2024 Paris Olympics – Jul 28: Judoka Tsunoda Wins Gold for Japan’s 1st Paris Games Medal

Jiji Press

11:14 JST, July 28, 2024

PARIS (Jiji Press) — Japan’s Natsumi Tsunoda won gold in the women’s 48-kilogram judo competition at the Paris Olympics on Saturday, bringing the first medal to the Asian country in the Summer Games.

She defeated Mongolia’s Bavuudorj Baasankhuu in the final. She is the first Japanese judoka to win the women’s 48-kg event at an Olympics since Ryoko Tani in the 2004 Athens Games.

Tsunoda’s gold medal is the 500th Summer Olympic medal for Japan. The country made its Olympic debut at the 1912 Summer Games in Stockholm. In the 1920 Antwerp Olympics, Ichiya Kumagai netted a silver medal in the men’s tennis singles competition, which became the first Olympic medal for Japan.

Japan’s Summer Games medal haul had reached 499 in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Among other Japanese judoka at the Paris Olympics, Ryuju Nagayama clinched a bronze medal in the men’s 60-kg category.

In the men’s soccer, Japan edged out Mali 1-0 in its second group stage match after its 5-0 rout over Paraguay, advancing to the quarterfinals.

The Japanese men’s volleyball team, seeking its first Olympic medal in 52 years, suffered a 2-3 loss in its opening match against Germany in the group stage. In the men’s basketball, Japan lost to Germany 77-97 in its first group stage match.

In swimming, Japan’s Mizuki Hirai and Rikako Ikee were second and 14th overall, respectively, in the women’s 100-meter butterfly heats to advance to the semifinals. Later, Hirai reached the final round, but Ikee was eliminated.

Naomi Osaka, who once topped the Women’s Tennis Association’s rankings for singles, lost to Germany’s Angelique Kerber, also a former No. 1 player, in the singles first round in the women’s tennis at the Paris Games.

In the mixed doubles event in table tennis, the Japanese pair of Tomokazu Harimoto and Hina Hayata was eliminated in the first round.

Japan reached the final in the men’s artistic gymnastics team event.

Paris Games events entered full swing Saturday following the opening ceremony, staged on the Seine River, the day before.