What changed
Japanese judoka Rin Maeda won the women’s 70-kilogram gold medal at the Asian Games in Nagoya after her Chinese quarterfinal opponent, Tang Jing, was disqualified just over a minute into their bout.
Tang appeared to bite Maeda above the wrist during a ground exchange. Judges reviewed the footage after Maeda showed visible teeth marks and awarded her the victory. Maeda later defeated Kazakhstan’s Azhar Askhat in the final.
Why it matters
The incident turned an ordinary elimination bout into an unusual conduct case for judo officials. Japanese coach Maki Tsukada said she had never seen anything similar in her long career. Maeda was wearing protective tape, but the marks were still clearly visible; she said adrenaline kept her from focusing on the injury.
The bite did not stop Maeda’s tournament. She went on to claim the title, while Tang’s disqualification ended her contest. The report gives no indication of Tang’s intent or of further disciplinary action, so the disqualification is the firm outcome for now.
Maeda’s gold was part of a strong day for Japan in Nagoya. Sotaro Fujiwara and Narumi Tanioka also won judo golds, while Yuri Nakazato and Nonoka Ozaki took wrestling titles. Japan added gold medals in canoe slalom, track cycling and other events, with silver medals also coming in wrestling and sport climbing.
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