The decisive victory was earned by Russia’s Musa Mogushkov in a men’s under-73 kilograms contest against Jorge Fernandes, whom he had just labouriously defeated to level the scores after earlier wins for team-mates Inal Tasoev and Daria Mezhetskaia.

This event - due to make its Olympic debut at Tokyo next year - is a simple aggregation of scores from six matches at different weights, with three men and three women in each team.

In the case of a 3-3 draw, a weight category is randomly selected, with the relevant judoka then having to resume the tatami to decide the match in golden score circumstances, where victory can be decided either by positive scoring, or the concession of a penalty.

By chance, it was the two weary under-73kg warriors who were immediately recalled to the central yellow square to play it again as the noise level rose all around.

They were into the fifth minute before Mogushkov, the 31-year-old world bronze medallist of 2011 and 2014, used his experience to earn Russian gold by ippon - putting the rest the agonising that had been going on amidst both watching team just a couple of yards away from the tatami.

It is a big marker for Russia a year away from Tokyo 2020. 

But do not bet against Portugal returning for revenge...

It had all looked very different for Portugal after three consecutive wins for Barbara Timo over Alena Prokopenko in the women’s under-70kg class opener, Anri Egutidze over individual bronze medal winner Khusen Khalmuraev in the men’s under-90kg category, and Rochele Nunes over Kseniia Chibasova, another individual bronze medallist, in the over-70kg class.

With Portugal needing one win to claim the gold medal, Jorge Fonseca of Portugal faced Russia's individual silver medallist Inal Tasoev in the men's over-90kg category. 

Unsurprisingly, it was the silver medallist who prevailed to keep Russian hopes going.

The final women’s match of the night was over in 15 seconds flat - and Portugal’s Telma Monteiro was also flat, on her back, after Russia's Daria Mezhetskaia had fashioned a dynamic ippon.

Up stepped Mogushkov to try and keep the revival going..

Earlier the host nation, beaten 4-2 by Russia in their semi-final, had sought some compensation in their bronze medal match against France, but a sole win in the women’s over-70kg class for their gold medallist of the previous evening, Maryna Slutskaya was all they could manage as they lost 4-1.

The second bronze of the night went to Austria, 4-2 winners over The Netherlands.

A very long medal ceremony - involving four squads of judoka and separate awards for European Games and European Championships - was undertaken by the former European Olympic Committees President Pat Hickey.