Chiaki Ishii, Brazil's first Olympic judo medalist, dies

First Olympic and world medalist of Brazilian judo, Chiaki Ishii died on Friday (16), at the age of 85. The cause of death has not been disclosed. Ishii entered the history of the national sport by winning bronze at the Munich Olympics (1972), a year after securing unprecedented podium for Brazil at the World Cup in Ludwigshafen – at the time West Germany – also with bronze.

“Today, Brazilian judo is saying goodbye to one of its greatest references. Chiaki Ishii was a pioneer who believed in the potential of Brazil and helped show the world the strength of our sport. Its history lies not only in the medals it has won, but also in the athletes it has formed, in the teachings it has shared and in the path it has opened for so many generations. Your contribution will never be forgotten. May his memory remain alive in our sport and continue to inspire all those who wear a judogi,” said Paulo Wanderley, president of the Brazilian Confederation of Judo (CBJ).

Born in Ashikaga (Japan), Chiaki Ishii arrived in Brazil in 1964, at the age of 22, in search of new opportunities, after losing the judo selection for the Olympic Games that year. He came to work as a farmer in a Japanese colony in Presidente Prudente (SP), but it did not take long to return to the mats. In 1969, Chiaki Ishii chose to naturalize to Brazil and two years later secured bronze in the Ludwigshafen World Cup, Brazil's first in the competition.

In addition to the world podium and Olympics, Ishii was four times champion in the Pan American Games. In an official note, the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) highlighted the trajectory of Chiaki Ishii even after the retirement of the tatames as an athlete.

“His legacy, however, goes far beyond the results as an athlete. At the academy held in Lapa, at São Paulo, Ishii formed and influenced judokas who carried out their contribution to the sport,” said the entity. “At this time of deep sadness, COB expresses its sincere condolences to family, friends, students and the entire judo community,” he concluded.

A member of the COB Hall of Fame, the pioneer of national judo also contributed to the formation of new talents who later also shined as Olympic medalists, such as Walter Carmona and Rafael Silva, the Baby. Chiaki Ishii served as inspiration for their daughters, Tania Chie Ishii and Vânia Yukie Ishii, who followed in judo and represented the country at the 1992 Barcelona Games, 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens.

In 2023, Chiaki Ishii was contemplated with the Adhemar Ferreira da Silva Trophy, offered to Brazilian athletes who stood out and built a consistent and eternal legacy. For his victorious history, Chiaki Ishii was recognized with the graduation of Kodansha 9th Dan - CBJ Order of Merit - the highest honor of national judo.