Teen Judoka Miyu Suzuki Wins Bronze, Tears After Injury
Sixteen-year-old Thai-Japanese judoka Miyu Suzuki won a bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi, Japan, after overcoming a broken arm and ankle injury. She defeated Vietnam's Fung Thi Hoa 6-4 in the bronze-medal match, having previously lost to Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals but rebounded via the repechage. Emotionally overwhelmed, she said she fought to fulfill a promise to her parents and hopes to win gold in four years.
Miyu Suzuki, a member of Thailand’s national judo team, burst into tears after winning the bronze medal in judo at the 2026 Asian Games on October 1, 2069 at the Aichi Prefecture Martial Arts Hall. The 16‑year‑old Thai‑Japanese athlete started her campaign by defeating South Korea in the round of 16, then lost by submission to Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals. She bounced back to beat Singapore in the repechage, earning a place in the bronze‑medal match where she defeated Vietnam’s Fung Thi Hoa 6-4. Speaking after the victory, Miyu said, “I was stressed, I wanted to win, I wanted to bring a medal for my parents,” before breaking into tears. She explained that in her loss to Kazakhstan she suffered a broken arm and felt like quitting, but kept fighting after promising her parents she would bring back a medal. Today her arm and ankle still hurt. In the bronze‑medal match she said she didn’t think about anything else; she only needed to win and get the medal. As the bout neared its end she glanced at the clock and thought it would finally be over once she secured the bronze. Miyu added that everyone had helped her train, so she wanted to show them she could succeed. Looking at the draw she initially thought the older, stronger opponents were beyond her, but she decided to give her all. She told her parents she had achieved her goal of earning a bronze medal and promised to win gold in four years. Miyu said she began judo because her father encouraged her to start young, and she has grown to love the sport, saying, “If I hadn’t done judo, I wouldn’t have anything that stands out.” She expressed pride in representing Thailand and competing in Japan, her father’s homeland. Miyu previously won three world youth championships in 2024 and a gold medal at the third Asian Youth Games in 2025 held in Bahrain.
