Middleweight (≤90 kilograms), Men

Japan’s Hidehiko Yoshida was considered a slight favorite. He had won the gold medal in half-middleweight at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. After retiring in 1997, he came back in 1999 to win the World Championships in this class. But he lost in a Pool B semi against Brazil’s Carlos Honorato. Honorato threw Yoshida, who dislocated his elbow and would have had to quit, although the unknown Honorato achieved ippon with his throw. Honorato advanced to the final, where he met Mark Huizinga of the Netherlands. Huizinga was a three-time European Champion (1996-98) and bronze medalist in this class in 1996. In the final, Huizinga used a leg throw to win by ippon in 3:22. Huizinga would continue to win international medals – including a bronze in this class at the 2004 Olympics. From 1994-2008 he won 12 medals at the Europeans, including five golds, winning again in 2001 and 2008. Honorato’s only other international podium finish would be a bronze at the 2003 Pan-American Games.