralympians Japan National Team parade event on November 30, 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Native name | 清岡幸大郎 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 12 April 2001 (age 25) Kōchi Prefecture, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 166 cm (5 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Wrestling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight class | 65 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event | Freestyle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Nippon Sport Science University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Kenichi Yumoto | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic finals |  (2024) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Kotaro Kiyooka (清岡幸大郎, Kiyooka Kotaro; born 12 April 2001) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler who competes in the 65 kilogram class.[1] He represented Japan at the 2024 Summer Olympics, where he became the reigning Olympic champion.[2] He qualified by reaching the finals at the 2024 Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament and by winning the Olympic national trials, where he defeated World and Olympic champion Takuto Otoguro.[3]
Kiyooka was born in Kōchi Prefecture, where he started wrestling at an early age. He attended Kochi Minami High School.[4] During his teenage years, he won medals at multiple Japan National tournaments in different age-groups.[5]
Career
2018–2020
While still a high school student, Kiyooka placed fifth at the Emperor's Cup in 2018, and third in 2019 in the 57 kilogram class.[6] After graduating, he started attending the Nippon Sport Science University in 2020 and reached fifth place at the Emperor's Cup that year in the 61 kilogram class.[7]
2021–2022
In 2021, Kiyooka reached second place at the Meiji Cup and fifth at the Emperor's Cup. [8][9] In 2022, he moved up to the 65 kilogram class, reaching third place at the Meiji Cup and the Emperor's Cup.[10][11]
2023
Competing outside Japan for the first time in his career, Kiyooka won the championship at the Dan Kolov & Nikola Petrov Tournament, defeating returning champion Islam Dudaev, Olympian Agustín Destribats and U23 World finalist Mikyay Naim.[12]
He then qualified for the U23 World Championships by winning the trials, before a seventh-place finish at the Meiji Cup.[13] At the U23 World Championships, Kiyooka reached ninth place. [14]
At the Emperor's Cup, Kiyooka stunned World and returning Olympic champion Takuto Otoguro to reach the finals before claiming the championship, qualifying for the 2024 Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament.[2]
2024
At the qualifier, he defeated U23 European finalist Abdulmazhid Kudiev, Olympian Yun Jun-sik and Yuan Shaohua to reach the Olympic quota. He thus represented Japan at the 2024 Summer Olympics. [15]
In June, Kiyooka entered the Polyák Imre & Varga János Memorial Tournament, where after a first-round loss to three-time World champion Haji Aliyev, he rebounded with victories over reigning World champion Ismail Musukaev, NCAA finalist and fellow Olympian Austin Gomez, and Abbas Ebrahimzade, winning gold.[16]
In August, Kiyooka made his Olympic debut at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[17] On the first day, he opened up with a technical fall over Maxim Saculțan from Moldova, followed by hard-fought victories over returning World finalist Sebastian Rivera from Puerto Rico and Asian Games champion Tömör-Ochiryn Tulga from Mongolia, cruising to the finals and securing a medal.[18] In the gold-medal bout, he defeated World champion Rahman Amouzad from Iran, becoming the Olympic champion at the age of 23.[19]
Throughout October and November, Kiyooka competed in the Bundesliga, in Germany, for club KSC Hösbach.[20] He recorded a 4–1 record for them, shifting between the 66, 71 and 75 kilogram weight classes.[21]
