RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept 17: Judo queen Ryoko Tani marked her comeback from maternity leave by claiming her seventh world gold as she sparked a revival which saw Japan finish top of the medals table on the final day of the world championships here on Sunday night.

Tani’s comeback after having a baby had stirred controversy, as she was selected for the world championships despite losing in the national trials.

The 32-year-old Japanese icon had been struggling to find time for training while rearing her son Yoshiaki. But the All-Japan Judo Federation still picked Tani, who won a record six straight world titles and two Olympic golds before her two-year maternity leave.

And their faith paid off as she showed that she is on track for an Olympic three-peat by beating Cuba’s Yanet Bermoy by juko in the final of the -48 kg category to win her country’s first gold of the competition.

Tani’s success acted as a spur to her team-mates as the home of judo went on to claim two more gold and finish top of the medals table as a result of their final day gold rush.

Japan had looked set to go home without a title for the first time ever as their stars Kosei Inoue (+100 kg) and Keiji Suzuki (-100 kg) were eliminated in the quarter-finals of their events.

In the non-Olympic open class events, Maki Tsukada and Yasuyuki Muneta won the women and men’s titles respectively.

Tsukada beat Slovenia’s Lucija Polauder. It was the first world gold for Olympic +78kg champion Tsukada, who had to settle for silver in that category here when she was beaten by China’s Wen Tong. She won a silver and a bronze at previous worlds.

Muneta achieved his second world gold after the +100kg category in 2003 when he beat Jury Rybak of Belarus by ippon.

The Netherlands also struck gold on the final day with Ruben Houkes achieving his first world medal, beating Georgia’s Nestor Khergiani by yuko in the -60 kg category.

Japan finished with three gold, two silver and four bronze.

Hosts Brazil did not add to their tally on the final day but finished second on the medals table behind Japan with three golds and a bronze. France finished overall third ahead of Cuban and China.—AFP