Full Breakdown
Biting Controversy Shakes Asian Games Judo Quarterfinals
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The Incident and Immediate Outcome
During the women’s 70-kg judo quarterfinal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on October 1, Japanese judoka Rin Maeda was bitten on the left wrist by her Chinese opponent Tang Jing while the competitors were clinched on the ground. Visible teeth marks remained on Maeda’s arm despite protective tape. Referee review of the footage led to Tang Jing’s disqualification a little over a minute into the bout, awarding Maeda the win and allowing her to continue to the semifinals and ultimately the gold-medal match, where she defeated Kazakhstan’s Azhar Askhat.
Background: Judo at the 2026 Asian Games
The Asian Games, a quadrennial multi-sport festival, are being hosted primarily in Aichi Prefecture, with Nagoya serving as a key venue for judo events. Japan entered the competition with strong expectations across multiple weight classes, fielding athletes such as Sotaro Fujiwara (men’s 81 kg) and Narumi Tanioka (women’s 63 kg), both of whom also secured gold medals.
Key Figures
- Rin Maeda – Japanese judoka, women’s 70 kg gold medalist.
- Tang Jing – Chinese judoka, disqualified for biting in the quarterfinal.
- Maki Tsukada – Women’s judo coach for Japan, long-time official.
- Sotaro Fujiwara – Japanese men’s 81 kg gold medalist.
- Narumi Tanioka – Japanese women’s 63 kg gold medalist.
- Yuri Nakazato – Japanese wrestler, men’s Greco-Roman 97 kg gold medalist.
Data & Statistics
- Gold medals for Japan in judo (as of October 1): three – Rin Maeda (70 kg), Sotaro Fujiwara (81 kg), Narumi Tanioka (63 kg).
- Quarterfinal duration before disqualification: just over one minute.
- Number of visible bite marks: sufficient to be noted by officials despite protective tape.
Official Statements & Responses
Japan’s women’s judo coach Maki Tsukada described the bite as an unprecedented foul in her career, noting that similar incidents at past tournaments have involved punches or facial injuries but never a bite. She said the marks were “clearly and firmly there” and that the injury did not require medical disinfection. The Japanese judo federation confirmed Tang Jing’s disqualification after the referee’s review of video evidence.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I regret that we hadn’t anticipated that something like this might happen.” — Maki Tsukada, women’s judo coach
- “It was to the point where we thought she might actually start bleeding, but it didn’t go as far as needing disinfection or anything like that,” — Maki Tsukada, women’s judo coach
- “I didn’t really care because I was pumped with adrenaline,” — Rin Maeda, after eventual champion
- “I’m in a world where people expect results, so I’m relieved.” — Sotaro Fujiwara
- “I had twice as much energy as usual.” — Yuri Nakazato
These quotations capture the reactions of the coach, the athlete, and fellow Japanese gold-medalists to the incident and their broader tournament experiences.