Olympic and world champion judoka Ryoko Tamura returned to training Wednesday in preparation for the upcoming women's weight-category national championships after an eight-month layoff due to torn knee ligaments.
Tamura, who had been sidelined with the ligament damage since last July's World Championships, worked out for 90 minutes at her hometown of Fukuoka in an attempt to make a comeback at the April 14 meet to be held at the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium.
"I'm glad to be back in my uniform. I didn't feel pain in my right knee. I think I'll be ready for some sparring in no time," Tamura said after practice.