Paris 2024 judo: All results, as France rallies to defend mixed-team title in tie-breaker over Japan

It was a battle of the ages in judo’s second-ever mixed team Olympic final, as host nation France came back from a 2-0 deficit to defend their Olympic title against Japan at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on Saturday, 3 August.

The tension in the Champ-de-Mars was palpable as Japan put the first two points on the scoreboard and established a steady lead over the hometown favourites.

But it was France’s legendary Teddy Riner who was third to step up to the mat, and as a surprise to few he defeated Japan’s Saito Tatsuru for France’s first point, paving the way for teammate Joan-Benjamin Gaba, who found victory in an upset over Japan’s two-time Olympic champion Abe Hifumi.

Before Saturday, Abe had not lost a fight in five years, so with that the crowd went wild.

Tied up 2-2, each team scored one more point before the tie-breaking weight class was selected at random.

Riner, who has said he will retire from the sport after Saturday, was selected to face Saito for the deciding tiebreaker, as if the sport of judo had decided that his legendary career had not come to an end just yet.

Upon his selection, the crowd, once again, went wild.

The two stepped up to the tatami as every audience member was on the edge of their seat, but Riner did as Riner does best and defeated Saito to solidify his legacy, bringing the gold medal home to France one last time.

"It's a source of pride … to see those smiles, to have given smiles back to the team, to 'kiffer' this moment," he said in French after his national anthem was sung by the thousands in the crowd.

"An individual medal is for you, for your guts. But this is for us. This is for them. And really, that's what makes me most proud, to see tears, to see smiles and to see youngsters blossoming."

Riner had become the most decorated judoka of all time on 2 August after winning the individual title in the men's +100 kg, so with this final gold medal he will retire as a five-time Olympic champion.

It was at Tokyo 2020 when the event made its debut, and just like on Saturday, France faced Japan in the final.

The Japanese were the gold-medal favourites in the matchup three years ago, having nine of 14 Olympic champions in the discipline from that Games. But in a dramatic, storybook ending, France battled their way to the first-ever mixed-team gold medal.

Three years later, in Paris, Japan tried to get revenge by doing exactly to the French what had been done to them three years prior, but in the end it was a familiar sight as France stood on top of the podium with Japan to their right, taking the silver.

Republic of Korea and Brazil took the bronze medals.

Judo: mixed team podium

Gold: France

Silver: Japan

Bronze: Republic of Korea, Brazil