The last time this wrestler competed at the Olympics, she did not concede a single point

She only just turned 25, but Yui Susaki is already a reigning Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion, and is widely touted as the best pound-for-pound freestyle wrestler in the world.

She only recently turned 25, but Yui Susaki is already a reigning Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion, and is widely touted as the best pound-for-pound freestyle wrestler in the world. Susaki – all 5 feet (1.52 meters) of her – has never lost an international bout at senior level, and another dominant performance at the Paris Games could propel her into the conversation over the greatest of all time. So how does she do it? “There’s a concept in Japanese – ‘shin-gi-tai’ – that encompasses the mental, technical and physical approach to life,” Susaki told CNN via video call between her grueling morning training sessions as she prepared for the Games. “When you get to the Olympics, the world’s highest stage, everyone’s shin-gi-tai is at similar levels. So to reach the top, you need your soul. Then your emotions are the last stretch – you need to believe in yourself constantly. I always make sure to do that when I train.” Under the wing of long-time coach and wrestling legend Shoko Yoshimura, Susaki tore through her Olympic debut at the Covid-impacted Tokyo Games three years ago without conceding a single point in the women’s 50kg category. She is also the first wrestler in history to achieve a “grand slam” in the sport – becoming world champion at U15s, U17s, U20s, U23s, senior and Olympic level.