Extra-Lightweight (≤60 kilograms), Men

Gold medallist Naohisa Takato had been one of the bronze medal winners four years earlier and with three titles at World Championships he was the most successful athlete in his class in the last decade. The top seed Japanese sailed through all rounds with Ippons (full points) except the semi-final against the second seed Kazakh Yeldos Smetov, when he managed to win by Waza-ari (half point) in extra-time. Takato, however, had to go into the Golden Score in his final three bouts. In the final, he prevailed in extra time by defeating his opponent Yang Yung-Wei from Chinese Taipei based on penalization for inactivity with Ippon. Yang had defeated Luka Mkheidze, a Frenchman of Georgian descent, and silver medallist at the 2021 European Championships, by Ippon for a Yoko-shiho-gatame after 9:21 min in the second semi-final. Smetov and Mkheidze eventually made their way through the repêchage and took bronze. Robert Mshvidobadze (ROC), who was third in the ranking list, already lost his first bout against Dutchman Tornike Tsjakadoea, who defended his early Waza-ari for Ushi-mata until the end of the normal time. Tsjakadoea then fell victim of Yang in the next round.