So, how do the Japanese coaches prepare their athletes for such a task? Japanese National Coach Maki Tsukada knows the task very well. She won gold in Tokyo in 2009 in the prestigious heavyweight category and was also both world and Olympic champion. Now she has a new remit.
“It all depends on the players. If an athlete is already a big star, perhaps they have enough experience, they have a strong feeling for judo and different situations. For Abe Uta, for example, we trust her feeling and can just watch the performance at the edge of the tatami. Perhaps we just keep track of small things within the fights, fight management, to talk about later," says Tsukada.
"For the younger ones with less experience, we try to help them make good technical decisions and remind them to keep their head up, stay positive and be mindful of different styles, especially European styles. We remind them to be careful with the distance and space, to protect the space between them and their opponent. Sometimes they need a little nudge to stay focused in their first match.”
Their individual approach to each athlete is clearly working. Five gold medals on day one from a total of 19 medals is a staggering haul. Yes, there are 4 Japanese judoka entered into each category but numbers alone do not make prizes, only good judo and strong psychology can do that.