Keiji Suzuki

Keiji Suzuki (鈴木桂治, Suzuki Keiji, born June 3, 1980 in Jōsō, Ibaraki)[1] is a Japanese judoka.

Keiji Suzuki

Keiji (right) at final of All-Japan Judo Championships
Personal information
Nationality	Japan
Born	(1980-06-03) June 3, 1980 Jōsō, Ibaraki, Japan
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
Weight	105 kg (231 lb; 16.5 st)
Kumite	Left
Dan	6th
Alma mater	Kokushikan University
Position	Heisei Kanzai
Coach(es)	Koichi Iwabuchi Hitoshi Saito
Medal record Men's judo Representing  Japan Olympic Games 2004 Athens +100 kg World Championships 2003 Osaka Open 2005 Cairo -100 kg 2010 Tokyo Open 2011 Tyumen Open Asian Games 2002 Busan -100 kg Asian Championships 2004 Almaty +100 kg 2009 Taipei +100 kg Universiade 2001 Beijing -100 kg

He won the Olympic gold medal in the heavyweight (+100 kg) division in the 2004. He is also a two-time world champion.

He is noted for being a remarkably small judoka in the heavyweight division; he also regularly competes in the light-heavyweight (-100 kg) class.

Suzuki is known as having some of the best ashi waza of all heavyweights.

Suzuki was eliminated in the first round of the 2010 world Judo championship in Yoyogi, Japan via ippon by Janusz Wojnarowicz of Poland.[2]

Suzuki dislocated his shoulder in the semi-finals of the 2012 All-Japan Judo Championships and subsequently announced his retirement as he was not selected to represent Japan at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Suzuki was appointed Men's Heavyweight Coach for the Japanese team by the new head coach, his friend and former rival Kosei Inoue.