Akira Sone

{{Short description|Japanese judoka (born 2000)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox judoka | name = Akira Sone | image =  | image_size =  | alt = | caption = | headercolor = 2020 Olympic Champion | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2000|7|9|df=y}} | birth_place = Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan | height = 1.63 m  | country = Japan | weight_class = +78 kg | rank =  | rank_ref = | dan =  | club =  | olympics_rank = 1 | olympics_year = 2020 | olympics_weight = Women's +78 kg | worlds_rank = 1 | worlds_year = 2019 | worlds_weight = Women's +78 kg | worlds_year2 = 2023 | worlds_weight2 = Women's +78 kg | regionals_type = AS | regionals_rank = 1 | regionals_year = 2018 | regionals_weight = Women's +78 kg | regionals_year2 = 2022 | regionals_weight2 =  | nationals =  | show-medals = | medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport| Women's judo }} {{Medal|Country| {{JPN}} }} {{Medal|Competition| Olympic Games }} center|80px {{Medal|G| 2020 Tokyo | +78 kg }} {{Medal|S| 2020 Tokyo | Mixed team }} {{Medal|S| 2024 Paris | Mixed team }} {{Medal|Competition| World Championships }} {{Medal|G| 2019 Tokyo | +78 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2023 Doha | +78 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2023 Doha | Mixed team }} {{Medal|Competition| Asian Games }} {{Medal|G| 2018 Jakarta | +78 kg }} {{Medal|Competition| Asian Championships }} {{Medal|G| 2022 Nur{{nbh}}Sultan | +78 kg }} {{Medal|Competition| World Masters }} {{Medal|G| 2018 Guangzhou | +78 kg }} {{Medal|B| 2022 Jerusalem | +78 kg }} {{Medal|Competition| IJF Grand Slam }} {{Medal|G| 2019 Osaka | +78 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2021 Tashkent | +78 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2022 Tokyo | +78 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2026 Tashkent | +78 kg }} {{Medal|S| 2016 Tokyo | +78 kg }} {{Medal|S| 2017 Tokyo | +78 kg }} {{Medal|S| 2018 Osaka | +78 kg }} {{Medal|B| 2018 Paris | +78 kg }} {{Medal|B| 2019 Paris | +78 kg }} {{Medal|B| 2024 Astana | +78 kg }} {{Medal|Competition| IJF Grand Prix }} {{Medal|G| 2018 Hohhot | +78 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2019 Zagreb | +78 kg }} {{Medal|B| 2017 Düsseldorf | +78 kg }} {{Medal|Competition| World Juniors Championships }} {{Medal|G| 2017 Zagreb | +78 kg }} {{Medal|Competition| World Cadets Championships }} {{Medal|G| 2015 Sarajevo | +70 kg }} | updated = 3 March 2026 }}

{{Nihongo|'''Akira Sone'''|素根輝|Sone Akira|born 9 July 2000}} is a Japanese judoka.<ref>[https://www.ijf.org/judoka/23619 IJF profile]</ref> She won the gold medal in the Women's +78 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics and a silver medal with the Japanese team in the mixed team event at both the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Judo SONE Akira|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/hi/results/judo/athlete-profile-n1315332-sone-akira.htm|url-status=dead|access-date=2021-08-06|work=Tokyo 2020 Olympics|publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games|language=en-us|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731230751/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/hi/results/judo/athlete-profile-n1315332-sone-akira.htm |archive-date=31 July 2021 }}</ref> She is also a two-time world champion in her weight category. Sone's favorite techniques are Tai Otoshi and Ouchi Gari.<ref name="名鑑">{{cite news|publisher=Baseball Magazine Sha Co., Ltd|title=近代柔道 2018年4月号柔道全日本強化選手名鑑 2018 -|date=20 April 2018|pages=21}}</ref><ref name="新書">{{cite news|publisher=Baseball Magazine Sha Co., Ltd|title=近代柔道 2018年2月号解体新書素根輝-|date=20 February 2018|pages=26–29}}</ref>

==Career== Sone started Judo at the age of 7, following her three brothers.<ref name="名鑑"/><ref name="新書"/> In April 2013, she went on to Tanushimaru Junior High School.<ref name="名鑑"/><ref name="新書"/> In August 2015, Sone won the World Judo Championships Cadets and the National Junior High School Championships.<ref name="名鑑"/><ref name="新書"/> In April 2016, she began studying at Nanchiku High School.<ref name="名鑑"/><ref name="新書"/> In March 2017, she won the National High School Championships.<ref name="名鑑"/><ref name="新書"/> She won the Inter-High School Championships in August 2017.<ref name="名鑑"/><ref name="新書"/> In October 2017, Sone won the World Judo Championships Juniors(+78 kg weight class).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2017102200231 | script-title=ja:素根、梅津が優勝＝柔道世界ジュニア | date=22 October 2017 | accessdate=12 September 2018 | work=Jiji Press | language=ja }}{{Dead link|date=November 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> In April 2018, she won the All-Japan Judo Championships.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.hochi.co.jp/sports/etc/20180422-OHT1T50330.html | script-title=ja:17歳・素根輝、史上初の柔道全日本女子選手権初出場V…東京五輪代表争いに名乗り | date=22 April 2018 | accessdate=12 September 2018 | work=Sports Hochi | language=ja}}</ref> In August 2018, Sone won the Asian Games.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2018/08/31/more-sports/judo/judoka-ruika-sato-kentaro-iida-akira-sone-add-japans-gold-medal-haul/ | title=Judoka Ruika Sato, Kentaro Iida, Akira Sone add to Japan's gold-medal haul | date=31 August 2018 | accessdate=12 September 2018 | work=Japan Times }}</ref>

Sone won the gold medal in the women's +78 kg event, and silver in the mixed team event, at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan.<ref name=OG>{{cite web|title=2020 Summer Olympics — Judo - Women +78 kg Schedule|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/judo/event-schedule-women--plus-78-kg.htm|website=2020 Summer Olympics|access-date=30 July 2021|archive-date=6 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006084330/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/judo/event-schedule-women--plus-78-kg.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Sports links}} * {{The-Sports}} * {{Instagram}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions Judo Heavyweight Women}} {{WC Judo Women's Heavyweight}} {{All-Japan Judo Champions}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sone, Akira}} Category:2000 births Category:Living people Category:Japanese female judoka Category:Martial artists from Fukuoka Prefecture Category:Sportspeople from Kurume Category:World judo champions Category:Judoka at the 2018 Asian Games Category:Judoka at the 2020 Summer Olympics Category:Judoka at the 2024 Summer Olympics Category:Asian Games gold medalists for Japan Category:Asian Games judoka for Japan Category:Asian Games gold medalists in judo Category:Medalists at the 2018 Asian Games Category:Olympic judoka for Japan Category:Olympic gold medalists for Japan Category:Olympic silver medalists for Japan Category:Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic medalists in judo Category:21st-century Japanese sportswomen