Team, Mixed

Twelve teams qualified for the mixed team event, which was held for the first time at the Olympic Games. Each team could nominate a maximum of twelve athletes, of which a maximum of six entered the mat in each round. As soon as one team won four of the six bouts it was declared the winner and proceeded to the next round. In case of a 3-3 draw, an additional decisive bout was scheduled. At World Championships, the format was introduced in 2018, and in all four finals France faced Japan with Japan winning the title at every occasion. Based on the results of the individual events, this seemed to be the logical outcome also at the Olympics. So far, Japan won nine gold and one bronze and France one gold, three silver and three bronze, of which only two bronze came from the men’s events.

Both teams were spared from the elimination round, just like the teams of the Russian Olympic Committee and Brazil, two potential contenders for bronze. In the quarter-final, Japan, calling up six gold medallists, defeated Germany 4-2, but only after being behind 0-2. France also had a hard time beating Israel 4-3, when the extra fight had to be decided by Golden Score. While the Russian victory over Mongolia did not come unexpectedly, the Netherlands scored a 4-2 upset over Brazil, bronze medallist at the last two World Championships. Brazil was finally eliminated in the repêchage by Israel. Germany made the bronze medal contest by defeating Mongolia.

In the semi-finals, Japan and France scored one-sided 4-0 wins against the ROC and the Netherlands, respectively, without having to go into extra-time in any of the matches. The bronze medals were eventually taken by the dark horse Israel and Germany. In the final, four gold medallists represented Japan: Shohei Ono, Chizuru Arai, Akira Sone, and Aaron Wolf, and they were complemented by bronze medallist Tsukasa Yoshida and ninth placed Shoichiro Mukai. The French team consisted of Clarisse Agbegnenou (silver), Sarah-Léonie Cysique (silver), Romane Dicko and Teddy Riner (both bronze), and non-medallists Axel Clerget, and Guillaume Chaine. Agbegnenou moved up one category and collected two Waza-aris (half points) to defeat the Japanese gold medallist Arai. Clerget threw Mukai by Sumi-otoshi (corner drop) in extra-time for a 2-0 lead. Sone, who already won gold on the day before, outscored Dicko by two Waza-ari to revive Japan’s hopes. French heavyweight legend Teddy Riner then scored a Waza-ari for the Golden Score in the clash of gold medallists defeating half-heavyweight Wolf to give France a comfortable lead. Sarah-Léonie Cysique held on to an early lead by Waza-ari against Yoshida to earn France the fourth point and, hence, the gold medal. Despite leaving Japan in disappointment, the new event was considered a successful addition to the judo program.