The emotional lift. Kokoro Kageura became on February 9 the first judoka in ten years to inflict a defeat on Teddy Riner, at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris-Bercy. Less than three weeks later, he learned on Thursday that he would not represent Japan in the heavyweight category. As relayed by RMC Sport, the Japanese Olympic selection committee selected Hisayoshi Harasawa in the +100 kg category for the Tokyo Olympics (July 24 - August 9).
The competition between the two Japanese judokas was known. Harasawa's recent victory at the Düsseldorf (Germany) Tournament no doubt weighed in on the decision. Because if Kageura achieved a major feat by ending a series of 154 victories, he did not win the Paris Tournament, losing in the final against the Dutchman Henk Grol.
Teddy Riner, who had assured that this defeat removed him from the pressure, could therefore find on his way an old acquaintance: Hisayoshi Harasawa was his opponent of the final of the Rio Olympics in 2016. The judoka of PSG has it again beaten last summer at the Montreal Grand Prix. Its physical “format” (1.91 m, 125 kg) corresponds better to that of the French (2.04 m, 131 kg), while Kageura is quite small for the category (1.79 m, 115 kg).