Gerard Takayawa continues his family’s legacy in judo at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The Takayawa name is synonymous with Fiji judo, and the 18-year-old is the latest family member to represent their nation at the pinnacle of sports.
A former Suva Grammar School student, now studying in Japan, Gerard is the youngest Takayawa to compete in an Olympic Games. He faced 25-year-old Slovakian Marius Fizel, ranked 16th in the world, in the round of 32 yesterday.
“I feel proud and honored. I wasn’t expecting to be at the Olympics at this age; I thought it would happen in my mid-20s. Reaching this stage has been an unbelievable experience,” Gerard said after being defeated 19 seconds before full-time.
Gerard, nephew of Tevita Takayawa who competed in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, felt inspired by the cheering crowd. “I didn’t expect the crowd to make so much noise when I came out. The cheering made me feel like I needed to get stronger; I wanted to do more,” he added.
The Takayawa tradition in judo began with Viliame Takayawa in 1984 and 1988, followed by Nacanieli Takayawa-Qerewaqa in 1992, 1996, and 2000. Despite his early loss, Gerard remains committed to the sport. “Even though I lost, I will continue to do my best. I’ll go back, continue training, and try to get back in the next Olympics,” he said.
Gerard took up judo at 12 and began competing officially at 15. He entered international competitions only last year and won a silver medal at the 2024 Santiago Panamerican Open in Chile. Now a first-year law student at Ryutsu Keizai University in Japan, Gerard’s judo journey continues to grow.