Heavyweight (>80 kilograms), Men

Isao Inokuma was the favorite, a 5th Dan who was All-Japan Champion. His challengers were felt to be the Canadian Doug Rogers, who had trained with Inokuma in Japan, and the Soviet Georgian, Anzor K’ik’nadze, who had almost defeated Inokuma in 1961, using sambo armlock techniques. There were five pools. Inokuma, Rogers, and K’ik’nadze all won their pools comfortably, as did Kim Jong-Dai of Korea. Inokuma and Kim faced off in the only knock-out (quarter-final) match. Inokuma put Kim to the mat and held him down until Kim tapped submission, which was almost unheard of in that era. Rogers faced the second Soviet, Parnaoz Chik’viladze, in the first semi-final, with Rogers winning with yusei-gachi. In the second semi-final, Inokuma remembered his near defeat to K’ik’nadze and took no chances of allowing him to get his armlock hold. He threw K’ik’nadze with tai-otoshi at the five-minute mark and won the match to advance to the final against Rogers. The final was a dull affair, with little wrestling occurring for the first 10 minutes. The referee, Charles Palmer (GBR), warned both judoka, and threatened to disqualify both with neither getting a medal. The pace quickened a little, but not much. Inokuma was given the decision for greater aggressiveness although the result was formally termed kinsa.