is a Japanese curler. She currently plays third on Team Honoka Sasaki. She won a bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics as the alternate of the team skipped by Satsuki Fujisawa.

Career Motohashi was a member of Team Aomori which represented Japan at two Winter Olympics (2006 and 2010). She threw second stones for Ayumi Onodera at the 2006 Winter Olympics, finishing 7th, and played second for Moe Meguro at the 2010 Winter Olympics, finishing 8th. She skipped the Japan team at the 2002 World Junior Curling Championships, finishing last. She has also played for Japan at five World Curling Championships: 2004 (7th), 2005 (9th), 2007 (9th), 2008 (4th) & 2010 (11th).

After playing for the Meguro rink from 2007 to 2010, Motohashi began skipping her own team. She has yet to represent Japan internationally as a skip on the senior level.

On the World Curling Tour, Motohashi won the 2007 Meyers Norris Penny Charity Classic and the 2009 Twin Anchors Invitational while playing for Meguro, and later skipped her own rink to win the 2014 Avonair Cash Spiel.

Founded own rink "Loco Solare", a.k.a. "LS Kitami" in her hometown Tokoro, Kitami in Aug. 2010. The team members are all local members but achieved international success as the 2nd place in the 2016 World Women's Curling Championship in Swift Current.

Motohashi was part of the Japanese team that won the 2018 Olympics women curling bronze medal.

In June 2018, Motohashi announced that she would rest for a while from a top curling player and concentrate on training young players.

In 2021, she took over the Miki Hayashi rink as their skip.

Personal life Motohashi graduated from Nippon Sport Science University. Her nickname is 'Marilyn' named after her given name. Holding Teacher's License for Junior High School - Grade 2 in Japan (health and physical training). She was awarded as an honorary citizen of Kitami City.

Teammates Season Skip Third Second Lead Alternate Events 2001–02 Mari Motohashi Naoko Yamazaki Megumi Kobayashi Mina Sasaki Anna Ohmiya 2002 WJCC 2003–04 Shinobu Aota Yukari Okazaki Eriko Minatoya Kotomi Ishizaki Mari Motohashi 2003 PCC, 2004 WCC 2004–05 Yumie Hayashi Ayumi Onodera Mari Motohashi Sakurako Terada Ai Kobayashi 2004 PCC, 2005 WCC 2005–06 Ayumi Onodera Yumie Hayashi Mari Motohashi Moe Meguro Sakurako Terada 2006 OG 2006–07 Moe Meguro Mari Motohashi Mayo Yamaura Sakurako Terada Asuka Yogo 2006 PCC, 2007 WUG, WCC 2007–08 Moe Meguro Mari Motohashi Mayo Yamaura Kotomi Ishizaki Anna Ohmiya 2007 PCC, 2008 WCC 2008–09 Moe Meguro Mari Motohashi Mayo Yamaura Kotomi Ishizaki Anna Ohmiya 2008 PCC 2009–10 Moe Meguro Anna Ohmiya Mari Motohashi Kotomi Ishizaki Mayo Yamaura 2009 PCC, 2010 OG, WCC 2010–11 Mari Motohashi Yurika Yoshida Megumi Mabuchi Akane Eda Yumi Suzuki 2011–12 Mari Motohashi Megumi Mabuchi Yumi Suzuki Akane Eda Yurika Yoshida 2012–13 Mari Motohashi Yurika Yoshida Megumi Mabuchi Yumi Suzuki Akane Eda 2013–14 Mari Motohashi Yurika Yoshida Yumi Suzuki Megumi Mabuchi 2014–15 Mari Motohashi Chinami Yoshida Yumi Suzuki Yurika Yoshida Megumi Mabuchi 2015–16 Satsuki Fujisawa Chinami Yoshida Yumi Suzuki Yurika Yoshida Mari Motohashi 2016 WCC 2016–17 Satsuki Fujisawa Chinami Yoshida Mari Motohashi Yurika Yoshida Yumi Suzuki 2016 PCC, 2017 AWG 2017–18 Satsuki Fujisawa Chinami Yoshida Yumi Suzuki Yurika Yoshida Mari Motohashi 2017 PCC, 2018 OG 2021–22 Mari Motohashi Yako Matsuzawa Miki Hayashi Mayumi Saito Ayumi Aoki 2022–23 Honoka Sasaki Mari Motohashi Miki Hayashi Ayuna Aoki Mayumi Saito 2023–24 Honoka Sasaki Mari Motohashi Miki Hayashi Mayumi Saito Yako Matsuzawa

Grand Slam record

Event 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 Players' DNP DNP QF Champions Cup Q DNP DNP

Former events Event 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 Autumn Gold Q Q Q Q Q DNP DNP DNP Q

References

External links

Curling Athlete Profile: Mari MOTOHASHI - Pyeongchang 2018 MariLog : Official blog by Mari Motohashi (in Japanese) Loco Solare, a.k.a. LS Kitami: Official site (in Japanese)