Japan Wins Mixed Team Gold at World Judo in Baku

In a rematch of the mixed team event at the World Judo Championships, Japan secured a victory over Russia, reclaiming the world title on Sunday. The final day of the competition marked Japan's eighth title in the event, following a semifinal loss last year. Since the introduction of the mixed team event in 2017, Japan has won nine consecutive championships.

Recognizing the need to strengthen team unity, Japan focused their training in the spring, conducting nearly all practices in mixed-gender pairs. The team's head coach, Keiji Suzuki, acknowledged that previous training had been insufficient for team competition. In the semifinals, Japan confidently defeated China, eliminating the obstacle that hindered them in the previous year's event.

In the final match, Japan took the lead with three consecutive wins by Shiho Tanaka, Sanshiro Murao, and Mao Arai. With a 3-1 lead entering her match, Akari Omori secured the victory through yusei, a judges' decision. The team wore T-shirts featuring the "One Team Heart" logo, a design they created independently to symbolize their unity ahead of the final.

Suzuki expressed his team's aspirations, stating, "Winning gold at the Los Angeles Olympics is our deepest wish. If our world-class individual judoka unite, there will be no team stronger than ours." The mixed team event made its Olympic debut at the 2021 Tokyo Games, and this latest world title suggests the Japan team is steadily progressing toward their Olympic goal.