Lightweight (≤71 kilograms), Men

Great Britain’s Neil Adams had won the European Championship at half-middleweight earlier in the year. But he was also bronze medalist in lightweight at the 1979 World Championships. When he dropped back to lightweight for the Olympics, he assumed the favorite’s role in the absence of Japanese World Champion, Kiyoto Katsuki. He was expected to be challenged by Italy’s Ezio Gamba, runner-up at the 1979 Worlds, who was a soldier in the Italian Army. Italy did not boycott Moskva, but their soldiers were forbidden to compete. So Gamba dropped out of the Army and travelled to Moskva on his own, the only Italian judo player in 1980. In the early rounds, Adams looked unbeatable, winning all his matches by ippon. Gamba was less impressive but came thru to the final. The final was extremely close, but at the 7-minute limit, the referee called for hantei and both judges raised the white flag, indicating Gamba, who won the gold medal.