Kiyomi Watanabe Exits Early in Judo at Paris Olympics, Continuing Tokyo Trend

PARIS — Kiyomi Watanabe, representing the Philippines, faced another swift exit from the Olympic judo competition, losing in the first round of the women’s 63-kilogram event to China’s Tang Jing at the Champ-De-Mars Arena on Tuesday.

According to Philippines News Agency, Tang Jing defeated Watanabe in just 51 seconds. This rapid defeat marked Watanabe’s second consecutive first-round elimination at the Olympics, following a similar outcome at the Tokyo Games three years prior. The match began aggressively with Tang taking down Watanabe within the first 10 seconds, forcing Watanabe to defend from the ground. Tang eventually secured the win with a kuzure-kesa-gatame hold, which Watanabe could not escape, culminating in a 20-second ippon count.

Watanabe’s loss adds her to the list of Filipino athletes concluding their Olympic bids without advancing past initial stages. Earlier in the day, rower Joanie Delgaco also finished outside of the finals in the women’s single sculls event. Watanabe is now the sixth out of 22 members of the Philippine Olympic team to end their participation early.

Despite the defeat, the Philippine Olympic Committee expressed support and pride in Watanabe’s effort through a social media post: “Proud of You, Kiyomi Watanabe! Despite the loss in the 63kg elimination, your determination and hard work shine brightly. You’ve made the Philippines proud and inspired many with your Olympic journey. Keep your head high and continue to fight! Mabuhay ka (Long live), Kiyomi!” Other Filipino athletes such as fencer Samantha Cantantan and gymnasts Aleah Finnegan, Levi Ruivivar, and Emma Malabuyo have also concluded their events.