Wrestler Gaku Akasawa is ready to take the mat this weekend. He will be representing Samoa in freestyle wrestling, where he is set to take the mat at 10.30 pm Samoan time on Saturday.

In an interview, he confirmed that everything is going well in Paris for him, and he is getting mixed emotions as competition day nears.

"My preparation is going well. It's my first Olympic Games and yes my first time representing Samoa as well. It's a huge honour. I feel nervous and excited simultaneously because I have been looking forward to this moment," he said.

"All the athletes at the Olympics are at a very high level, so every match will be tough. I'll do my best for Samoa, family and friends that are cheering from home.

"I am ready physically and mentally for the competition. I am focusing on keeping my weight to 65kg and always study my opponents' moves to come up with countermeasures."

Speaking on experience in Paris, he says that the food is great for weight loss as there are various selections. They have everything in the Olympic Village and are available for athletes to access and free of charge. The weather is sometimes cold but comfortable. Overall, he believes everything is great in Paris.

 Wrestler Gaku has a healthy strict diet. Consuming proteins meat and vegetables, drink plenty of water, however when closer to competition day he has to limit calories and water intake in order to maintain his body weight. He started wrestling in Japan 21 years ago. 

The challenging part of wrestling for him is that the sport is you can't win without stamina, power, and technique. His favourite thing about wrestling is the fighting spirit each athlete brings onto the mat. He chose wrestling because of his love for martial arts.