Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games: Japanese athletes advance in cycling and judo

At the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, Japanese athletes have secured notable results in cycling and judo. In track cycling, Kaiya Ota and Kanata Takahashi both advanced to the quarterfinals of the men's sprint. Ota set a new tournament record in the 200m flying time trial with a time of 9.400 seconds. A highly anticipated matchup is expected between Ota and Malaysian veteran Azizulhasni Awang in the quarterfinals.

In judo, Itsuki Ishihara won the bronze medal in the men's 73kg category. Ishihara secured his podium finish with a decisive victory over M. Aloef from Bahrain, marking Japan's eighth consecutive tournament with a medal in this weight class.

Malaysian cycling efforts also include Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom, who is managing recovery from knee surgery while aiming to compete at the front of the pack.