TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s top judo competitor, Yang Yung-wei (楊勇緯), participated in his first tournament since the Paris Olympics, fighting his way to the title round against longtime nemesis Nakamura Taiki on Friday.

Yang, competing in the extra lightweight category (under 60 kg), was largely even with his opponent until the final 20 seconds of the match. His defeat and runner-up finish mirrored his performance against Nakamura last year, per UDN.

Yang, dubbed the “Prince of Judo” for his silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, was unable to repeat that success in Paris, where he finished in seventh place.

Following his disappointing showing in Paris, Yang took nine months off, with the Asian Judo Championships marking the start of his comeback. In early rounds, he quickly defeated competitors from North Korea, Bahrain, and Kazakhstan.

In the final, he again faced 23-year-old rising Japanese judo star Nakamura Taiki. Yang had an opportunity to gain the upper hand with a ground move, but a successful counterattack by Nakamura led to Yang's defeat in the final seconds.

Yang has now claimed silver at the Asian Judo Championships in 2019, 2021, 2024, and 2025.

As for other Taiwan competitors, Lin Chen-hao (林真豪), competing in the women’s under 48 kg category, advanced to the bronze medal match. However, 75 seconds into the bout, she was defeated by Kazakhstan’s Galiya Tynbayeva, missing a spot on the podium.