Takanori Nagase

Nagase's grand-uncle is Katsushi Hirao, a silver medalist at the 1969 World Championships.

After graduating from Tsukuba, Nagase signed with Asahi Kasei.

Nagase won the half-middleweight gold in Kazan, winning three out of his four fights by ippon.

In the team competition, Japan won all their fights 5-0 en route to the final.

Nagase went against Lee Seungsoo, who he later competed against in the senior tournaments, and lost by ippon.

However, Japan still won 3–2, and secured gold.

Nagase's first senior international competition was at the European Open in Tbilisi, Georgia.

He was fairly successful, winning his first three fights by ippon.

He lost to Tural Safguliyev, when the Azerbaijani threw him for ippon in the final, therefore making Nagase settle for silver.

Nagase's first Grand Slam competition was at home ground in Tokyo.

He had experienced opponents in the form of European champion Avtandil Tchrikishvili in the quarter-final and reigning world champion Loïc Pietri in the final.

Nagase threw Pietri for ippon using ashi guruma to win the gold medal.

Nagase participated in his second Grand Slam in Paris.

He again faced Tchrikishvili in the quarter-final, and lost by shido.

He won the repechage against Germany's Sven Maresch, and won by shido.

He narrowly won the bronze against Canada's Antoine Valois-Fortier, with just a yuko between them.

Nagase won his first senior national title at the All Japan Championships in Fukuoka.

Takanori Nagase (永瀬貴規; born 14 October 1993) is a Japanese judoka.

Nagase's achievements include the Universiade in Kazan in 2013, the Grand Slam in Tokyo in 2013 and 2014, the All Japan Championships, the IJF Masters in Rabat and the World Judo Championships in 2015.

He was the half-middleweight champion at the 2013 All Japan University Championships.

He had also taught at the Kodokan as an instructor to children.

He beat Keita Nagashima in the final to represent Japan at the 2014 World Championships in the half-middleweight category, and claim gold.

Nagase also participated in the prestigious Open category in Tokyo, where he surprised heavyweight opponents by beating Kazuhiko Takahashi, who outweighs him by 40 kg, in the quarter-final.

He lost to eventual champion Takeshi Ojitani, who beat him by ippon with osaekomi-waza.

He ended up winning bronze.

Nagase represented Japan in his first world championships in Chelyabinsk.

He was playing ippon judo in his first three fights, however again lost against eventual world champion Tchrikishvili in the quarter-final by shido.

He narrowly won the repechage against Lebanon's Nacif Elias by shido, but was defeated by Pietri in a revenge match by waza-ari, leaving Nagase to finish fifth place.

In the team competition, Nagase faced Tchrikishvili for the second time in the tournament during the semi-final.

As Georgia were the defending world champions and Tchrikishvili was the reigning world champion, odds were against Nagase, even though Japan were 2-0 up.

He is currently ranked No. 2 in the world (as of 5 May 2016).

Nagase's favourite technique is uchi mata and is known for his newaza.

He is the first and only Japanese judoka to become world champion in the -81 kg weight class.

Nagase won the gold medal in the Men's 81 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan.

Nagase started judo at the age of 6.

As a child, he competed nationally in the under 40 kg class, and had lost to future teammate Naohisa Takato, finishing fifth place.

In junior high and high school he attended Nagasaki Nihon University, where he also competed nationally.

He won various awards for his alma mater across weight classes.

Nagase still frequently trains at his alma mater, and teaches young judokas.

Nagase attended the University of Tsukuba.