1983 World Judo Championships
Saito won consecutive Olympic gold medals at the 1984 games in Los Angeles and the 1988 games in Seoul, South Korea. He competed in the over 95-kg category. His victory in the Seoul games continued the record of Japan winning a gold in Judo in every Olympic games since the 1964 games, held in Toyko. He was also named World Champion at the 
 in the openweight class.
Japanese Olympic judoka Hitoshi Saito dies aged 54