Naohisa Takafuji (29 = Park 24), who was a gold medalist at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics (Olympics) and was aiming for the second consecutive victory at this tournament, lost in the semifinals.

At the 2021 Budapest Games, he lost to Galligos (Spain), who placed 3rd in extra time, and lost by one. Although he took Wazaari in the early stages, he was caught up in the middle stages and went into extra time with a golden score (GS). Thrown from such a dangerous position that his left elbow was stiffened.

In terms of the number of wins, he was aiming for the fifth time, which is the most by a Japanese male, exceeding four times by Yasuhiro Yamashita (Chairman of the Zenjuren) and others, but he did not reach it. He made it to the third-place play-off.

From the second round of the first match, he won smoothly, and in the quarterfinals, he threw Kazakhstan vigorously from the gimmick of Osotogari. The Zenjuren will revise its strengthening system, and it is expected that the representative of the 2024 Paris Olympics will be decided as early as next month. With his high analytical ability, he declared that he would go to a decision after ascertaining the power relationship with other nations, but he gave in to an ambush.