Japan’s Rei Higuchi Wins Gold in 57 Kg Men’s Freestyle Wrestling in Paris Olympics; ‘Macaron Prince’ Overcomes Weight Cut with Support from Wife

By Atsushi Ueda / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

17:54 JST, August 10, 2024

PARIS — Rei Higuchi’s grueling weight cut earned him glory at the Paris Olympics on Friday, with the wrestler winning gold in the 57-kilogram division of the men’s freestyle event.

Higuchi, 28, was previously disqualified in the qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympics after failing to make weight.

Having learned from the failure, Higuchi stood on the top spot of the podium in Paris and said, “It hasn’t been a smooth road.”

At the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Higuchi’s sharp tackling skills were decisive in securing him the silver.

In Rio, he was a 20-year-old, fresh-faced athlete who loved eating sweets so much that he was nicknamed “Makaron Oji” (The Macaron Prince) after his favorite sweet.

He paid little attention to his diet, often enjoying Frappuccinos with fresh cream at Starbucks and frequently eating at McDonald’s.

Then came the upset on the path to the Tokyo Olympics, where he had planned to take a huge step forward in his career.

It was April 2021 at the Asian qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympics. Higuchi would have been eligible to be chosen as a participant if he secured the top position.

But he was disqualified after weighing in 50 grams over the limit.

To add insult to injury, one of his rivals then defeated him in a qualifier playoff held later.

From that day forward, Higuchi pledged to “devote my entire existence to winning a gold medal in Paris.”

If he made no effort to lose weight, his 164-centimeter-tall, well-trained body would reach a weight of 65 kilograms.

The question for Higuchi was how to drop those last 50 grams — the equivalent of one egg — after going through hardships during his weight cut.

Higuchi paid careful attention to his daily eating habits and calculated his calorie intake.

He removed the skin from any chicken he cooked and, as far as possible, ate no unnecessary foods. He took supplements to get proper nutrition and refrained from eating sweets.

His wife, Yuki, 29, watched his long struggle: His cheeks were sunken, and his eyes were empty; he rarely drank — even water — and no reply came when she spoke to him.

Yuki said she hoped “his efforts would be rewarded, as he’s had to endure serious hardships.” She sometimes ate dinner at a nearby convenience store to avoid eating in front of her husband.

On the day before the opening match at the Paris Olympic Games, Higuchi was about 1.5 kilograms over the weight limit. He repeatedly went to the sauna to try and sweat the weight out. In the end, he made weight — narrowly.

Repeating the same failure of the past was never an option.

“I’ve passed through a setback and despair, but I managed to succeed by believing myself. Still, I don’t think I could’ve won the gold medal with my efforts alone,” Higuchi said.

He repeatedly expressed his gratitude to the people in his circle.