Lightweight (≤71 kilograms), Men

The lightweight class was wide-open. At least six fighters were felt capable of winning the gold medal. These included the reigning World Champion, American Mike Swain; the 1987 World runner-up, Marc Alexandre (FRA), also the 1984 half-lightweight bronze medalist; Toshihiko Koga, the All-Japan Champion; and Britain’s Kerrith Brown, bronze medalist at the 1987 Worlds. In the pool semis, Swain met East German Sven Loll. Swain led early, but Loll eliminated him with a late yuko. Loll went to the final where he met Alexandre. Both were uchimata specialists, but neither could score with it. Alexandre won gold with a late koka from kouchi-gari. In one of the bronze medal matches, Brown defeated Swain with a koka from a side-sacrifice throw at 3½ minutes. But the medals were not yet decided. Two days later, Brown was disqualified for doping, testing positive for furosemide (Lasix), a diuretic. The bronze medal was given to Swain, joined by Soviet Georgian Giorgi Tenadze.