Seiko Yamamoto (山本 聖子, Yamamoto Seiko, born 22 August 1980[1]) is a Japanese wrestler and submission grappler. She is a four time World Wrestling Champion, two time Asian Wrestling Champion and an ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship medallist.[2]
| Seiko Yamamoto 山本 聖子 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 22 August 1980 Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Native name | 山本 聖子 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Family
editHer father is Ikuei Yamamoto, who also competed in the Olympics as a wrestler. Her older brother is mixed martial artist Norifumi Yamamoto. Her sister Miyuu Yamamoto is female wrestler and mixed martial artist who won three world titles and one Asian Wrestling Championship in her career.[3]
Wrestling career
editIn four years from 1999 till 2003, she collected four gold medals at the World Wrestling Championships. Because she lost at the Japan Queen's Cup to Saori Yoshida, she was unable to participate at the 2004 Summer Olympics.[4] In 2007, she got married and briefly retired. In 2009 she returned to competetion, and won a championship at the Poland Open.
Submission wrestling
editIn 2013, she participated in the "submission fighting" competitions sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club. She was under-60 kg champion at the Tokyo ADCC trials.[5] She won the under-60 kg bronze at the 2013 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship.[6]
Coaching career
editShe was a coach with the US Women's Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Team before and during the 2016 Olympics.[7]
Personal life
editIn 2006 she married team handball player Hideaki Nagashima and briefly retired. In 2007 they had a son. They were divorced in 2014.
In 2014, she began a relationship with baseball pitcher Yu Darvish. On 29 July 2015, their son was born.[8] In 2016, Darvish and Yamamoto married. They had four additional children by 2022.[7]
Awards
edit- Tokyo Sports
- Wrestling Special Award (1999, 2000, 2001, 2003)[9][10]
References
edit- ^ "Nagashima Yamamoto, Seiko". International Wrestling Database. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
- ^ Charles Jewett (3 April 2013). "Seiko Yamamoto Interview". Asian MMA. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
- ^ "Yamamoto Ikeda, Miyu". International Wrestling Database. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ^ Shu Hirata (7 January 2009). "A Former World Wrestling Champ Seiko Yamamoto, KID Yamamoto's Sister, Making a Comeback Aiming for London in 2012!". Retrieved 9 July 2013.[dead link]
- ^ "ADCC ASIA TRIAL – 03/24/2013: "Kid" Yamamoto's Sister And A Four-Time World Wrestling Champ Seiko Yamamoto Wins Under 60 Kg Division". adcombat.com. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
- ^ "ADCC Results 2013". BJJ Heroes. 20 October 2013.
- ^ a b "Seiko Yamamoto Biography". The City Celeb. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- ^ "Rangers wish Yu Darvish well after pitcher welcomes new baby" by Michael Florek Dallas News (July 2015) August 3, 2017
- ^ "東京スポーツ プロレス大賞：選考経過（1990～1999）". Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- ^ "東京スポーツ プロレス大賞：選考経過（2000～2009）". Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). Retrieved 16 December 2017.
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