Japan’s dominance in the judo world championships continued on Friday as they secured their seventh consecutive gold medal since 2017. The young Japanese team, led by 23-year-old Kanta Nakano and 19-year-old Ryuga Tanaka, defeated France by the same score in the final held in Abu Dhabi. In the final against France, Nakano won in the men’s over-90-kilogram division while Tanaka won in the men’s 70-kg category, helping their team establish a 3-1 lead. Komei Kawabata then sealed the win in the fifth bout with a shoulder throw resulting in a combined ippon.
Prior to the mixed teams event, Japan had won three gold medals in individual events through Ryoma Tanaka, Goki Tajima, and Wakaba Tomita. Despite their success, only one judoka heading to the Paris Olympics, Ryuju Nagayama, competed for Japan in the championships hosted in the United Arab Emirates. Nagayama did not advance past the round of 32 in the 60-kg division.
The tournament featured teams with three men and three women each and saw Japan defeat Germany 4-0 in the quarterfinals and Uzbekistan 4-1 in the semifinals. The victory marked Japan’s seventh consecutive gold medal since 2017 and cemented their position as a dominant force in international judo competition.
