End of an Era for World’s Most Popular Curling Athlete

One of the longest-running high-profile curling partnerships is over in Japan.

Chinami Yoshida, the world’s most popular curling athlete in terms of social media followers, has left the Satsuki Fujisawa team after first joining in 2014.

Yoshida made the announcement on her Instagram feed, which has over 312,000 followers.

“As spring arrives, I am stepping into a new environment, but I will keep moving forward to make my curling life as vibrant as possible,” Yoshida posted.

Fujisawa’s remaining teammates are Yoshida’s sister, Yurika, and Yumi Suzuki. The team became well known for infectious smiles and giggles on the ice as they competed.

Together the squad took Japanese curling to new heights with Olympic podium finishes at PyeongChang 2018 (bronze) and Beijing 2022 (silver). As the Japanese fan base grew more rabid, with tens of millions watching on television, some of the nation’s competitors took part in the craze. 

The team recently finished fourth at the 2026 world women’s championship in Calgary. They were defeated by rival skip Sayaka Yoshimura in Japan’s Olympic Trials playoffs, but Yoshimura only scored a 2-7 won/loss record at the Games in Cortina.

Yoshida spoke warmly of her teammates.

“I truly wish from the bottom of my heart that your lives will always be filled with warmth and happiness,” she posted. “Even as our paths change, I hope curling remains something we can each choose for ourselves a journey focused on happiness rather than just wins and losses. I'll be cheering for you from wherever I are in the world.”

At Beijing, Yoshida gave a hint as to why she loves to smile while competing.

“I love the Olympics and I love curling!” she declared.

“There is always winning and losing because of curling, but when we lose I always want to enjoy because that’s why I’m here. So that’s why I’m smiling.”

The Olympic silver medal vaulted Yoshida’s socials to new heights. She currently leads all curling athletes with more than 357,000 total followers (all platforms).

Italy’s Stefania Constantini ranks second with over 346,000 total followers, while Canada’s Tyler Tardi ranks third at more than 95,000 total followers.

Yoshida concluded her post with a thought to reuniting her team for senior competition – which, for her, wouldn’t start until the year 2042.

“Until we reunite at age 50, it’s a temporary goodbye. Please take good care of your knees, elbows, and backs! We’ve got to stay healthy to become Senior World Champions together. See you then!”

Yoshida is one of the global captains of Rock League’s inaugural professional curling series.

Her Typhoon Curling Club team – which includes Swedish Olympic champion Anna Hasselborg and Olympic men’s finalist Bobby Lammie of Scotland – begins play Apr. 6 in Toronto.