Heavyweight (>100 kilograms), Men

Two judokas were expected to contest the gold medal. David Douillet (FRA) was the defending gold medalist and had won four World Championships. In the 1997 World final, he defeated Japan’s Shinichi Shinohara on a disputed penalty. But with Douillet absent because of a back injury in 1999, Shinohara won the World titles in both heavyweight and open class. Everything went according to form in Sydney and they advanced to the final with little opposition. The final match between the two again saw controversy. At 1:20, Douillet attempted a leg throw, but when Shinohara countered they both fell to the mat, with Douillet landing on his back. One judge ruled ippon for Shinohara, which would have given him the match, but other two ruled yuko for Douillet. The match was tied until the last minute, when Douillet scored a yuko, and he eventually won by yusei-gachi. The Japanese protested but it was not allowed. Shinohara later became a Japanese collegiate judo coach.