RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) Shohei Ono defeated Ugo Legrand of France by ippon to win the 73-kilogram division at the judo world championships on Wednesday, increasing Japan's dominance in the competition.
Ono beat Legrand about halfway through the fight at the Maracanazinho Arena to give Japan its third straightmen's gold medal in the championships. Naohisa Takato won the 60-kilogram division and Masashi Ebinuma won the 66-kilogram category. Masaaki Fukuoka also earned a bronze in the 66-kilogram division.
Legrand had beaten No. 1-ranked Nyam-Ochir Sainjargal of Mongolia in the semifinals.
The bronze medals went to Dex Elmont of the Netherlands and Dirk Van Tichelt of Belgium.
Earlier Wednesday, Rafaela Silva gave Brazil its first women's gold medal in the championships by beating Marti Malloy of the United States in the 57-kilogram category.
Silva, ranked fourth, won by ippon less than a minute into the final.
In the semifinals Silva had beaten No. 1-ranked Automne Pavia of France, who later lost one of the bronze medals to 3rd-ranked Miryam Roper of Germany.
The other bronze medal went to Slovenia's Vlora Bedeti, who defeated 19-year-old Anzu Yamamoto of Japan.
