Back-to-Back Judo Golds Won in Particularly Tough Division; Takanori Nagase Excels With Sharp Eye for Opportunities

By Hiroki Kotaka / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

17:16 JST, July 31, 2024

Takanori Nagase is a little bit different at the Olympics, achieving great success at the quadrennial tournament. At this year’s Paris Games, he did something no one had managed before — winning a second consecutive gold medal in the exceptionally competitive 81-kilogram division of men’s judo.

“I was able to do judo that was uniquely mine, and that led to the result. I’m glad I didn’t let my feelings get in the way of my final goal: [victory in] Paris,” said Nagase. An earnest man, he spoke politely even after his accomplishment.

The men’s 81-kilogram division is a fierce competition, featuring athletes with both the power of the heavyweight classes and the speed of the lightweight ones. “This is probably the most crowded division in the world. Winning back-to-back titles is really significant,” said Keiji Suzuki, director of the All-Japan men’s team.

Nagase excels among the division’s aggressive, attack-oriented athletes, thanks to his strong instinct for taking advantage of brief opportunities.

In his final match against Tato Grigalashvili of Georgia, who has won three consecutive World Championships, Nagase scored a waza-ari with a tani-otoshi move about two minutes into the match, when Grigalashvili came at him forcefully.

A minute later, he took advantage of his opponent’s impatience to turn the tables on him, luring Grigalashvili into an almost identical position to the first time and using another tani-otoshi move to win by ippon.

Nagase described the match as his best of the tournament: “I was able to express myself in the final, including taking advantage of a unique chance and shaping the overall match.”

After the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, he failed to win at seven consecutive international competitions. In contrast, he lost not a single point in all five of his matches at Paris.

Nagase is the first Japanese man to medal at three consecutive Olympics, including his bronze in Rio, since Tadahiro Nomura won the 60-kilogram division three straight times.

Best of all, Nagase was able to win back-to-back titles in front of his French fans, well known as connoisseurs of judo.

“There were no spectators at the Tokyo Olympics. I was happy to have an audience in France, where judo is very popular,” said Nagase. He didn’t forget to thank the audience, bowing deeply to the cheering crowd.