Tomoko Fukumi

Sport: Judo

Nation: Japan

DOB: June 26, 1985

Career Highlights: The top-ranked fighter in the 48-kilogram weight class, Fukumi has the daunting task of following in the footsteps of legendary judoka Ryoko Tani, who won two gold medals, two silver and one bronze in the previous five Olympiads in that division. Fukumi, though, seems up to the task, performing well in 2012 with titles at the Asian Masters in Kazakhstan and the Grand Slam Tournoi in Paris. She is a two-time World Championships runner-up _ losing to compatriot and No. 2-ranked Haruna Asami in both 2010 and '11 _ after winning the title in 2009. Fukumi has reached the semifinals of the last 22 events she has entered dating to a quarterfinal exit in the 2008 Super World Cup Tournoi in Paris. She also has the distinction of being the only judoka to have beaten Tani twice. Fukumi is 2-4 lifetime against Asami, with January's win in Kazakhstan ending a three-match losing streak.

Olympic History: None