When Risako Kawai became one of the four Japanese women to win gold in wrestling, she celebrated with another bit of wrestling. She executed a perfect takedown on her coach Kazuhito Sakae.
But then, she picked him up again and gave him a ride around the mat on her shoulders.
There’s some history to her picking the coach up. Sakae, who wrestled for Japan in the 80s and won a bronze at the 1987 world championships, has coached many of the women who make up Japan’s dominant wrestling program. In the past, he has put them on her shoulders, like he did with Kaori Icho when she won her first gold in 2004.
Even after throwing him around, Kawai did one of the sweetest celebrations of the Olympics.
Photos | Rio Olympics on Friday Aug. 19
