The mixed team event featured the women's -57kg, -70kg and +70kg categories and the men's -73kg, -90kg and +90kg categories.

Japan survived a strong early challenge from Spain in the second round. Uta Abe, who usually competes in the women's -52kg category, was chosen by the coaches to open the competition and she did her job well, defeating her opponent in the -57kg category. But the surprising defeat of Soichi Hashimoto in the -73 kg category gave Spain a chance and they took it when Nikoloz Sherazadishvili defeated Tatsuro Saito in the men's +90 kg category to level the score at 3-3.

In the blind draw the judokas of the women's -70 kg category were chosen to fight for the gold score and Miku Takaichi defeated Cristina Cabana Perez for the second time on the day to bring the voctory to Japan 4-3.

Two other matches were much easier for Japan. The coaches replaced Hashimoto with two-time Olympic gold medallist in the -66kg category Hifumi Abe, and the latter scored two victories in the next two rounds. Japan defeated Serbia 4-1 and Germany 4-0 to reach the final. 

France stormed into the final from the bottom of the bracket. They beat Tokyo 2020 bronze medallists Israel 4-0, Korea 4-1 and Italy 4-1. 

The Italians looked very good in the first rounds against Hungary, Georgia and Uzbekistan. The match against Tokyo 2020 bronze medallists Georgia was decided by a golden score, and Italy's Manuel Lombardo (-73 kg) defeated Lasha Shavdatuashvili for the second time. 

Against France, however, the mismatch in the super-heavyweight was decisive. Alice Belandi, who normally competes in the women's -78kg category, and Gennaro Pirelli, who competes in the men's -100kg category, were up against real super heavyweights in the +70kg and +90kg categories. Romane Dicko (+70kg) and Teddy Riner (+90kg) didn't give their opponents a chance and created a gap that the French team used to reach the final. 

The first bronze medal match between Brazil and Italy looked like an easy win for the Brazilians as they took an early 2-0 lead. But the Italians fought hard, even when the score was 3-1. Lombardo was fantastic once again, defeating Paris 2024 silver medallist in the -66kg category William Lima. Then Savita Russo (-57kg) survived against Ketleyn Quadros, who held her in a dangerous position for 17 seconds (she needed 20 seconds for the ippon), and scored an ippon herself at the end of the bout to level the score at 3-3.

But the Golden Score bout between Rafaela Silva and Veronica Toniolo (-70kg) ended too early as Silva scored a waza-ari to take the bronze medal for the Brazilian team. 

The second bronze medal match was a similar story. Germany came back from 3-1 down with good performances from Igor Wandtke and Miriam Butkereit. The golden score was decided in the men's -73 kg category and An Baul from Korea took his revenge on Wandtke and brought the bronze medals to Korea. 

France had six Paris 2024 medallists in the final against Japan. And four of them - Agbegbebou, Cysique, Dicko and Riner - were in the squad that faced Japan at Tokyo 2020 final. Japan had a completely different squad from the Tokyo final, with two Paris 2024 champions, Natsumi Tsunoda (women's -48kg) and Hifumi Abe, competing in unusual weight categories. 

The match began with Paris 2024 silver medallist Sanshiro Murao (-90kg) defeating bronze medallist Maxime-Gaël Ngayap Hambou. Murao scored a beautiful ippon in the opening seconds of the golden score to give Japan the lead. .

This was followed by Ricko Takayama's (+70kg) victory over Tokyo 2020 runner-up and Paris 2024 bronze medallist Romaine Dicko. Takayama scored a decisive waza-ari midway through the bout. 

Riner (+90 kg) scored France's first point with a beautiful ippon over Tatsuro Saito, once again proving his dominance in the super heavyweight category. 

But Tsunoda quickly restored the two-point lead with a victory over Tokyo 2020 runner-up and Paris 2024 bronze medallist in the 57kg category, Cysique. 

Japan could secure victory in the next bout when Hifumi Abe took on Paris 2024 silver medallist Joan-Benjamin Gaba. The two went for the golden score, with Gaba receoved two shidos. Abe attacked relentlessly, but the referees refused to give the Frenchman a third caution, despite the Japanese's strong protests. In the ninth minute, Gaba countered Abe's attack and scored an ippon.

That was the turning point of the match. Next, Agbegbebou scored an ippon against Miku Takaichi to level the score at 3-3.

For the golden score, the draw fell to the +90kg category and Riner took to the tatami with Saito once again. Similar to the first match, Riner waited for his chance and scored the ippon in the seventh minute. France won the gold medal for the second time in a row and Japan, who have never lost in the Mixed Team World Championships, took the Olympic silver medal.

There is no doubt that these two teams will continue their rivalry, and perhaps four years from now in Los Angeles we will witness another epic battle for gold.