Motivation: the most successful judokas in the world. Judo - champions
The history of the origin of women's judo, as well as men's, dates back to Jigoro Kano.
His wife Sumako was an avid judo fan. In 1926, the women's section began to operate in the Kodokan, although at first there were only five or six women in it, but the number of students gradually increased, and in 1931 the conditions for admission to the women's section were drawn up. Thus, judo among women in the Kodokan received official recognition, and in 1934 Jigoro Kano himself solemnly announced the opening of a permanent women's section.
In the photo: Jigoro Kano in class at the women's section of the Kodokan.
Especially actively judo among women began to develop in the eighties of the XX century, namely after the world championships and the demonstration of women's judo during the Olympic Games.
The first women's judo world championship was held on November 29-30, 1980 in New York (USA), 147 judokas from 27 countries came to it. Medals were contested in eight weight categories: -48, -52, -56, -61, -66, -72, +72 and OPEN. The awards were shared between Europeans and Japanese women. The best result was demonstrated by Austria, whose judoists won 3 gold. The top three included France (1 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze) and Italy (1 gold and 2 silver). Representatives of the Land of the Rising Sun won only one medal at the first World Championship - silver.
In the photo: Jane Bridge (Great Britain) - the first World Champion in judo in the weight up to 48 kg
In the photo: Ingrid Bergmans (Holland) - the first World Champion in judo in OPEN weight
In 1988, the first demonstration performances of representatives of women's judo were held in Seoul, and since 1992, medals in judo among women began to be played in the main program of the Olympic Games. The most successful at the first Olympics were the French and the Spanish, who won two golds each. One went to Cuba, China and Korea.
Interestingly, Japanese women have long lagged behind the representatives of Western countries in the development of judo, as the centuries-old traditions of Japan have protected the martial arts from the participation of women. In the first seven women's world championships (from 1980 to 1991), Japan won only one gold medal. When the Japanese realized that women's judo had already gained immense popularity in the world, they actively took up this sport. Judo is one of the most popular sports in the world today. Even in Muslim countries there are athletes who are actively involved in judo and compete in international competitions.
The most successful Ukrainian judoists participating in the Olympic Games are two trainees from Dnepropetrovsk judo Tatyana Belyaeva and Marina Prokofieva and two from Kiev Anastasia Matrosova and Irina Kindzerskaya. All of them entered the top five at various Olympics: Tatyana Belyaeva (+72 kg) at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Anastasia Matrosova (-78 kg) with Marina Prokofieva (+78 kg) at the Athens 2000 Olympics, and Irina Kindzerskaya (+78 kg) - at the 2012 London Olympics. Irina Kindzerskaya is an active athlete and is fighting for an Olympic license in Rio 2016.
In the photo: Irina Kindzerskaya at the Olympic Games in London
In the photo: Anastasia Matrosova
The most titled athlete in the world is Japanese Ryoko Tani. This judoka won 5 medals at five consecutive Olympic Games in the weight category up to 48 kg (2 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze). At the first women's Olympic tournament in judo history in 1992 in Barcelona, Ryoko became a silver medalist, repeating her success four years later in Atlanta 1996. Twice - in 2000 in Sydney and in 2004 in Athens, Tani became the Olympic champion. And after winning bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the legendary Japanese woman left the tatami. We also note that Ryoko Tani is the only seven-time World Champion. The Japanese judoka won her first title at the age of 18.
In the photo: Ryoko Tani (Japan) - the owner of five Olympic medals
The most titled Ukrainian judoka is Marina Prishchepa (-78 kg) - a Kiev resident who has long represented the Dnipropetrovsk region. She is the vice-champion of the world (Rotterdam-2009) and the owner of five awards from the European Championships (1 silver and 4 bronze). In 2013, she completed her sports career.
In the photo: vice-world champion Marina Prishchepa (Ukraine, Dnepropetrovsk)
The most successful in world judo at the moment is the Mongolian flyweight judoka Urantsetseg Munkhbat. At the moment (June 2015), the 25-year-old athlete has the highest number of points in the world ranking - 3,378. The highest achievement of Munkhbat is the title of world champion in 2013. She has also won six podiums in the last year, and won a gold medal on four.
On the video: Masters Rabat final in weight -48 kg
Moreover, in the first year of the Olympic qualification, this miniature Asian became the champion at all the largest starts of the IJF world series Grand Prix Ulaanbaatar, Grand Slam Abu Dhabi, Masters in Rabat, and also excelled at the Asian Games.
Therefore, it was doubly pleasant to see Arsen Galstyan (in the weight category up to 60 kilograms) and Mansur Isaev (in the category up to 73 kilograms) on the podium. They proved that our men are the strongest, dexterous and enduring.
Arsen Galstyan, who “made” the Japanese Hiroaki Hiraoka in the final match, was nicknamed the Killer of Kings in Britain, because on the way to the coveted first place he beat all the favorites of the Olympics. The judges gave Arsen an ippon (the highest winning score in judo) for his opponent's quick throw. By the way, this point is also awarded for keeping the opponent on his back for more than 25 seconds or when the opponent surrenders.
Arsen's career didn't start with martial arts at all. As a child, little Arsen was fond of football, and when he was 9 years old, his older brother brought him to a judo school (so that the boy could stand up for himself). So judo gradually, but not immediately, replaced the love of the ball, goal and team play.
Popular
By the way, the champion is now 23 years old and he is not married.
The second gold at the London Olympics (and again in judo) went to the 25-year-old Mansur Isaev. He laid the Japanese judoka Riki Nakai on two shoulder blades and realized his old dream - to defeat the wrestler from the Land of the Rising Sun.
Mansour's track record includes 3rd place in the World Championship, 1st place in the European Championship under 23 and 1st place in the Grand Prix. To win the title of Olympic champion, Mansour had to win five fights in a row in one day. The most difficult (not only physically, but also psychologically) was the semi-final meeting with Ki Chun Wan from South Korea. Mansour has fought this opponent six times in his career and has never managed to get a win. But everything happens for the first time.
Mansur currently lives in Chelyabinsk. According to behind-the-scenes rumors, he is free and dreams of falling in love.
The French portal AllJudo decided to take responsibility and collect the top 10 best judokas of all time! Of course, we could not help translating this selection for you!
10. Hitoshi Saito - Japan
This legendary Japanese judoka recently passed away - in 2015. His career turned out to be very memorable and beautiful, despite the fact that all his life he had to compete with one of the most prominent judokas in the world in his own country - Yasuhiro Yamashita. At the same time, he still managed to win the Olympic Games twice in a row - in Los Angeles and Seoul.
9. Willem "Wim" Ruska - Netherlands
Like his teammate Anton Geesink, Willem managed to become one of the first non-Japanese judo legends. Even with his unique achievement, Ryuska deserved to be included in this list: it was he who became the only judoka who managed to win two gold medals at the same Olympic Games - in Munich in 1972 he won both in the +95kg category and in the absolute weight category! Now the "absolute" has not been held at the Olympics for a long time, so it seems that no one will be able to repeat his success.
8. Ilias Iliadis - Greece
Iliadis was the only judoka not from Japan, Holland or France in this ranking. Born in Georgia under the name Jarji Zviadauri, Ilias managed to win all his major awards yet under the flag of Greece, where he moved at a young age, and where he won the Olympic Games in 2004 at the age of 17! Such a record of youth will be really difficult to beat.
7. Isao Okano - Japan
Born in 1944, Okano excelled in the -80kg category in the 60s of the century when he won the Tokyo Olympics, the world championship, after which in 1967 and 1969 he managed to win the Japanese championships in ... the absolute weight category! Until now, he is considered the lightest of the winners of this prestigious tournament.
6. David Douyet - France
The French heavyweight will forever remain one of the best judokas in history thanks to four victories at the world championships in the heavyweight category, two Olympic champion titles in a row, and this despite the fact that he constantly had quite serious injuries, after which he managed to rehabilitate and prove his superiority.
5. Anton Geesink - Netherlands
It was Geesink who became the first in history who managed to surpass the Japanese wrestlers, first becoming the first non-Japanese world champion, and then winning the first Olympic Games in Tokyo in the history of judo, thereby paving the way for the internationalization of this sport. After his 21st European Championship win, Antonius ended his professional career and went to work for the IJF. Few people know, but it was at his suggestion that the blue kimono was introduced in 1986.
4. Tadahiro Nomura - Japan
Nomura is remarkable not only for his outstanding achievements, but also for the fact that he is a representative of the flyweight category, while the main judo legends from Japan were still heavyweights. Tadahiro is still the record holder at the moment: apart from him, so far no one has managed to win three gold medals from the Olympic Games in judo in a row.
3. Teddy Riner - France
At 27, Riner has already broken many records and with 8 gold medals at the world championships, as well as two victories at the Olympic Games, he is eager for new and new achievements, and so far it is not clear who can stop him, because he has never lost since 2010!
2. Yasuhiro Yamashita - Japan
To measure the greatness of Yasuhiro, it is worth referring to the statistics: from October 1977 to his last fight in his career, which took place in April 1985, there were 203 fights, and he did not lose a single one! Yamashita was both the world champion and the winner of the Olympic Games (it is especially noteworthy that in Los Angeles he won even with a knee injury, fighting on almost one leg), and he never lost to representatives of other countries.
1. Jigoro Kano - Japan
Of course, who else could become the best judoka in history if not the person who basically founded this sport! It is thanks to the great sensei Kano that we have the opportunity to practice and enjoy judo!
