Japanese judoka Takanori Nagase clinched the gold medal in the men’s judo -81kg event at the Tokyo Olympics, securing his third world championship title. Nagase emerged victorious after defeating Georgia’s Tato Grigalashvili in a thrilling final.
Nagase displayed exceptional skill and technique throughout the match, taking the lead with a waza-ari before sealing the victory with an ippon less than a minute later. This impressive performance earned Nagase back-to-back gold medals, a remarkable achievement that no other judoka in the men’s -81kg category has accomplished.
With Nagase’s triumph, Japan added its seventh gold medal to its tally at the Paris Games, further solidifying its position at the top of the medal table.
The judo competition awards two bronze medals in each weight category through the repechage system, allowing athletes who were defeated in earlier rounds to compete for joint-third place. South Korea’s Lee Joon-hwan claimed one of the bronze medals, while Somon Makhmadbekov secured the other bronze, marking Tajikistan’s fifth-ever Olympic medal and its first since 2016.
