The Judo World Championships began today in Tashkent in front of a raucous crowd at the Humo Arena ©Getty Images

Photo Gallery

Japan's Naohisa Takato secured victory in the men's under-60-kilograms final to clinch his fourth Judo World Championships gold medal ©Getty Images
Japan's Naohisa Takato secured victory in the men's under-60-kilograms final to clinch his fourth Judo World Championships gold medal ©Getty Images
Takato blitzed Mongolia's Ariunbold Enkhtaivan with an attacking onslaught before claiming the win with an ippon inside two minutes ©Getty Images
Takato blitzed Mongolia's Ariunbold Enkhtaivan with an attacking onslaught before claiming the win with an ippon inside two minutes ©Getty Images
Takato's compatriot Natsumi Tsunoda ensured a gold medal clean sweep for Japan with victory in the women's under-48kg division ©Getty Images
Takato's compatriot Natsumi Tsunoda ensured a gold medal clean sweep for Japan with victory in the women's under-48kg division ©Getty Images
She defeated German Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Katharina Mentz with a clinical submission hold ©Getty Images
She defeated German Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Katharina Mentz with a clinical submission hold ©Getty Images
French double European champion Shirine Boukli, right, suffered a crushing early defeat in the women's under-48-kilograms competition ©Getty Images
French double European champion Shirine Boukli, right, suffered a crushing early defeat in the women's under-48-kilograms competition ©Getty Images
Boukli fell to a single waza-ari in the second round defeat at the hands of Kazakhstan's Abiba Abuzhakynova
©Getty Images
Boukli fell to a single waza-ari in the second round defeat at the hands of Kazakhstan's Abiba Abuzhakynova ©Getty Images
Frenchman Cedric Revol, in blue, was unable to build on his European bronze medal from last year as he was subjected to a first-bout loss to Matan Kokolayev of Israel in the men's under-60kg tournament ©Getty Images
Frenchman Cedric Revol, in blue, was unable to build on his European bronze medal from last year as he was subjected to a first-bout loss to Matan Kokolayev of Israel in the men's under-60kg tournament ©Getty Images
It was a bad day for France as young hope Romain Valadier Picard was also eliminated ©Getty Images
It was a bad day for France as young hope Romain Valadier Picard was also eliminated ©Getty Images
The 2021 European junior champion was dispatched by The Netherlands' Tornike Tsjakadoea in the second round ©Getty Images
The 2021 European junior champion was dispatched by The Netherlands' Tornike Tsjakadoea in the second round ©Getty Images