Shichinohe provides hope for Japan resurgence in upper weights

Heavy reign projected / Shichinohe provides hope for Japan resurgence in upper weights

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The Yomiuri Shimbun.Ryu Shichinohe scores an ippon victory over David Moura of Brazil in their semifinal in the over-100-kilogram division at the World Championships in Chelyabinsk, Russia.

3:55 am, September 03, 2014

The Yomiuri ShimbunCHELYABINSK, Russia — Far away in Russia, Ryu Shichinohe emerged as a silver lining for Japan among the heavyweights in men’s judo.The heavyweight division used to be Japan’s stronghold. In recent years, though, Japan has struggled to break through the wall France’s mighty Teddy Riner and other foreign judoka have put up.Shichinohe on Saturday became a silver medalist in the over-100-kilogram division at the World Championships in Chelyabinsk. Although the 25-year-old lost in the final to Riner, who grabbed his sixth straight gold, Shichinohe broke a drought that had seen no Japanese finalists in the heaviest division since Masuyuki Muneta won the silver in 2005.Shichinohe further demonstrated his potential the following day by clinching the gold medal for Japan in the team event. Japan rallied from two matches down in the final against host Russia to even the score at 2-2 before Shichinohe took the tatami mat. Shichinohe was sharp, grabbing two waza-ari from Aslan Kambiev for an ippon victory. He and his teammates tossed Japan head coach Kosei Inoue into the air to celebrate their victory.

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  The Yomiuri Shimbun

  Shichinohe, left, shakes hands with France’s Teddy Riner at the medal ceremony held after their final in the over-100-kilogram division on Saturday.

Riner’s inspiration.Shichinohe, a native of Okinawa Prefecture, is the son of a Japanese father and a Belgium-born mother. His father is a renowned karate expert.Saturday’s individual final against Riner was a rematch for Shichinohe. The two faced each other in February 2013 at the Paris Grand Slam, but the 2012 London Olympic champion slammed Shichinohe to the mat for ippon with an uchimata inner-thigh throw soon after the referee’s start call.The match was unforgettable for Shichinohe.“The way he beat me was the exact way I’ve been trying to master — my ideal style of judo,” Shichinohe said.The loss compelled him to seek a change of environment. Shichinohe put in a request to his company, Kyushu Electric Power Co., to transfer him from Fukuoka to Tokyo. His wish was granted in May, and the new environment has enabled him to visit universities with top-class judoka for practice sessions.Shichinohe showed his progress from last year against the champ in Saturday’s final. Facing Riner’s pressure, Shichinohe received three shido calls. However, he did not give up and went on the offensive. With about 40 seconds left, Shichinohe tripped Riner to the mat, but the move was not enough to earn a point.In the end, Shichinohe forced Riner to battle for the full five minutes, preventing an all-ippon run to the championship. The match apparently helped build up Shichinohe’s confidence.“I’ve found that he’s not flawless,” Shichinohe said about Riner after the final.Inoue, the gold medalist in the 100-kg category at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, hailed Shichinohe.“It was a big step for Japan’s heavyweight division. He also gave a boost to my confidence [as a coach].”Interest is high in whether Shichinohe can further invigorate Japan’s heavyweight class and cut the gap between himself and Riner as the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics near.Speech