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Kazakhstan’s Yeldos Smetov denied hosts France a first gold medal at the Paris Olympics when he defeated Luka Mkheidze in the men’s judo 60-kilogram final on Saturday.
Smetov was close to being disqualified after two penalties but hung on to win by waza-ari and complete a full medal set after 2016 silver and 2021 bronze. Mkheidze added silver to 2021 bronze. The bronze medals went to Japan’s Ryuju Nagayama and 2023 world champion Francisco Garrigós of Spain.
Japan did better earlier in the women’s 48-kg where Natsumi Tsunoda defeated world champion Baasankhuu Bavuudorj of Mongolia to give the nation a first Paris gold.
