Nagase’s Back-to-Back Judo Golds Lauded by Family, Coaches; Students Gather at High School to Cheer Historic Achievement

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:30 JST, July 31, 2024

Family, coaches and fans celebrated the historic achievement of judoka Takanori Nagase, who won his second straight gold medal in the men’s 81-kilogram category at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday.

Nagase, who also secured a bronze medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, became the first man in history to win back-to-back Olympic titles in this weight class. He earned his first gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

The moment Nagase won the final by ippon against Tato Grigalashvili of Georgia, the crowd stood up, applauding and cheering. Nagase bowed deeply to all four sides of the room, stepped down from the tatami mat, and shouted, “Sha!” (I did it!)

Stern until that point, his face finally relaxed.

“I’m happy to report to you all that I succeeded in winning back-to-back titles,” Nagase said in an interview immediately after the bout.

After winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics, he had been unable to win any championships for a long time. “I’m where I am today because of the support and encouragement of many people,” Nagase said.

His family cheered him on in the stands. “Takanori was strong today,” said his mother Sayuri, who has watched most of his matches, including those overseas.

“I want to tell him that all his hard work has paid off,” she added. “I think the gold medal is the result of those hard days.”

The Tokyo Olympics were held without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Sayuri was unable to watch the Games in Tokyo. “I’m very moved,” she said, watching her son proudly hold up his medal.

Hirotaka Okada, 57, coach of the University of Tsukuba judo club, trained Nagase during his college days. He watched Nagase’s triumph at his home, saying: “He was impeccable in the match. It’s an unbelievable accomplishment. It’s just great.”

Nagase continues to practice at the university, where he has trained alongside the students. After Tuesday’s match, Nagase sent a message via LINE, saying, “I hope [the gold medal] will be an inspiration to the students.”

Okada hoped they would learn from the way Nagase practiced diligently and that they would follow in his footsteps.

Members of the judo club at Nagase’s alma mater of Nagasaki Nichidai High School in Isahaya, Nagasaki Prefecture, and others gathered to watch the match. They were joined by children from local judo clubs, comprising about 100 people all together.

The audience applauded each time Nagase successfully implemented a technique. When Nagase won the final, they stood up and shared the joy of the victory.

Nagase visited the high school late last year and practiced with some of the students.

“He was as strong as a wall. We were inspired by him, the strongest of our alumni, and we want to do our best so we can be successful at the Inter-High School Championships,” the 17-year-old captain of the judo club said.