Aaron Wolf of Japan gave his nation an eighth judo gold in Tokyo with a win in golden score over Cho Gu-ham of South Korea on Thursday.

Japan can top the record it set in Rio for most judo medals won at a single Olympics (12) should it win a medal in each of the last three judo events, for a total of 13.

Wolf, whose father is American, is Japan’s first Olympic champion in men’s half heavyweight since 2000, when Inoue Kosei won gold.

Two-time world champion Jorge Fonseca of Portugal won a bronze medal in his second Olympics since being diagnosed with lymphoma, and Russian Olympic Committee athlete Niyaz Ilyasov upset world No. 1 Varlam Liparteliani of Georgia to also claim bronze.

This class went according to script, at least until the final.

That's when No.1 Madeleine Malonga of France squared off with No. 2 Shori Hamada of Japan.

Hamada added to Japan's list of judo medalists and did it with quick work, taking Malonga to the ground in almost instant fashion and winning gold via ippon.

The No. 3 seed judoka, Germany's Anna-Maria Wagner, won bronze alongside Mayra Aguiar of Brazil. For Aguiar, it's a third-consecutive Olympics with a bronze medal.

Illinois' Nefeli Papadakis was eliminated in the first round by eventual semifinalist Yoon Hyun-ji of South Korea.