The only way Madina Taimazova was leaving her gold medal hopes on the mat was if she could no longer control them.
Japanese judoka Chizuru Arai obliged the Russian Olympic Committee athlete, using a chokehold that forced her opponent to pass out on the mat at the Nippon Budokan.
The powerful move put Arai in the gold medal match, meaning Japan is guaranteed yet another judo medalist on home soil.
Arai, the No. 3 seed in the 70kg class, will meet Austria's Michaela Polleres for gold.
Naohisa Takato, Hifumi Abe, Shohei Ono, and Takanori Nagase have claimed judo gold on the men's side, while Uta Abe won gold and Funa Tonaki silver for the women.