‘It was a foul’: Judo athlete fainted after ignorant mistake, angering Paris Olympics fans

Japan got off to a flying start at the 33rd Olympiad, as on the first day, female judoka Natsumi Tsunoda claimed Japan’s first gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. She defeated Mongolia’s world champion Baasankhuu Bavuudorj in the women’s 48-kilogram judo final. However, the men’s 60-kilogram judo event concluded in rather eventful fashion, as Ryuju Nagayama’s Olympic debut on July 27 ended with a bang – but not without a cloud of controversy!

In the first part of the bronze medal match in the men’s 60kg judo category, Nagayama showed his charm with a stellar performance. Nagayama advanced to the second round after a golden score overtime victory against a Brazilian opponent, helped by a foul by his rival. However, controversy erupted in the quarterfinals when Nagayama lost to Spain’s Francisco Garrigos by one-handed choke, raising questions and sparking debate about the outcome of the bout at the Paris Olympics.

Nagayama suffered a tough defeat in the quarterfinals against last year’s World Championship gold medalist Francisco Garrigos, who took the win via choke hold. Two minutes into their bout, Garrigos attempted to pin Nagayama for what seemed like an eternity, but Nagayama skillfully maintained his balance, prompting the referee to call a “wait.”

Despite this, Garrigos held firm in his hold for a while and, when the fighters separated, the referee declared Garrigos the winner. But Nagayama was clearly not satisfied with the result.

Japan Judo Federation training director Konno Jun was outraged by the ruling, arguing that Garrigos’ chokehold continued long after the “wait“, which he considered a violation of protocol. Konno and coach Suzuki Keiji reviewed the footage with a representative of the International Judo Federation, but the decision stood, with coach Suzuki commenting that “It was not revoked.“

After the match, Konno expressed concern about the fairness of the decision and questioned whether the prolonged choke hold was acceptable. This controversy has angered X’s fans, who are protesting against the decision and demanding fairness in the match at the Paris Olympics.

What fans are saying about recent judging errors at the Paris Olympics

Amidst the sea of ​​comments blaming the referee for the controversial judo match at the Paris Olympics, some voices stood out. One fan added: ” There is no way it is right to do something like that. The moment the referee asked to wait, it was a foul.” In judo, when a referee says “mate”, pause the match to address issues such as injuries, rule violations, technical issues, or scoring discrepancies. This interruption allows the referee to ensure the safety of the athletes, correct any errors, and keep the game fair. But in this case, this was not done!

Another added: “Is it possible? It was clearly a refereeing error, but will the Olympics tolerate it?”“If an athlete continues to apply a choke hold after the referee has called”mate” (stop), violates Rule 6.4 of the IJF (International Judo Federation) rules, which mandates that athletes must immediately cease any action when the referee intervenes. Continuing with an illegal choke hold after a “checkmate” call can lead to serious consequences for the athlete, including disqualification or penalties.

Another added: “Congratulations to Nagayama on her bronze medal! If it weren’t for the referee’s mistake, she would have won gold.”Well, it seems he did get a bronze medal, but given his impressive achievements, he certainly deserved more at the Paris Olympics. At 28, the Japanese judoka claimed bronze at the 2019 World Championships in Tokyo. His achievements include winning the World Junior Championships in 2015 in the U60kg category, the World Cadet Championships in 2011 in the U50kg category, and multiple Grand Slam victories in Japan in 2016, 2018, and 2023.

He also claimed gold at the IJF Masters in 2017, 2019 and 2023, with a silver in 2022. Nagayama has also dominated the IJF Tour in Düsseldorf, winning four times, and claimed Grand Slam victories in Paris and Ulaanbaatar in 2020 and 2022, with another win in Ulaanbaatar in 2023. He was crowned Asian Champion in 2022.

One more added, ‘This should never be allowed. Ignoring the referee’s checkmate is simply a foul.Another commented:“It was a disappointing match.” Given these reactions, it will be interesting to see whether further steps will be taken and what developments will occur as the Paris Olympics progress.