Dennis Van der Geest snatches world judo gold

Dennis Van der Geest has been winning medals at world championships and Olympic Games since 1999 but the best he had managed until Sunday was silver two years ago when he was beaten by Japan's Yasuyuki Muneta. This year, though, he made up for his disappointing performance in the over 100kg division on Thursday - where he crashed out in the first round - by throwing Russia's Tamerlan Tmenov for ippon in the open final.

It was the Netherlands' best ever performance in the World Championships with three gold and two bronze medals.

Japan also finished on three golds after Shintani produced a lightning quick counter foot-sweep to deny Bryant and consign the Briton to a second silver medal of the tournament.

It was Bryant's fifth medal at this level but with three silver and two bronze, the four-time European champion has yet to hear her national anthem at a world championship.

It was a fantastic turnaround for Shintani who bowed out in the first round of the open two years ago in her home country but she more than made up for it with this performance.

Fallon made up for Bryant's disappointment by going one place better than two years ago when he lost in the final while nursing an elbow injury sustained when avoiding an armlock in his quarter-final.

This time, fully fit and focussed, the Briton beat his old rival Ludwig Paischer of Austria in a close final.

There was little between the pair in a tactical duel that was decided by a single score when Fallon managed to turn Paischer onto his side for a minor point.

The closeness of his defeat will be of little consolation to the Austrian who has never beaten Fallon in four attempts.