“She bit my arm and wouldn’t let go for 20 seconds” ... Chinese judo star bites Japanese opponent and suffers an unprecedented disqualification loss

[Financial News] An unprecedented incident occurred during a judo match at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games when a Chinese national team athlete bit the arm of a Japanese opponent and was disqualified. Despite suffering visible bite marks and bruising, the injured athlete showed remarkable determination and went on to win the gold medal.
According to Sports Hochi, The Digest and other Japanese media outlets on July 2, Tang Jing, 31, of China committed a foul by biting the left arm of Japan’s Rin Maeda, 21, during the women’s 70-kilogram quarterfinals at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya the previous day.
Tang became trapped in Maeda’s hold-down technique and could not escape. In an attempt to break free, she bit Maeda near the left wrist. Tang reportedly kept hold of the arm for more than 20 seconds, even as the two athletes became entangled and moved outside the competition area, until the referee called a halt.
Maeda released the hold and stood up in severe pain. When she rolled up her judogi sleeve, a vivid red set of bite marks was visible on her arm, even on the broadcast footage. After reviewing the video, the officials immediately declared Tang the loser by disqualification.
Tang and the Chinese coaching staff raised both hands and gestured as if insisting that the bite had not been intentional, but the decision was not overturned. The venue was left stunned by the bizarre conduct of the veteran athlete, who had won a bronze medal at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games and a silver medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. Tang later withdrew from her assigned repechage bout and was recorded as suffering a walkover loss. She also declined media requests in the mixed zone, or joint press area, and left the venue without offering an apology.
Maki Tsukada, head coach of Japan’s national team, described the incident by saying, "When we removed the tape Maeda had wrapped around her arm, there were deep tooth marks and severe bruising. It was so serious that it looked as though she might bleed." Even six hours after the match ended, Maeda showed the clearly visible injury on her arm and calmly said, "It wasn’t just that her teeth touched me. She bit down hard, and the pain was severe, but adrenaline helped me stay focused and compete."
Despite the sudden injury, Maeda remained composed, won her semifinal and final in succession, and claimed the gold medal.
Japanese media and fans fiercely condemned the incident as "an unprecedented foul that violated sportsmanship," invoking memories of Uruguayan soccer player Luis Suárez biting an opponent’s shoulder and boxer Mike Tyson biting an opponent’s ear.
Meanwhile, some Chinese online communities argued that Tang’s head and chin may have made involuntary contact after being pressed during the hold-down, calling for video footage from multiple angles to be released. The incident appears to be escalating into an emotional dispute between the two countries.
[email protected] Moon Young-jin Reporter