The Los Angeles Olympics was the competition where I was the most nervous.
It didn't really matter that I'd already been World Champion a number of times.
I never once lost in an international competition
Which means that I was never beaten by an overseas competitor either.
Arthur Schnabel of Germany was an opponent I knew well.
I tore my right calf muscle when performing a throw called Uchi Mata.
To tell you the truth, when I tore the muscle during the move
I thought "damn it!".
It's a world where the winner rules,and where you can't afford to show any weakness.
I somehow managed to get through that match without letting my opponent know that I was injured
but I was depressed for while after we came off.
One of my strengths, though, is my grin and bear it attitude
and I knew there was no point in dwelling on it.
I focussed myself ready for the next match. If my injury became evident, it would make it harder.
I was determined not to show any pain in my face and that I would chokehold my opponent to win
and that's how I went into the remaining matches.
The Los Angeles Olympics was the first time I'd faced Rashwan, who was from Egypt
although I knew him well because he was a competition fighter like me.
I was carrying an injury, so I had absolutely no idea what I'd be able to do.
In that sense, I had no strategy.
When the fight started we came together, gripping one another roughly in the centre of the mat.
As we gripped, Rashwan went for a move.
I sidestepped his move, and because I'd twisted my body
my legs weren't where they were supposed to be, so he failed to make contact.
When he lost his balance I used both hands to take him down.
Then I held him down to win by ippon.
I don't know whether I looked at the judge, but I felt like, "I've done it!
Before I knew it I was standing up celebrating.
I'd never shown such emotion at a victory before.
I had no time to feel anything like that. My injured leg had been hurting so much.
I'd been fighting the pain all the way to victory. I just felt, "yes! I've done it!"
I don't think I really knew what was going on around me.
I'd been dreaming of victory since I was little. The 1964 games in Tokyo
was the first time the Olympics were held in Asia
and I followed them on the TV. I was seven at the time.
I started judo at the age of ten, when I was at primary school. As I worked hard at it
I started to dream of going to the Olympics.
So it was an incredibly happy moment when my dream came true.