BAKU - Japan claimed two more gold medals Tuesday at the judo world championships in Baku, with Ryuga Tanaka winning the men's 73-kilogram division and Akari Omori victorious in the women's 57-kg category.
With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics less than two years away, the newly crowned world champions took significant steps toward qualifying for their first Summer Games.
Tanaka's victory in the Azerbaijan capital marked the first time a Japanese judoka had won the world title in the highly competitive weight class since Shohei Ono in 2019.
The 22-year-old secured the championship with a golden-score win over Makhmadbek Makhmadbekov of the United Arab Emirates in the final.
"I want to become a leading figure in this weight class for years to come," Tanaka said. "I will prepare myself to win a gold medal at the Olympics."
Omori also broke a drought for Japan as she clinched gold in her maiden world championships. The last Japanese judoka to win the category at the worlds was Tsukasa Yoshida in 2018.
The 24-year-old also won her final in overtime, dethroning the reigning world champion, Georgia's Eteri Liparteliani, in a closely fought battle.
The Japanese women's team has won all three weight classes contested so far in Baku, continuing an impressive run of success in international competition.
"I feel like my ability level might not quite warrant winning this, but (the gold medal) carries immense weight," Omori said. "I am happy, of course, but I still have plenty of areas to improve. I intend to work hard in training so that I can reach the level required for the Olympics."
