RETURNING TO the tatami mat, Kiyomi Watanabe donned the Philippine flag as the sole Judo representative for the country in the 2024 Summer Olympics. In a spirited attempt to redeem herself from her Tokyo 2020 stint, the Filipino-Japanese Olympian succumbed to the 22nd world-ranked Chinese representative Jing Tang. The round of 32 matchup in the Women’s -63 kg category was held earlier this afternoon at the Champ-de-Mars Arena in Paris, France. 

Out of the gates, Jing Tang executed her offensive strategy with a sweep. Although Watanabe’s defense prevented an early ippon from being awarded, her opponent’s grappling techniques proved to be overpowering as Tang secured a dominant position via Kuzure-kesa-gatame. With Watanabe failing to break out of the pin for 20 seconds,  Tang was declared the winner by ippon in 51 seconds. 

Despite another early Olympic exit, Watanabe remains an inspiration to Filipinos who wish to excel in Judo and shines as an ambassador for the growth of the sport in the nation.