Top contenders for Gold Medal in Judo at Tokyo Olympics 2020
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Top contenders for Gold Medal in Judo
Judo is one of the most highly anticipated sports in the Tokyo Olympics 2020. This year the Judo competition is even more important as the Olympic games are happening in the Mecca of Judo. Jigoro Kano founded Judo in the year 1882 and started giving practice to the students at Eisho Ji Temple, Japan.
This year around 386 Judokas from around every corner of the world will be competing in 15 events, out of which 7 are for men, 7 for women, and one team event. All the contests of Judo will take place at Nippon Budokan from 24th July 2021 to 31st July 2021.
The stakes are very high this year to make a name for themselves in the Mecca of Judo. Let’s try to have a look at the resume of the top contenders (Males) for the Gold Medal in Judo at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
Here goes the list of top contenders of Judo in each weight class at Tokyo Olympics 2020
Naohisa Takato (-60 Kg)
Naohisa Takato is the top-ranked Judoka in the world in the -60 kg category. He will represent Japan in the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and Takato is a three-time World Championship Gold Medalist. He won Bronze Medal in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and this time he’ll look forward to changing the color of his medal to Gold.
Naohisa Takato is also a three times International Judo Federation (IJF) Gold Medalist and his favorite technique is Kata Guruma. The stakes are high for Takato to bring Gold to Japan in the -60 kg weight class of Judo.
Hifumi Abe (-66 Kg)
Hifumi Abe is also one of the top seed Judoka of the world and he’ll represent Japan in Tokyo Olympics 2020. Currently, he is the world champion in the -66 kg weight category. Abe is a two times World Championship Gold Medalist and one-time IJF Grand Prix Gold Medalist.
Abe is a nine times IJF Grand Slam Gold Medalist as well. This is going to be Hifumi Abe’s first-ever Olympics as he failed to play in the 2016 Rio Olympics due to an injury. Abe will look forward to bring Gold Medal in his first-ever Olympic games and made his country proud.
Shohei Ono (-73 Kg)
Shohei Ono is one of the top-ranked Judo players around the world and he’ll also represent Japan in Tokyo Olympics 2020. He is a three-time World Championship Gold Medalist and one-time Olympic Gold Medalist.
Ono holds the highest ippon rates in Judo and his favorite technique is Uchi Mata. Shohei Ono is one of the most dominant Judo players around the world and he is unbeaten since 2015, now he’ll look forward to staying undefeated in Olympic Games as well and bring Gold Medal for Japan.
Sagi Muki (-81 Kg)
Sagi Muki represents Israel at the World level in Judo and he is the 2019 World Champion of Judo. He is one of the most rapidly rising Judoka around the world and Muki is a four-time IJF Grand Slam Gold Medalist and three times IJF Grand Prix Gold Medalist.
He reached the semi-finals in the 2016 Rio Olympics Games but lost the fight to Rustam Orojov of Azerbaijan, after that he lost the Bronze Medal fight as well. Now, Sagi Muki will aim to make his country proud at the highest level of all.
Noel Van’t End (-90 Kg)
Noel Van’t End is a Dutch Judoka who represents Netherland at the world level. He is the 2019 World Championship Gold Medalist and he won Gold Medal at 2021 Doha IJF World Masters as well. He is one of the most highly skilled Judoka in the -90 kg weight category.
He also participated in the 2016 Rio Olympics but missed to grab a medal. Now, after winning the World masters he’ll look forward to bring an Olympic medal for his home country.
Jorge Fonesca (-100 Kg)
Jorge Fonesca is a Portuguese Judoka who represents Portugal at the world level. He is a two-times World Championship Gold Medalist and currently ranked number 2nd in the world rankings. He got diagnosed with cancer in 2015 but he won the battle against it.
He also participated in the Rio Olympics but got eliminated in the second round. Now, he’ll look forward to turning the tide and bring Olympic Gold Medal to his home country at Tokyo Olympics 2020.
Harasawa Hisayoshi (+100 Kg)
Harasawa Hisayoshi is the number 2nd ranked Judoka in the world rankings and he represents Japan at the international level. Hisayoshi is a World Championship Silver Medalist and he won Silver Medal at Rio Olympics as well.
One of the greatest Judoka of the world, Teddy Riner defeated him in the finals. Now, with Riner not playing the Olympic games he’ll look forward to bring Gold Medal for Japan at Tokyo Olympics 2020.
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Shivansh Thakur
(1173 Articles Published)