Judo: Japanese women aim to rebound from Olympic setback at worlds
After mustering only two medals at the Paris Olympics, the Japanese women's judo team faces a difficult road as it seeks to reassert its dominance at the world championships in June.
Japan's nine-woman contingent in Budapest will feature three world championship debutants and only one previous winner in Uta Abe, a shock second-round loser at last summer's Olympics, who will fight for her fifth world title at 52 kilograms.
The two medals in Paris were the fewest by Japanese women since judo was officially added to the Olympic program at the 1992 Barcelona Games, and neither medalist will compete in the Hungarian capital.
Natsumi Tsunoda, the 48-kg champion in Paris, showed no intention of taking part, while 57-kg bronze medalist Haruka Funakubo is out of the picture after deciding to temporarily move her training base to the French capital through November.
Japan has had to contend with a more competitive international judo scene in recent years, most notably marked by the emergence of strong judoka from Europe and Central Asia. Those around the Japan national team stated after the Paris Games that "an even tougher battle awaits in Los Angeles" at the 2028 games.
While Abe convincingly won her maiden national division title in early April, no one was outstanding in other weight classes. Haruka Kaju, for instance, was beaten in the first round in the 63 kg, but was still picked by virtue of her strong past record at international tournaments.
Maki Tsukada, who in October was named the first female head coach of Japan women's national team, was defiant ahead of her first big test.
"Everyone will go for a gold medal," the over 78-kg gold medalist at the 2004 Athens Games said. "While accepting how things are now, we'll be giving our best with the members we've been nurturing, joined by new talents."
Related coverage:
Judo: 66-kg Olympic champion Hifumi Abe to return at open-weight c'ships
Judo: Japan's Haruka Funakubo moves training base to France in bid for gold
Judo: Olympic silver medalist Sanshiro Murao among Japanese winners in Baku
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