Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Capt. Shori Hamada poses with the individual gold medal and mixed-team silver medal she won in judo at the 2020 Olympics. This photo was taken at the Japan Self-Defense Force’s Physical Training School at Camp Asaka in Tokyo, Nov. 29, 2021. (Photo Credit: Noriko Kudo) ()
CAMP ZAMA, Japan (Feb. 17, 2022) – Leading up to her appearance in the judo competition at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Shori Hamada knew her coach would only be completely satisfied with one result.
“I feel that a gold medal is the minimum requirement for a judo practitioner in Japan,” her coach, Hitomi Ikeda, said.
Hamada met her coach’s lofty goal, placing first in the half-heavyweight (78 kilogram) division, but she also achieved another notable distinction. With her win, Hamada, a captain in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, became the first Olympic judo gold medalist to come out of the Japan Self-Defense Force’s Physical Training School.
The Physical Training School, established in 1961 at Camp Asaka in Tokyo, is a joint institution between the JGSDF, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. The school is a training facility for instructors and world-class athletes, according to its website.
Hamada began training in judo in the fourth grade at a JGSDF-run club in her neighborhood. Years later, when she made the career decision to pursue judo, the Physical Training School was the first institution to ask her to train with them.
“It was a no-brainer for me to come to the PTS after graduating from college,” Hamada said.
Ikeda, Hamada’s coach and practice partner, and a fellow captain in the JGSDF, said Hamada had potential when she arrived at the Physical Training School eight or nine years ago—but she still had much room for improvement.
“Honestly, Hamada was nowhere near gold medal material,” Ikeda said. “But it was amazing to see how quickly she was able to learn and master everything.”
Ikeda praised Hamada for being tough, both physically and mentally, and for not being afraid to take risks. Ikeda also lauded Hamada for her consistency.
“What’s great about Hamada is that her judo style didn’t change, whether it was in practice or in competition,” Ikeda said.
Reaching the Olympics was not really a goal of hers when she began training at the school, Hamada said. That goal only materialized after a notable finish for Hamada at the World Judo Championships four years ago.
“I didn’t really think about the Olympics until winning the world title in 2018,” Hamada said. “Afterward, winning an Olympic gold medal clearly became my next target.”
Although she had excelled at judo and proven her level of talent, Hamada said it was a big challenge for her to make it onto the Olympic team. She didn’t train specifically for the Olympics, but rather focused only on maintaining a strict training regimen, taking things day by day, and repeating that routine until she felt she was ready.
“I am always thinking about how to give the best performance I can on the day of the competition, and then asking myself, What can I do now?” Hamada said.
Hamada made her Olympic debut at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on July 29, 2021. She said she didn’t feel nervous at all before or during her matches because she told herself she had done everything she could to prepare herself. Hamada said she tried to think of the Olympics as being the same as any of the other tournament in which she’d competed.
“[Because I thought that way], I was able to half enjoy the Olympics and half focus on the matches,” Hamada said. “I was able to maintain a calm state of mind throughout.”
Hamada said she was extremely happy when she won the gold because it had been her goal, but also surprised because she wasn’t sure it was going to happen, even after it did.
“I needed a moment to realize that I had actually won a gold medal at the Olympics,” Hamada said.
Ikeda said it was incredible to get to witness Hamada’s journey to Olympic gold.
“The moment Hamada won the gold medal, I saw our years of training flash in front of me,” Ikeda said. “This story was like a dream!”
Hamada said that when she told her coach, teammates and her school about her Olympics experience, they were all as happy and excited for her as they would be if they had won the gold themselves.
“Seeing them happy made me even happier,” Hamada said. “The school supported me in every way, which allowed me to completely focus on judo.”
Hamada said she was also very grateful that her fellow JSDF members were part of the Olympics and the ceremony, supporting it from behind the scenes.
“I am very glad to have been able to share my gold medal moment with them,” Hamada said.
Ikeda said she was very impressed with Hamada’s performance during the Olympics.
“As her coach, I could see that Hamada perfectly executed everything she trained for,” Ikeda said. “Her condition was at its peak and everything lined up perfectly.”
Ikeda said Hamada’s journey to Olympic gold definitely showed the rest of the JSDF team that such a goal was realistic. It also motivated them and showed that, with constant training and effort, winning at the highest level is possible for anyone.
Hamada’s motivation has not waned even after winning at the Olympics, Ikeda said. The two are always looking for ways for her to improve and to get better and stronger.
“Hamada still enjoys training at all times,” Ikeda said. “I can only imagine how strong she is going to be.”
As for what the future holds, Hamada said she hasn’t set her next goal yet. Her philosophy is to take things one day at a time and focus on what she can do today.
“Looking back, what I’d tell my old self is that constant effort pays off in the end.”
