The men's 73kg gold medalist at the World Judo Championships in Azerbaijan said the tournament gave him confidence heading toward the Olympics two years away.
Tanaka, who was unseeded at the worlds, reached the final without conceding a single point across six matches. He won the individual title and also helped Japan capture the mixed team event, giving him two gold medals at the championships.
Tanaka Beat World No. 1 En Route to the Final
In the third round, Tanaka defeated the Tajikistan fighter ranked No. 1 in the world with a kesa-gatame hold-down for ippon. He said he had been aware of that matchup before the tournament and attacked from the opening.
The final went to overtime, but Tanaka said he trusted his stamina and was able to adapt his techniques to his opponent.
Saga Coach Saw the Growth Coming
Yasuhiro Inoue, 44, the Saga Commercial High School judo coach who mentored Tanaka in high school, said his former student had been diligent in studying opponents and appeared to have “awakened” at the world championships.
Saga Prefecture supports Tanaka as an “SSP Top Athlete.” Yamaguchi told him the result was the fruit of working earnestly and straight ahead, urging him to stay true to himself and excite the prefecture’s residents at the Olympics.
From the Kodokan Cup to the World Stage
Tanaka’s rise has been steady: he won the Kodokan Cup last November and the All Japan Selected Weight Championships this spring, earning his first individual appearance at the world championships.
His older brother, Ryoma Tanaka, a Saga Commercial High School graduate, won the men’s 66kg title at the 2024 world championships, making the siblings a rare pair of world champions from the same prefecture.
