Japan’s Saito aims to emulate late father with judo Olympic gold

TOKYO: Japanese judo heavyweight Tatsuru Saito will be driven by the memory of his famous father when he goes for Paris Olympic gold.

Hitoshi Saito was a judo great who triumphed at consecutive Olympics in 1984 and 1988 at over 95 kilograms. He died of cancer in 2015 aged 54 but his “spirit lives on” in his son, according to Yasuhiro Yamashita, a former Olympic champion who until last year headed Japan´s judo federation.

Yamashita has long been convinced of the 22-year-old Saito´s potential and said after watching him compete as a junior that they were witnessing a special talent. “No other heavyweight can twist his hips as much as he does when he throws an opponent,” Yamashita said.

Hitoshi Saito enjoyed world and Olympic success in the 1980s, but lost to Yamashita in three consecutive finals at the open-weight All-Japan Judo Championships. He quipped that he had “climbed Everest but never climbed Mount Fuji”, but he finally claimed the title in 1988 after Yamashita had retired.

His son did not have to wait anywhere near as long, winning the All-Japan Championships in 2022 to become the third-youngest victor at 20 years and one month. The younger Saito now has the chance to scale the sport´s highest peak in Paris and warmed up by beating Tajikistan´s Temur Rakhimov in the final of the Grand Slam in Kazakhstan in May.

But Saito will likely have to go through 11-time world champion Teddy Riner if he is to triumph in Paris, with the Frenchman looking to win his third individual Olympic gold. “I think I can win, I have no fear,” Saito said after losing to Riner in the final of the Grand Slam in Turkey in March.

“I will get stronger. I just have to keep improving.” Saito stands 191cm (over six feet, two inches) and weighs 170kg (375 pounds), but his imposing physique is in contrast to his cherubic face and sunny disposition.