TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japan Wrestling Federation is in the final stages of talks on having Olympic gold medalists Kaori Icho and Hitomi Obara on the coaching staff of the women's national team, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday.

At the Paris Olympics, Japan picked up four gold and two bronze medals in women's wrestling. The country hopes to perform even better four years later in Los Angeles.

Icho, who won gold at four consecutive Olympics between 2004 and 2016, once served as an "entourage coach," providing mental support for national team members as her main responsibility.

She is also instructing young wrestlers, led by reigning Olympic champion Akari Fujinami, at Nippon Sport Science University.

Obara, the 48-kilogram gold medalist at the 2012 London Olympics, has been coaching the Self-Defense Forces wrestling team.