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Announced as one of the favorites in Paris, the 22-year-old Japanese failed individually in the semi-final before losing to Teddy Riner, in their over 100kg category then in the decisive fight, during the final of the mixed event.
A photo of him dressed all in white, but on a hospital bed. This is how Tatsuru Saito, the Japanese judoka beaten twice by Teddy Riner in the final of the mixed event of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, gave his news on Instagram. “I was not good enough in all the individual and team competitions. I feel really frustrated. I am also sorry for not having lived up to your expectations,” he said in his last publication in link with the Olympics, at the beginning of August.
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Teddy Riner at the 2024 Paris Olympics: son of a legend, physical monster… Who is Tatsuru Saito, the man programmed to dethrone the Frenchman
In his last Instagram post, the Japanese notably confided that he had undergone surgery. “Since May, I have lost all strength in this hand. After the Olympics, I underwent a complete examination, which turned out to be worse than I expected,” he said. writing. “It was mentally difficult […] It’s not just the injury, but everything that’s happened so far has been bad for me.”
Charged by an entire country with finding the solution to beat Teddy Riner, now triple Olympic champion, the 22-year-old man was nevertheless reassuring for the future. “It would be the worst thing to give up on my dream. I will never give up. No matter what anyone says, I will return to the battlefield. Please support me” he concluded.
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