Isao OKANO

In his brief career, Okano won all major judo titles. When the sport was first held at the Olympics in 1964, he claimed the middleweight title. One year later, in Rio de Janeiro, he added the world title in the same event to his tally. From 1967-69, Okano reached the final of the All Japan Judo Championships, the country's most important national judo event, held with no weight limits. He won the event in 1967 and 1969, making him the lightest winner ever (tied with Shinobu Sekine at 80 kg). Okano retired in 1970, taking up coaching. He has worked in that capacity at various universities. He also was on the coaching staff of the Japanese national team at the 1976 Olympics, and has published a number of judo books and videos.