On Sunday, Yang Yung-wei made history at the World Judo Championships by achieving the best performance ever by a Taiwanese judoka. He finished second in the men’s under-60-kilogram weight class, surpassing Taiwan’s previous best of a bronze medal in 1987. This accomplishment adds to his silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, making him Taiwan’s first judoka to achieve such a feat.
Yang’s impressive performance at the world championships in Abu Dhabi secured his top ranking in the weight class, earning him the top seed in Paris. Despite rewriting history in the United Arab Emirates, Yang remains focused on improving and not getting content with his achievements. He acknowledges the challenges of competing in two major tournaments in a short period but believes it has helped him prepare for the Olympics.
At the Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam in early May, Yang finished second in his weight class after being defeated in the final by Ramazan Abdulaev of Russia. In the World Judo Championships final, he faced off against world No. 8 Giorgi Sardalashvili in a close match that went into sudden-death. The Georgian judoka ultimately secured the victory with a waza-ari after 200 seconds of extra time, giving him a 2-1 head-to-head advantage over Yang.
Yang will now head to Japan for the final leg of his overseas training before returning to Taiwan to prepare for the Paris Olympics. His strong performance at the world championships has solidified his position as a top contender in his weight class, and he is determined to continue working hard to achieve his goals.
