Japan's Yoshida has history in her sights

TOKYO (AFP) –

Olympic and world women’s wrestling champion Saori Yoshida, seen here in August 2012, says she is ready to compete for a record 13th straight global title, only weeks after her triumph at the London Games.

Olympic and world women’s wrestling champion Saori Yoshida says she is ready to compete for a record 13th straight global title, only weeks after her triumph at the London Games.

“Honestly speaking I’m tired,” said the 29-year-old, due to take part in the Women’s World Wrestling Championships on September 27-29 at Sherwood Park in Alberta, Canada.

“I must go on. I don’t know who will come. But if I get tough, I will be alright,” she told Japanese media in Osaka on Tuesday.

Yoshida won a third straight Olympic gold in the freestyle 55kg on August 9 on top of her nine world crowns, equalling the record of 12 global titles held by Russia’s three-time Olympic Greco-Roman gold medal winner Alexander Karelin.

“I have been obsessed with consecutive wins. Once I take part, I will have only the victory on my mind. I want to surpass Karelin’s record.”

Yoshida said Karelin, who will turn 45 next week, had given her a message of encouragement before the London Olympics through his associate, saying: “Be confident.”

“I am pumping myself up” towards a training camp for the Japanese women’s team due to start in Tokyo on Sunday, she said.