Japan has lost the gold medal to France in judo's mixed team event at the Paris Olympic Games, winning silver again.

The two countries' teams faced off in the final of the same event at the Tokyo Games three years ago, when France also won gold.

The Japanese and French teams are each made up of six athletes from three men's and women's weight classes.

On Saturday, they competed for gold in the final judo event of the Paris Games.

Murao Sanshiro defeated his French opponent by ippon in the first bout in the men's 90-kilogram class.

In the second match for the women's over 70-kilogram class, Japan's Takayama Rika won by scoring a waza-ari, giving the Japanese team a 2-point lead.

France's Teddy Riner scored first for France against Saito Tatsuru in the third bout in the men's over 90-kilogram class.

Japan added another point when Tsunoda Natsumi in the women's 57-kilogram class defeated her French opponent by ippon.

Japan's Olympic gold medalist Abe Hifumi was defeated by ippon in the fifth bout for the men's 73-kilogram class.

The two teams were tied when Japan's Takaichi Miku in the women's 70-kilogram class lost in the sixth match.

With both teams having won three bouts each, the golden score rule was applied for a seventh match. The category chosen by lottery was the men's over 90-kilogram class.

Riner again defeated Saito, bringing France its second-straight mixed team title following the Tokyo Games.

Brazil and South Korea both won bronze.