:Gaku Akazawa
{{Short description|Japanese and Samoan wrestler (born 1990)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Gaku Akazawa
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| nationality = Samoan (after 2023)
Japanese (before 2023)
| birth_date = {{birth month and age|1990|6}}
| birth_place = Tokyo, Japan
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = Nihon University
| height =
| weight =
| country = {{SAM}}
| sport = Wrestling
| weight_class = 65 kg
| event = Freestyle
| club =
| olympics =
}}
Gaku Akazawa ({{langx|ja|link=no|赤澤岳|Akazawa Gaku}}; born June 1990) is a Japanese and Samoan wrestler. He qualified to represent Samoa at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Life and career
Akazawa was born in Tokyo in June 1990.{{Cite web|url=https://www.japan-wrestling.jp/2024/03/25/222705/|website=Japan-Wrestling.jp|title=赤澤岳（サモア＝日大OB）が3試合を勝ち抜き、オリンピック出場枠獲得…アフリカ＆オセアニア予選|date=25 March 2024|trans-title=Gaku Akazawa (Samoa, Nihon University alumnus) wins three matches and secures an Olympic spot in the Africa & Oceania Qualifiers|language=Japanese}} He initially competed in kendo growing up, before beginning wrestling in sixth grade.{{Cite news|url=https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/olympics-paralympics/20240511-185420/|newspaper=The Japan News|title=Japan-born Wrestler's Olympic Dream Comes True as Samoan; Ex-Pat Gaku Akazawa Qualifies for Paris|date=11 May 2024|author=Ueda, Atsushi}} He won national championships both in junior high school and at {{Interlanguage link|Hanasaki Tokuharu High School|ja|花咲徳栄高等学校}}. He attended Nihon University, but suffered multiple injuries while competing there, requiring surgeries on both shoulders which ended his hopes of qualifying for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
After Akazawa graduated from Nihon University, he spent several years training in Russia but missed out on qualifying for the 2016 Summer Olympics.{{Cite news|url=https://www.47news.jp/4603766.html|newspaper={{ill|47 News|jp|47NEWS}}|title=サモア国籍で目指す東京五輪 レスリングの赤澤岳|language=Japanese|trans-title=Samoan wrestler Gaku Akazawa aims for the Tokyo Olympics|date=14 March 2020}} Still pursuing his childhood dream of making the Olympics, he thought that changing nationalities would give him a better chance of making it for the next Olympics. He recalled that one of his junior high school teachers had taught judo in Samoa and got in contact with him.
Akazawa moved to Samoa in June 2017 and continued training; United World Wrestling noted that he became one of "about 10 wrestlers over the age of 14 in the entire country," as rugby is the most popular sport.{{Cite web|date=21 November 2022|url=https://uww.org/article/former-japan-high-school-star-aims-put-samoa-wrestling-map|publisher=United World Wrestling|title=Former Japan high school star aims to put Samoa on wrestling map|author=Higuchi, Ikuo}} He opened a gym there, where he teaches the sport. After marrying a woman he met in Samoa in 2018, he set up a massage parlor, which became popular locally. He tried to make the 2020 Summer Olympics but was unable to gain Samoan citizenship in time. Akazawa obtained Samoan citizenship in December 2023. He competed at the 2024 African & Oceania Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament and won over his opponent from Guinea-Bissau to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics.{{Cite news|url=https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/sport/109666|newspaper=Samoa Observer|title=Akazawa is Samoa's wrestling hope|date=13 June 2024|author=Manaui Faulalo, Sulamanaia}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{UWW|akazawa-gaku}}
- {{IWD}}
- {{Olympics.com|gaku-akazawa}}
- [https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/gaku-akazawa_1966335 Gaku Akazawa] at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akazawa, Gaku}}
Category:Samoan male wrestlers
Category:Olympic wrestlers for Samoa
Category:Japanese male sport wrestlers
Category:Japanese emigrants to Samoa
Category:Samoan people of Japanese descent
Category:Martial artists from Tokyo