Masato Uchishiba

{{Infobox judoka

| image = Masahito Uchishiba1395.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = Uchishiba in 2017.

| birth_place = Kōshi, Kumamoto, Japan

| weight_class = –60 kg, –66 kg

| rank =

| rank_ref =

| dan =

| worlds_rank = 2

| worlds_year = 2005

| worlds_weight = Men's 66 kg

| regionals_type = AS

| regionals_rank = 3

| regionals_year = 2002

| regionals_weight = Men's 60 kg

| nationals =

| olympics_rank = 1

| olympics_year = 2004

| olympics_weight = Men's 66 kg

| olympics_year2 = 2008

| olympics_weight2 = Men's 66 kg

| show-medals =

| medaltemplates =

{{Medal|Country| {{JPN}} }}

{{Medal|G| 2004 Athens | {{nbnd}}66 kg }}

{{Medal|G| 2008 Beijing | {{nbnd}}66 kg }}

{{Medal|S| 2005 Cairo | {{nbnd}}66 kg }}

{{Medal|B| 2002 Busan | {{nbnd}}60 kg }}

{{Medal|G| 2009 Paris | {{nbnd}}66 kg }}

{{Medal|G| 2001 Beijing | {{nbnd}}60 kg }}

| updated = 28 May 2023

}}

{{nihongo|Masato Uchishiba|内柴正人|Uchishiba Masato|born 17 June 1978}} is a Japanese judoka who won the gold medal in the men's under 66 kg division at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, and at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.{{cite web|url=http://www.olympic.org/en/content/All-Olympic-results-since-1896/?AthleteName=masato%20uchishiba&Category=&Games=&Sport=1313935&Event=&MenGender=true&WomenGender=false&MixedGender=false&TeamClassification=false&IndividualClassification=true&Continent=&Country=&GoldMedal=true&SilverMedal=false&BronzeMedal=false&WorldRecord=false&OlympicRecord=false&TargetResults=true|title=Olympic medalists}}{{cite Sports-Reference}}

Biography

To win the Olympic gold at Athens, he defeated Jozef Krnáč of Slovakia. Of winning the gold, he said, "I wanted this so badly I wouldn't have cared if it was my last fight ever," though his comments were officially translated as: "It is probably my last Olympics, that is why I am proud of my medal." At the 2005 Judo World Championships, he won silver in his division. He also won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics against Benjamin Darbelet of France.

Starting in April 2010, Uchishiba coached the women's judo team at Kyushu University of Nursing and Social Welfare in Kumamoto Prefecture. In November 2011, the school released Uchishiba from his coaching position following sexual harassment allegations.Agence France-Presse/Jiji Press, "Olympic judo champ fired for sex harassment", Japan Times, 30 November 2011, p. 16. On 6 December 2011, he was arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of rape in Tokyo in September 2011. Uchishiba said that the act was consensual.[https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?section=oly&id=7321832 Japanese judo champ arrested for sexual assault] ESPN, 6 December 2011Brasor, Philip, "[http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fd20111218pb.html Wrestling with the serious issue of rape]", Japan Times, 18 December 2011, p. 11. On 1 February 2013, Tokyo District Court has declined his claim as "impossible to trust", and sentenced him to 5 years in prison.{{cite news |title=Tokyo court finds Olympic judo champion Uchishiba guilty of rape, gives 5 year prison sentence |first=Adam |last=Westlake |url=http://japandailypress.com/tokyo-court-finds-olympic-judo-champion-uchishiba-guilty-of-rape-gives-5-year-prison-sentence-0122507 |newspaper=The Japan Daily Press |date=1 February 2013 |access-date=1 February 2013}}

Submission grappling career

Uchishiba competed in a superfight against Taisei Sakuraba at Quintet 4 on September 10, 2023. He was submitted with a kneebar.{{cite web |title=Quintet 4 Live Results, Play-by-play, Analysis, Highlights, More |url=https://jitsmagazine.com/quintet-4-live-results-play-by-play-analysis-highlights-more/ |website=Jitsmagazine |access-date=10 September 2023}}