Japan's Nagase Regains Olympic Glory after 3 Yrs of Struggle
Paris, July 30 (Jiji Press)--After a struggle-filled three years, Japanese judoka Takanori Nagase made history with back-to-back Olympic golds in the men's 81-kilogram category at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday.
After defeating three-time world champion Tato Grigalashvili of Georgia in Tuesday's final with an eye-opening ippon, the 30-year-old judoka appeared tranquil, almost unmoved, as he was declared the Olympic champion. He then bowed deeply to the crowd and left the mat.
"This was the most amazing match (by Nagase) I've seen for the past three years," said Keiji Suzuki, head coach for the Japanese men's judo squad.
Tuesday's gold is Nagase's third Olympic medal in the category. He had clinched gold at the previous Tokyo Summer Games held in 2021 and bronze at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
After standing on top of the Tokyo Olympic podium, Nagase struggled to show his worth as reigning Olympic champion, finishing third at both the 2022 and 2023 world championships.
Many winless matches followed in which Nagase was slow to attack, accumulating "shido" penalties.
After crashing out of the Tokyo Grand Slam 2023 international tournament last December, Nagase discussed with Japan squad coaches Takashi Ono and Hiroyuki Akimoto what had changed in his judo style, as they analyzed match videos.
Nagase realized that as the defending Olympic champion he had become conservative in his matches.
"He was so obsessed with the idea of winning safely and leaving a steady result that he became focused on fending off his opponents' attacks, putting him on the back foot," said Ono, who is a graduate of the University of Tsukuba like Nagase.
After winning an international competition in March this year for his first championship since the 2021 Summer Olympics, Nagase gradually regained confidence.
"Over the three years from the Tokyo Olympics, I dealt with my own frustrations due to a winless period," Nagase told reporters after being crowned the Olympic champion Tuesday.
"I was unwavering in pursuing my final goal of reaching Paris," he added.
He became the first person to secure back-to-back Olympic golds in the men's 81 kg category.
"Although there were many things I was worried about, I knew that I was the only person who could aim for successive (Olympic) victories in my category," he said. "I made sure that I didn't forget that I'm a challenger."
His mother, Sayuri, was among the spectators watching on as he defeated Grigalashvili with a well-timed "tani otoshi" technique.
"I had a feeling that he would win," Sayuri said.
Never once did Nagase complain to his mother during his winless period.
"Although my heart was pounding (from before Tuesday's final), Takanori today was very strong," she said.
Those who know Nagase said that they have never heard him complain.
Even after graduating from university, Nagase continued to train at his alma mater.
Hirotaka Okada, who oversees the University of Tsukuba's judo club, said that the now two-time Olympic champion goes through the exactly same training regimen as the university club members.
Nagase is "a model for all students in terms of his attitude toward training," Okada said, adding that he always tells his students to watch Nagase train very closely.
A man of few words, Nagase had a simple response to reporters on Tuesday who asked him how he has managed to clinch medals at three Olympics in a row.
"Continuity," he said.
END
