Japanese judoka Hisayoshi Harasawa (L) and Takeshi Ojitani (R) contested the heavyweight final at the inaugural Dusseldrof Grand Slam, but neither man won.
Robin Willingham
Instead both fighters were disqualified at exactly the same time, less than two minutes into the fight.
Robin Willingham
Harasawa and Ojitani were penalized by Honduran referee Jose Ordonez for excessive "passivity," meaning neither competitor had shown sufficient intent to fight.
Robin Willingham
Perplexed by the outcome, unsure whether their journey had ended in victory or defeat, both competitors looked to their coaches for some form of reassurance. A bemused bow and cursory handshake later, they slowly ambled off the mat.
Robin Willingham
"It is against the spirit of judo to turn up and not fight," explained Sheldon Franco-Rooks, official commentator of the IJF. "There will be no gold medal awarded in this contest; they'll both get silver. They've both been disqualified. If you haven't come here to fight, off you go. That's it."
Robin Willingham
The ensuing medal ceremony was as unconventional as the outcome. Of the four men on the podium, not one stood atop it. "I was sad," former world champion Loretta Cusack-Doyle told CNN Sport. "For me it was an anticlimax to what was a wonderful weekend of judo that was positive and exciting to watch."
Robin Willingham
No flag was raised in the customary gold medal position. No national anthem was played. "Was it deserved? Yes, I personally think it was," said Cusack-Doyle. "It's the first time I've witnessed this happening and I hope it's the last."
