NABEUL, Tunisia, Oct. 30 (Kyodo) – The International Judo Federation (IJF) said Monday that no point should have been awarded in the controversial heavyweight final between Japan’s Shinichi Shinohara and France’s David Douillet at the Sydney Olympics.

The IJF said it accepted the decision of its Referees Commission which ruled that neither contestant had control when Douillet attempted an “uchimata” throw midway through the gold medal match and Shinohara apparently countered.

The Japan Judo Federation (JJF) protested the call earlier this month, but was told by the IJF that it would not reverse the decision since the referee and judges had left the competition area.

On Monday, the IJF said the Referees Commission reviewed “various videos (of the throw) many, many times in regular speed, slow motion and frame by frame” and ruled that neither contestant had executed a throw since neither had “control.”

The commission said that defending champion Douillet had control when he started the throw, but lost it in the middle of executing his technique.

Shinohara took over control midway through the maneuver, but did not execute the counter technique that Japanese coaches and supporters argued he had.

“If Mr. Shinohara had thrown Mr. Douillet, Mr. Shinohara would have fallen differently and his body position would be different,” the referees commission ruled.

In the over 100-kilogram final in Sydney, Douillet attempted an “uchimata” leg throw which world champion Shinohara appeared to counter by with his own “uchimata-sukashi,” sending the Frenchman somersaulting over his shoulders.

One of the judges signaled an ippon for Shinohara, but the other two judges awarded Douillet with a “yuko” point, which eventually stood and turned out to be a decisive factor in the match.

.c Kyodo News Service