Joshiro Maruyama clashes at comeback with Fabio Basile

At U66 kg Joshiro Maruyama (JPN) makes an appearance for the first time in 9 months. He’s unseeded despite being a double world champion. His first round opponent is also unseeded and is none other than 2016 Olympic champion Fabio Basile (ITA). They have never met before.

The draw was unkind to both men; it was incredibly naughty to set up such a first round contest but the spectators will have a reason to be present from the opening seconds of the tournament. Until now they have never fought in competition. This is one of the reasons Paris retains its magnetism. Momentum built over 50 editions means there are guarantees every single year of tantalising early contests and almost unbelievable losses. Either Maruyama or Basile will be heading home early.

Maruyama

Japanese judoka Joshiro Maruyama is the double World Champion of 2021 and 2019. He took a silver medal at the World Championships in Tashkent in 2022 and Doha in 2023. Maruyama captured gold at the Grand Slam in Osaka in 2018 against Abe and claimed the victory at the Grand Slam in Tokyo in 2022. Maruyama won the World Masters in 2018 in Guangzhou and gold at the Grand Slam in Düsseldorf in 2019. World Mixed team gold in Tokyo in 2019. He is of the same University as Shohei Ono. 

Basile

Fabio Basile became Olympic Champion in Rio in 2016 U66kg. He took a bronze medal at the Grand Slam in Paris in 2019. He bagged the Grand Slam gold in Antalya in 2021 and took a bronze medal at the Grand Prix in Linz in 2023.

It was Maruyama who won this clash and progresses to the next round.