Former wrestler Hitomi Obara, who won gold in the women's 48-kilogram event at the 2012 London Olympics, died Friday, sources said Saturday. She was 44.
The cause of her death and other details are unknown.
The native of Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, joined the Self-Defense Forces after college.
Obara retired from wrestling after failing to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She returned to competition in 2010 and achieved her long-held goal of winning an Olympic gold medal in London at age 31, in her first Olympic Games. Obara also won gold at the world championships eight times, including back-to-back titles in the 48-kg class in 2010 and 2011.
Following the London Olympics, Obara retired from competition and focused on coaching younger wrestlers. In 2022, she was inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame, alongside compatriots Kaori Icho and Saori Yoshida.
Earlier this year, Obara became a coach for the Japanese women's national wrestling team in preparation for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
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