OLYMPICS/ Teddy Riner stars again as France defends its title in team judo

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Japan's Tatsuru Saito and France's Teddy Riner compete during men's +90 kg of the mixed team final match in the team judo competition, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Aug. 3, in Paris. (AP Photo)

PARIS--Teddy Riner earned the decisive victory as France defended its Olympic title in mixed team judo on Saturday night, beating Japan in the final for the second straight Games.

After Riner secured his record-tying third individual gold medal one night earlier in dramatic fashion, he finished the team competition by beating Tatsuru Saito by ippon 6:26 into golden score competition. The teams had split the first six fights at the Champ-de-Mars Arena.

Earlier in the final, Joan-Benjamin Gaba delighted the crowd when he defeated double gold medalist Hifumi Abe, who had not lost a bout since 2019. Gaba won with a hand throw 4:52 into golden score.

After joining Japan's Tadahiro Nomura as the only judokas to win three individual gold medals, Riner added his second gold from the mixed team competition to complete a spectacular two-day run for one of France's most beloved athletes. Riner began the Games by joining Marie-José Pérec in lighting the cauldron during the opening ceremony.

“It feels good, especially when it happens this way, with such a crowd, with my family that was there to cheer me on,” Riner said after winning his individual gold. “We understand why, all those years we travel abroad, we train hard, why there are moments of doubt. I know why I did it, and I have a lot of pride to have done it here.”

The Olympic version of the team event began three years ago at the Tokyo Games with France upsetting the home Japanese team 4-1 at the Budokan. Japan has won the last seven world championships in mixed team competition, but France has the only two Olympic golds.

Japan and France also dominated the individual portion of the Olympic judo tournament once again in Paris.

Japan won a Games-best three gold medals and seven total medals in Paris, while France won nine total individual medals — but just one gold, dramatically claimed by Riner in one of the most exciting moments of the Olympics for the home team.