Defending Karuizawa Champion Team Yoshimura Returns to Home Ice After Olympic Run

Skip Sayaka Yoshimura and her Fortius rink have been confirmed as participants in the 2026 Karuizawa International, set for September 17-20 in Karuizawa, Japan, returning to the event as defending champions. Yoshimura claimed the 2024 Karuizawa title with a dramatic final-end score to edge out Sweden's Anna Hasselborg 5-4, and the squad arrives this September fresh off their debut Olympic appearance. Yoshimura led Japan to a berth at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games after defeating Norway 6-5 at the Olympic Qualification Event in Kelowna, capping a four-year climb back to the sport's biggest stage. The Sapporo-based Fortius team -- comprising third Kaho Onodera, second Yuna Kotani, lead Anna Ohmiya, and alternate Mina Kobayashi -- is a three-time Japan national champion, and will look to reclaim the Karuizawa title on familiar ice before what promises to be a busy 2026-27 season. As a Grand Slam of Curling Satellite Event, the winner earns an invitation to a Grand Slam, adding further stakes to what is already one of Japan's premier international competitions.