10 Aug 2024 11:35
Inside news
Heavyweight talent Tatsuru Saito claims Baku gold
7 Nov 2021 18:40
IJF media team
IJF Gabriela Sabau / International Judo Federation
On Friday Keiji Suzuki told us about Tatsuru Saito and we were very interested in seeing him in detail. He told us he's good. In fact, Keiji could have added that he is very good, pointing towards prodigy: 19 years old, 1.93cm and 168 kilos. Well, the boy moves with surprising agility. In Baku he eliminated the two representatives of Azerbaijan from the outset and one of them, Ushangi Kokauri, was runner-up in the world four years ago.
In the semi-final of the Grand Slam in Baku he got rid of the Mongolian Tsetsentsengel Odkhuu without disturbing his judogi. The final against Temur Rakhimov, world number 11, remained. This time, after observing Saito, youth was a clear favourite versus the ranking.
Saito is unwilling to stand still, proving that heavyweight judo can be as dynamic as that of any other weight. His first score came inside a minute as he fought off some awkward gripping from Rakhimov. A sasae-tusuri-komi-ashi reminiscent of Muneta came next but without a score. With 50 seconds left on the clock 19 year old Saito finished the job and executed the sasae after all.
like
share
2 Aug 2024 07:30
12 May 2024 23:20
1 Apr 2024 00:05
7 Aug 2023 10:55
Judo birthday
Sem Verstraeten
Netherlands
Partners
