[ad_1]
Toshihiko Koga, also known as “Heisei Sanshiro”, who won the 71 kg gold medal in Judo at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, died on the 24th. He was 53 years old. According to people familiar with the matter, he passed away on the morning of the 24th while battling cancer since last year.
◇ ◇ ◇
“I regret it, because I was going to win.” April 29, 1990, final of the Japanese championship. Koga, who lost one to Naoya Ogawa, was shedding great tears. Indiscriminate participation in weight with a body of 76 kg. They all thought it was a “reckless challenge”, but he was serious. He won in the Tokyo qualifying round and defeated opponents by more than 100 km in the final round one after another. There was pride and a strong belief as a judoka that he would be familiar with the Olympic gold medal two years later.
“The size of the body is not absolute.” Weak. Since high school, he has pitched heavyweight players as a general at Setagaya Gakuen in Tokyo. Exceptional skill, tough legs, and the courage to not be afraid of great opponents. Defeat a large tree with agile dexterity. It has incorporated “soft control stiffness”.
I think it’s Mr. Koga’s exclusive “aesthetic”. “Sanshiro of the Showa era” Isao Okano’s direct line that he throws in the back is something dynamic that lifts the opponent at a high angle and hits him on the mat. The idea that “the viewer will be pleased” also led to the launch of a great opponent.
I’ve heard “Who is Reiwa’s Sanshiro?” He smiled and replied, “I’m the last Sanshiro. I’m not coming out of the closet anymore.” Overwhelmingly strong and fascinating. And there is depth as a human being. There are many Olympic gold medalists in judo, but I have never seen a champion that emits as much aura as Mr. Koga. Mr. Koga’s own pride overflowed from his body.
There are times. When I was Koga, the world championship was held once every two years. There was no world championship in 1990 when I challenged the Japan Championship. Now that there is a world championship every year, we have to participate in many class competitions with the introduction of the qualification system. Shohei Ohno, a Kodo Gakusha junior, is excited about the Japan Championship, but the indiscriminate hurdle is high for today’s light and middleweight athletes.
“Sanshiro”, which is derived from the novel “Sanshiro”, stands for judo, which is small but casts a big man. Mr. Koga, who took the nickname “Sanshiro” from high school, was called “Heisei Sanshiro” in the 1990s. At the same time that he won the class system introduced in the wake of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, he was also dedicated to judo in an era in which weight was indiscriminate. An Olympic gold medalist, runner-up in the Japan Championship, far exceeding the record, “the last judoka” that will be forever memorable. Koga-san, who is an unprecedented genius and full of human charm, cannot be disappointed with his untimely death.[Koichi Ogishima]
◆ Sanshiro The main character in Tomita Tsuneo’s novel “Sanshiro”. A true judoka, Shiro Saigo, is said to be the model. The work became the original for many movies and dramas. Since Sanshiro fought a small but big player, similar players are often referred to as “Sanshiro of XX”. Isao Okano was called “Sanshiro of the Showa era” and Kaori Yamaguchi was called “Sanshiro Onna”. The comedy combination Sanshiro has nothing to do with judo.
◆ Koga, the world champion in the 71 kg category of the 1990 Japan Championship, overcame the weight difference of 59 kg in the second round, 44 kg in the third round, 79 kg in the quarterfinals and 32 kg in the semifinals. and I judged the flag in all four games, I advanced to the final. The latest opponent is Ogawa, who is aiming to win the tournament back-to-back with two heavyweight crowns at the previous year’s world championships. There was a difference of 59 kg in weight and 24 cm in height. The match time at that time was 6 minutes until the semi-final and 10 minutes in the final. Koga, who had run out of physical strength in the semi-final, still showed tenacity and the game lasted more than 7 minutes, but in the end he lost one to the Ogawa pitcher. The venue, Nippon Budokan, was surrounded by cheers and applause praising the good fight.
[ad_2]
