Extra-Lightweight (≤60 kilograms), Men

Thierry Rey (FRA) had won the 1979 World Championships and was slightly favored, particularly because of the absence of 1980 European Champion, Italian Felice Mariani, a victim of the boycott. Rey had competed at the Europeans, but lost early to Austria’s Pepi Reiter. In the early rounds, the best fighter appeared to be an unheralded Cuban, José Rodríguez, who won his first two matches in a total of 30 seconds. He again won by ippon in the pool final, this time in 51 seconds over Hungarian Tibor Kincses. Rey came thru the other pool with no major difficulty but without the flair of Rodríguez. The final was somewhat disappointing. Rey countered Rodríguez’s attacking style and won with a koka via a kosoto-gari counter to win the gold medal.