Japan Masato Uchishiba (L) and Uzbekistan Mirali Sharipov compete during their men's -66kg match of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on August 10, 2008 in Beijing. [Agencies]

BEIJING--Japanese Masato Uchishiba beat French Benjamin Darbelet by ippon to take the men's 66kg judo gold medal at the Beijing Olympic Games here on Sunday.

Darbelet took the silver medal, and the bronze was shared by Cuban Yordanis Arencibia and DPR Korean Pak Chol Min.