Nakano: Gone in 79 seconds

Italy’s Matteo Marconcini (white) competes with Philipinnes’ Kodo Nakano during their men’s -81kg judo contest match of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on August 9, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / Toshifumi KITAMURA

RIO DE JANEIRO—It took Kodo Nakano 32 hours to fly from Manila to Brazil for the Olympics.

The 23-year-old Filipino-Japanese stayed relevant for just 79 seconds.

The country’s lone judoka ran into reigning World Cup champion Matteo Marconcini and blew his chance—albeit by a long shot—to shine on the world’s biggest sporting stage.

Marconcini advanced to the round of 32 in the 81-kilogram class by ippon, equivalent to 1 point—the highest score a fighter can achieve in judo.

Nakano, born to a Japanese father and his Filipino wife, said he was still jetlagged when he stood on the mat at the judo competition’s Carioca Arena venue.

Marconcini couldn’t have shown mercy and proceeded to teach Nakano the finer points of grappling in one of the swiftest decisions in the sport here.

A last-minute entry following the withdrawal of an Iranian qualifier, Nakano was simply not up to it.

In three bold, lightning-quick moves, Marconcini faked a left-hand lunge, grabbed Nakano’s left shoulder with his right and hurled him sideways, scoring the ippon.

The roar in the gallery died as quickly as it rose with the unranked Nakano, who speaks only some words in Filipino, literally bowing out of the competition.

“Magaling, malakas (Very skillful, strong),” he mumbled, referring to Marconcini, a 6-foot-1 police officer back home in Rome.

“Nakano was simply not at par with his opponent,” said a national delegation official who watched the fight along with a sprinkling of flag-waving Filipino overseas workers.

“Marconcini showed why he is one of the world’s best in his class with his impressive fighting skills.”