Takanori Nagase smiles during the medal ceremony in Paris on Tuesday.
16:30 JST, July 31, 2024
Family, coaches and fans celebrated the historic achievement of judoka Takanori Nagase, who won his second consecutive gold medal in the men’s 81-kilogram category on Tuesday at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Nagase, who also won a bronze medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, became the first man in history to win back-to-back Olympic titles in this weight class. He won his first gold at the 2021 Tokyo Games.
At the moment Nagase won the final with ippon against Tato Grigalashvili from Georgia, the audience stood up, applauding and cheering. Nagase bowed deeply to all four sides of the room, stepped off the tatami mat and shouted: “Sha!” (I did it!)
Until then his face had been stern, but now it finally relaxed.
“I am happy to inform you all that I managed to win two titles in a row,” Nagase said in an interview immediately after the match.
After winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics, he could not win any championship for a long time. “I am where I am today because of the support and encouragement of many people,” Nagase said.
His family cheered him on in the stands. “Takanori was strong today,” said his mother Sayuri, who has watched most of his matches, including those abroad.
“I want to tell him that all his hard work has paid off,” she added. “I think the gold medal is the result of those hard days.”
The Tokyo Olympics were held without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Sayuri was unable to watch the Tokyo Games. “I’m very moved,” she said, as she watched her son proudly hold up his medal.
Hirotaka Okada, 57, coach of the University of Tsukuba judo club, trained Nagase during his student days. He saw Nagase’s triumph at home and said: “He was flawless in the match. It’s an incredible performance. It’s just amazing.”
Nagase continues to train at the university, where he has been training with the students. After Tuesday’s match, Nagase sent a message via LINE, saying, “I hope [the gold medal] will be a source of inspiration for the students.”
Okada hoped that they would learn from the way Nagase practiced diligently and follow in his footsteps.
Members of the Nagasaki Nichidai High School judo club and others cheer Wednesday morning after Takanori Nagase won his second straight gold medal in the 81-kilogram class at the Paris Olympics.
Members of the judo club of Nagase’s alma mater, Nagasaki Nichidai High School in Isahaya, Nagasaki Prefecture, and others gathered to watch the match. They were accompanied by children from local judo clubs, who numbered about 100 people.
The audience applauded each time Nagase successfully performed a technique. When Nagase won the final, they stood up and shared the joy of victory.
Nagase visited the high school late last year and practiced with some of the students.
“He was as strong as a wall. We were inspired by him, the strongest of our alumni, and we want to do our best so that we can be successful in the Inter-High School Championships,” said the 17-year-old captain of the judo club.
