Takato wins Japan's first gold in Tokyo; Kosovan also claims judo gold

Kosovo's Distria Krasniqi (white) celebrates winning the judo women's -48kg final bout against Japan's Funa Tonaki during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on July 24, 2021.( Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images) (Photo By Franck Fife/Afp Via Getty Images)

Naohisa Takato won Japan's first gold medal of the 2020 Olympics when he outlasted Yung Wei Yang of Chinese Taipei in the 60kg weight class on Saturday in Tokyo.

Yeldos Smetov of Kazakhstan won one bronze medal while Luka Mkheidze of France claimed the other.

Recommended Videos



Medals were also awarded in women's extra lightweight judo, where Kosovo's Distria Krasniqi won 1-0 with a late Waza-Ari against silver-winning Tonaki Funa of Japan.

Krasniqi's win was just the second medal ever for Kosovo, while Funa's silver is Japan's 85th in judo.

The bronze medalists are Daria Bilodid of Ukraine and Urantsetseg Munkhbat of Mongolia.