Legend Naohisa Takato announces retirement

The judoka from Tochigi enjoyed a remarkable career in the U60kg category. His greatest achievement came at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where he captured the gold medal on home soil. Five years earlier he had already won Olympic bronze at the Rio 2016 Games.

Takato was also one of the most successful athletes at the World Championships with four titles. He first became world champion in 2013 in Rio de Janeiro at just 20 years old and later added gold in Budapest in 2017, Baku in 2018 and Tashkent in 2022. His attacking and dynamic style made him one of the most recognisable figures in the lightweight division.

On the IJF World Tour he collected numerous victories, including five Grand Slam titles in Tokyo and four in Paris. He also won major events in Moscow and Düsseldorf and claimed victories at the prestigious IJF Masters.

Earlier in his career Takato was already a standout talent, winning the World Cadet title in 2009 and the World Junior crown in 2011.

After missing out on selection for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Takato’s final competition was the Kodokan Cup last November, where he exited in the third round. Now he closes a career that brought Japan an Olympic title and four world crowns in the lightest men’s category.

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