Masashi Ebinuma Explained

Masashi Ebinuma
Native Name:海老沼 匡
Birth Date:15 February 1990
Birth Place:Oyama, Japan
Height:170 cm
Alma Mater:Meiji University
Country:Japan
Weight Class:66 kg / 73 kg
Dan:4
Hometown:Tokyo, Japan
Team:All Japan National Team
Park 24
Coach:Kenzo Nakamura
Olympics Rank:3
Olympics Year:2012
Olympics Weight:Men's 66 kg
Olympics Year2:2016
Olympics Weight2:Men's 66 kg
Worlds Rank:1
Worlds Year:2011
Worlds Weight:Men's 66 kg
Worlds Year2:2013
Worlds Weight2:Men's 66 kg
Worlds Year3:2014
Worlds Weight3:Men's 66 kg
Updated:24 May 2023

is a Japanese judoka.Ebinuma is a triple world champion, having won in 2011, 2013 and 2014. A dominant force in the half-lightweight division, he was ranked first in the world for three years. He is regarded as an ultimate stylist of seoi nage. He is also known for being a quadruple All-Japan national champion.[1] [2]

Ebinuma won bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. He married judoka Kana Abe in 2014. Both spouses are Asian and World champion judokas.[3]

Career

Aside from winning three World Championships gold medals (2011, 2013 and 2014), two Olympic bronze medals (London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016) represent the pinnacle of Ebinuma’s career.

The path to the bronze in London included a refereeing controversy[4] as the reviewing jury overturned a decision made on the tatami by the referee and judges. This was the first such occurrence in Olympic judo, and the event triggered a loud negative reaction from some spectators at the ExCel Centre in London. The quarter-final match between Ebinuma and South Korea's Cho Jun-ho initially saw the referee and judges lift the flags and declare Cho the winner. This decision led to a strong negative reaction from some spectators and a visibly disturbed Japanese coach. In an extremely rare move, the reviewing commission decided to accept the complaint then ruled that Ebinuma should be declared the winner. The International Judo Federation emphasized the importance of ensuring the correct fighter wins, acknowledging the close nature of the fight.

In the bronze medal match in the London 2012 Olympics, an ippon was scored against him by Poland's Paweł Zagrodnik. It was downgraded to a waza-ari, saving him from defeat and earning him his first Olympic medal.[5]

At the 2016 Olympics, Ebinuma beat Charles Chibana, Ma Duanbin and Wander Mateo before losing to An Ba-ul.[6] Because An reached the final, Ebinuma was entered into the repechage, where he beat Antoine Bouchard to win his second bronze medal.

Achievements

2006
  • Asian U20 Championships -66 kg, Jeju
    2008
  • Grand Slam -66 kg, Tokyo
  • World U20 Championships -66 kg, Bangkok
    2009
  • Summer Universiade -66 kg, Belgrade
  • Grand Prix -66 kg, Abu Dhabi
  • Grand Slam -66 kg, Tokyo
  • World Cup -66 kg, Budapest
    2010
  • World Cup Team -66 kg, Salvador
  • All Japan Judo Championships -66 kg, Fukuoka
  • Grand Slam -66 kg, Tokyo
    2011
  • World Championships -66 kg, Paris
  • All Japan Judo Championships -66 kg, Fukuoka
  • World Cup -66 kg, Budapest
  • Grand Slam -66 kg, Rio de Janeiro
  • Grand Slam -66 kg, Tokyo
    2012
  • All Japan Judo Championships -66 kg, Fukuoka
  • Olympic Games -66 kg, London
  • World Masters -66 kg, Almaty
    2013
  • World Championships -66 kg, Rio de Janeiro
  • Grand Prix -66 kg, Düsseldorf
  • All Japan Judo Championships -66 kg, Fukuoka
    2014
  • Grand Prix -66 kg, Düsseldorf
  • World Championships -66 kg, Chelyabinsk

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Masashi Ebinuma . JudoInside.com . 16 April 2010.
    2. Web site: Masashi Ebinuma . London2012.com . . https://web.archive.org/web/20120801095712/http://www.london2012.com/athlete/ebinuma-masashi-1021231/ . 1 August 2012.
    3. Web site: Totally Wrapped Up . . 2015-04-08 . 2019-11-25.
    4. Web site: London 2012 Olympics: Japanese world judo champion Ebinuma Masashi saved by an overturned verdict . telegraph.co.uk . 3 April 2018 . 21 September 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160921152020/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/judo/9437174/London-2012-Olympics-Japanese-world-judo-champion-Ebinuma-Masashi-saved-by-an-overturned-verdict.html . live .
    5. Web site: Ebinuma misses gold but salvages bronze . japantimes.co.jp . 28 August 2013 . 21 September 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130921074845/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2012/07/31/more-sports/olympics/ebinuma-misses-gold-but-salvages-bronze/#.Uh2g6JJBKUo . live .
    6. Masashi Ebinuma . https://web.archive.org/web/20181110200207/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/eb/masashi-ebinuma-1.html . dead . 2018-11-10 . 2019-03-09.