Kosei Inoue, who missed out on a chance for a second straight gold medal in the men's 100-kg at the Athens Olympics, will skip the weight class nationals next month citing lack of enthusiasm, judo officials said Wednesday.
Inoue, who came home empty-handed from Athens this summer, will sit out the Nov. 20-21 Kodokan Cup in Chiba, which also serves as the first qualifier for next September's world championship in Cairo.
Medalists from Athens are exempt from the qualifier. Inoue, who would be seeking his fourth straight title at the worlds, has yet to decide whether he will compete in Cairo though missing a qualifier would not be viewed as a serious minus for the 26-year-old.