CHELYABINSK (Russia): Japan and France took home the gold medals in the team competition on the final day of the judo World Championships in Chelyabinsk on Sunday.

Japan recovered from losing the first two of the five contests against hosts Russia, under the watchful gaze of Russian president Vladimir Putin, in the final to win the next three and take home the title.

It was their fifth team crown but first since 2010.

For Russia, winners in 2012, it was a second successive final defeat having gone down to Georgia in Rio de Janeiro last year.

Japan had dominated the light weights in the individual competitions throughout the week but Kamal Khan-Magomedov stunned world champion Masashi Ebinuma and then Shohei Ono fell to Denis Tartsev.

But after Japan fought back to level the final at 2-2, heavyweight silver-medallist Ryu Shichinohe beat Aslan Kambiev to give the land of the rising sun the overall victory.

Georgia and Germany took the bronze medals.

In the women’s event, Japan were denied a third title in a row, and fifth overall like their men, as France beat them in the semi-finals.

The Europeans then faced Mongolia in the final with 2011 world champion Audrey Tcheumeo winning the decisive bout. Japan and Germany went home with bronze medals.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2014