With Miri Regev, Minister of Culture and Sports, and Israel’s International Olympic Committee member Alex Gilady in attendance, Paltchik, ranked ninth in the world in the under-100 kilograms category, required all his tactical awareness to hold the more physically powerful Leonardo Goncalves of Brazil at bay in their final.

The Israeli athlete suffered an early fright when Goncalves, World Championship junior bronze medallist in 2015, appeared to have launched a successful harai-goshi, but Paltchik somehow remained free.

The home judoka earned his breakthrough shortly before the end when he scored a waza-ari, and his consequent victory sent the arena into a ferment, with thousands chanting his name repeatedly.

Germany’s double world medallist Karl-Richard Frey beat Poland’s Kasper Szczurowski to the first bronze, and the second went to Brazil’s Rafael Buzacarini, who beat Daniel Mukete of Belarus.

Paltchik remained at the side of the tatami to support his colleague Sasson, the Rio 2016 bronze medallist, in his over-100kg final against South Korea’s Sungmin Kim.

This contest followed a similar pattern to the foregoing final, as Sasson gained the initiative with a waza-ari, defending his advantage skilfully to the end.

Ukraine’s Yakiv Khammo and Japan’s Yusuke Kumashiro earned bronze medals with respective wins over Stephan Heygi of Austria and Bekmurod Oltiboev of Uzbekistan.

The first men’s gold medal of the night, in the under-90kg class, had gone to South Korea’s former world champion and last year’s Paris Grand Slam winner Gwak Donghan.

His victory over Mikail Özerler of Turkey, achieved with an ingenious waza-ari during golden time, meant that his country finished top of the medal table in Israel with three titles following their double success on the opening day.

Piotr Kuzera of Poland and Brazil’s Rafael Macedo took the bronze medals with respective wins over Uzbekistan’s Davlat Bobonov and Marcus Nyman of Sweden.

Britain earned its second gold of the Grand Prix in the women’s events as Natalie Powell defeated Austria’s three-times European medallist Bernadette Graf in the under-78kg final following the previous night’s success in the under-70kg class by Sally Conway.

Britain’s 2017 world bronze medallist took less than two minutes to secure the title with a waza-ari that was followed by a flawless ippon that earned her a third Grand Prix gold of her career.

Bronze medals went to Portugal’s Patricia Sampaio, who beat Luise Malzahn of Germany, and South Korea’s Yoon Hyunji, who defeated Patricija Brolih of Slovenia.

Gold in the top women’s weight, the over-78kg class, went to France’s 2018 European champion Romane Dickoe, who signalled her return to full power after a long absence with injury as she defeated Tessie Savelkouls of The Netherlands in the final through ippon.

Portugal’s Rochele Nunes won the first bronze, beating Kim Hayun of South Korea, and the second went to Turkey’s Kayra Sayit, who defeated Larisa Cerić of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Gilady reflected after a barnstorming event: "Tel Aviv is a living city.

"People here love sports.

"Judo is reflecting this.

"This third day of competition is the perfect illustration that judo is successful because there are great judoka who give their best, but also great organisers."

Minister Regev added: “This Grand Prix in Tel Aviv is one of the most professional competitions that we organise in Israel and I am very happy to see all the judoka who came, from 83 countries, in an Olympic year…

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to thank [IJF President] Marius Vizer, who continues to set up judo with a very professional standard and to be a leader, enforcing the Olympic Charter in order to keep clean the Olympic Movement.”

Watch all the action on Judo TV.