- Yoshimi Masaki
nihongo|Yoshimi Masaki|正木嘉美|Masaki Yoshimi|extra=born on
August 20 ,1962 inTadaoka, Osaka ,Japan is a retired Japanesejudo ka who is currently a professor atTenri University .Biography
Masaki began judo during elementary school, and graduated from Tenri Highschool and
Tenri University , where he was awarded as an outstanding competitor at the All-Japan Collegiate Judo Championships four times.Yasuhiro Yamashita ,Seigo Saito ,Yasuyuki Muneta , andYohei Takai are the only other judoka in history who received the award four times. Masaki continued to work and train at the university after graduating, but was unable to gain a spot on the Japanese national judo team as the third-string competitor behind Yasuhiro Yamashita andHitoshi Saito . However, when Saito entered in both the +95 kg and Open weight categories of the1985 World Judo Championships , he was severely injured in the final of the +95 kg competition, forcing him to give up his spot in the Open weight category. Masaki filled in as a last-minute replacement, and defeatedMohamed Rashwan in the final to become world champion in the Open weight category. He continued his success with consecutive wins at theAll-Japan Judo Championships from 1986-1987, and was scheduled to enter the1987 World Judo Championships but withdrew due to an injury (his replacement, 19-year oldNaoya Ogawa , went on to win the tournament to become the youngest world champion at the time). Though seen as the favorite to represent Japan in the Open weight category at the1988 Summer Olympics , Masaki was defeated by Naoya Ogawa and Hitoshi Saito in qualification tournaments and did not make an appearance at the Olympics.Masaki has continued to work for Tenri University after retiring, both as a judo instructor and a professor in
sports science . He has also worked as an instructor for the All-Japan Judo Federation.Notes
*Translation/Ref|ja|正木嘉美|oldid=17517727
ee also
*
List of judoka
*List of Olympic medalists in judo
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