Tatsuru Saito won the respect and admiration of French fans during Japan’s loss to the host nation in the mixed team judo final at the Paris Olympics.
The 22-year-old Saito battled French superstar Teddy Riner, a five-time Olympic medalist, for nearly 14 minutes across two bouts during the contest between the judo powers at Champ de Mars Arena on Aug. 3. Saito lost both times, including in the golden score tiebreaker period that ended the competition. The grit and determination he showed in two lengthy matchups against one of the best judoka alive, however, caught the attention of many fans in France, where judo is a beloved sport.
They joined Japanese fans in loudly cheering for him during the medal ceremony and praised him in posts on social media.
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