Athletes to watch at the Judo Tokyo Grand Slam 2024
World and Olympic Champions converge
The host nation is assembling a top team of judoka, headlined by top seed Sanshiro Murao in the -90kg division. Murao, the Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist and reigning Tokyo Grand Slam champion, is eager to defend his title and end his year on a high note. But, to do that, he will have to get past Italy’s Christian Parlati and Brazil’s mixed team Olympic bronze medallist Rafael Macedo.
At -78kg, all eyes will be on Portugal’s Patricia Sampaio, fresh off her Paris 2024 bronze medal. Sampaio will clash with Japanese powerhouses Hamada Shori, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion, and Umeki Mami, a proven contender in the division. Will Sampaio be able to replicate her Olympic success against the Japanese favourites?
Koga Wakana leads the charge for the lightweight women at -48kg, along with reigning -52kg Asian champion, Bishrelt Khorloodoi.
In the men’s -73kg category, Ishihara Tatsuki and Hashimoto Soichi lead a strong field for the home country. Hashimoto, a household name in judo, added an individual Olympic bronze and mixed team silver to his illustrious career earlier this year in Paris.
Another household name? Nagayama Ryuju, who has remained a dominant force for nearly a decade in the -60kg. With an incredible resume that includes a recent Olympic bronze, a world title, 11 Grand Slam golds, and three Masters wins, Nagayama is chasing his 12th Grand Slam victory. We’ll see if top seed Lee Harim of the Republic of Korea has anything to say about that.
Changing weight categories
The post-Olympic cycle is a time for reinvention, and, as usual, several judoka are stepping up to take a swing at different weight categories.
Uzbekistan’s Muzaffarbek Turoboyev, a -100kg Olympic bronze medallist and 2022 world champion is making a bold move to challenge the +100kg division. There, he’ll face Japan’s top-seeded Ota Hyoga, Finland’s former European champion Martti Puumalainen, and reigning Junior World Champion Denis Batchaev. The heavier weight class promises no easy wins, but Turoboyev’s two-metre-tall frame could throw off some of the heavyweight giants.
And Brazil’s Rio 2016 Olympic champion at -57kg, Rafaela Silva, will test her mettle at -63kg for the first time since 2013 as she takes part in her 28th grand slam competition.
Juniors rise to the occasion
One rising star to keep an eye out for is Japan’s Arai Dota, the 19-year-old junior world champion who has had an incredible breakout year. Arai, who secured silver at this event in 2023, is determined to claim gold in front of his home crowd. But standing in his way are the Canadian duo of Shady El Nahas, the division’s top seed, and 2022 world silver medallist Kyle Reyes.
Timur Arbuzov, a 20-year-old -81kg world silver medallist, has also shown exceptional promise.
Italy’s Valerio Accogli, the Junior European Champion in the -66kg category, is another name to watch. He will go head-to-head with Japan’s reigning world and Masters champion, Tanaka Ryoma. With -66kg’s undisputed king, Abe HIfumi, absent from the competition, who will step up to the plate?
Stay tuned…