Tadahiro Nomura attending the award ceremony of the National Weight Class Invitational Judo Tournament (Apr. 7)

Three-time Olympic Judo champion Tadahiro Nomura, who is a graduate of Tenri University, won his sixth overall title in the 60-kilogram class at the National Weight Class Invitational Judo Tournament held in Kyushu in April. This win, his first in three years, assures him a spot in the world championships to be held in Brazil in September.

Nomura, who was a gold medalist at the Atlanta, Sydney, and Athens Olympics, went up against Masaaki Fukuoka, ten years his junior, in the final. Since neither player managed to score any points, the match went into overtime. Two and a half minutes into overtime, Nomura attempted a leg trip, which was countered by Fukuoka, sending both of them to the mat at the same time. The judgment was divided, with the head judge calling it a "waza-ari" for Fukuoka and a side judge calling it a "koka" for Nomura. After watching a video replay, the judges awarded the koka to Nomura, giving him the championship.