Mashu Baker back on podium with gold

Former Olympic Champion Mashu Baker was the most exciting name among the winners of the Kodokan Cup in Chiba on Sunday. Baker hadn’t been active on the mat since 2019. In 2019 he didn’t make it to the quarter finals of the Grand Slam in Osaka as last remarkable result. This weekend he qualified for the last Grand Slam of the year in Tokyo in December by winning the Kodokan Cup in his class U90kg.

Baker defeated world championships runner up of 2019 Shoichiro Mukai in the final. Haruya Kaihori and Goki Tajima finished with bronze.

Another name who stood out was Aaron Wolf however he took a bronze medal in his U100kg class in Chiba. The winner of his division was Kotaro Ueoka who defeated Kaito Green.

The lightweight final was between Genki Koga and Hayato Kondo and Kondo won this battle. Yamato Fukuda and Dai Aoki took bronze. No sparkling names U66kg, Takeshi Takeoka qualified for the Grand Slam after he won his final against Shinsei Hattori.

Ken Oyoshi won the class U73kg without the big names. Oyoshi defeated Hayata Koga while Yuhei Yoshida and Yudai Tanaka came third.

Kenya Kohara became the winner U81kg after he bested Yoshito Hojo. Shota Kugimaru and Goki Maruyama won bronze.

In the heavyweight class Tsubasa Takahashi defeated Hisayoshi Harasawa for gold, another defeat for Harasawa who seems to have difficulties winning finals. Kanta Nakano and Daigo Kagawa won bronze.