Judo: Ryuju Nagayama wins men's 60-kg gold on opening day of world c'ships
Japan's Ryuju Nagayama defeated France's Romain Valadier Picard by ippon in the men's 60-kilogram final at the world judo championships in Budapest on Friday.
The 29-year-old from Hokkaido, who took bronze at last year's Paris Olympics, captured his first world title in his sixth appearance.
Nagayama won five matches from the second round on the opening day of the championships in the Hungarian capital.
"I finally became a champion," said Nagayama, who was third at the world championships in 2018 and 2019. "I wasn't in good form, but I managed to fight calmly."
"This isn't my goal. I only think about winning gold at the Los Angeles Olympics and will work hard toward the next tournament."
In the women's 48-kg event, Japanese compatriot Wakana Koga bounced back from her quarterfinal loss to Kazakhstan's Abiba Abuzhakynova to fight through the repechage and claim bronze.
Italy's Assunta Scutto defeated Abuzhakynova in the weight division's final.
Related coverage:
Judo: Kagawa wins 1st nat'l open-weight title, Abe loses in 2nd round
Judo: Japanese women aim to rebound from Olympic setback at worlds
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