Tokyo Olympics: Teddy Riner misses out on third gold as he wins bronze
- Published
Teddy Riner has won 10 world titles
Tokyo Olympic Games on the BBC |
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Dates: 23 July-8 August Time in Tokyo: BST +8 |
Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button and online; Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live, Sports Extra and Sounds; live text and video clips on BBC Sport website and app. |
French judo great Teddy Riner failed in his bid to win a record-equalling third successive Olympic heavyweight gold medal as he picked up bronze.
The 10-time world champion had hoped to match Japanese Tadahiro Nomura's feat.
But he lost to Russian world number one Tamerlan Bashaev in the quarter-finals in Tokyo before coming through repechage to contest the bronze medal.
He appeared confused by a video review decision in the bout against Bashaev and did not speak to the media later.
Instead, his coach Laurent Calleja told French television: "We did not come to get a bronze medal; we came for gold."
Riner went on to beat Brazilian Rafael Silva and Japan's Hisayoshi Harasawa to win a fourth Olympic medal in a row after also picking up bronze at Beijing 2008.
Riner, 32, has dominated judo for more than a decade, enjoying a 154-bout unbeaten run from September 2010 to February 2020.
Before these Olympics he said it was "highly likely" that he would compete at his home Games in Paris in 2024.
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