SYDNEY -- Was he robbed? Reigning world champion Shinichi Shinohara thought so, standing on the mat in protest at the judge's decision to award defending Olympic champion David Douillet a "yuko" that won him the Olympic gold medal in the over-100-kg class at the Sydney Exhibition Center on Friday night.

Japan's giant of the "gentle way" had punched his hands in the air after the two big men went sprawling to the floor in the second minute of the bout, thinking he had turned Douillet's move into a counterattack and scored an outright win.

But the Frenchman was awarded a point in a matchup where it was always going to be hard to score. When the clock ran out, that was all that separated the two men who fought it out for the title of the greatest judo fighter in the world.

Shinohara was so devastated after the bout he did not utter a word to the frenzy of waiting media.

Then standing on the dais all of 190 cm tall and 135 kg - three times the weight of Ryoko Tamura - the 27-year-old Shinohara's big face dripped tears from swollen, red eyes as Douillet and France celebrated.

"I would like to thank God for the opportunity to come here and perform this," said Douillet after the bout. The Japanese thought he ought to thank God because a judge's bad decision was the only way he had beaten their champion.

The stakes were high in Friday's bout and the atmosphere was more like a World Cup soccer match than a judo competition. Japanese fans roared as Shinohara entered. The French, many with their faces painted in their national colors, roared louder when Douillet was announced.

The two men knew each other well. Douillet beat Shinohara in the 1997 World Championship. And they fought a cautious, tough match. After the judge made the call we will hear about for a long time to come, Douillet changed strategy and fought to protect his lead.

He was penalized twice and they drew even. But Douillet scored another "yuko" with 40 seconds left in the match and ground the fight down in the final seconds.

Japan had to settle for a silver when it was expecting its fifth gold medal to close out the competition but also picked up a special bonus.

Mayumi Yamashita's big heart carried her through to a bronze in the women's over-78 kg class.

The Osaka policewoman fought herself to exhaustion Friday night and then, in the last second of her last bout, she threw Olympic bronze medalist Christine Cicot of France for the big ippon. "I was thinking about my family and all of the support I get. That's what made me win," Yamashita said. The 24-year-old was threatened in each of her bouts Friday, but fought hard and fast all night - her only error was to Cuba's Daima Beltran who brought her down with a submission hold in the semifinal match.

"I feel very, very happy. The Cuban was too strong but I felt mentally sharper after the first match," Yamashita said. Beltran fell to World Championship silver medalist Hua Yuan of China in the gold medal match.