A French judo legend falls short of a third consecutive Olympic gold, settling for bronze instead.

TOKYO — Teddy Riner, perhaps the world’s most famous judoka, fell short in his pursuit of a third straight Olympic gold medal when he lost his third match on Friday morning.

He rebounded later in the day and won a bronze medal, beating Hisayoshi Harasawa of Japan. Riner fought to a stalemate in the first four minutes and needed five minutes in extra time before he pinned his opponent.

For Riner, 32, who won gold in the over 100-kilogram category in London and Rio de Janeiro (and bronze at the Beijing Games), the third-place finish is something of a disappointment. He is most likely competing in his last Olympics.

The 10-time world champion had his 152-match winning streak, which spanned nearly a decade, snapped in February 2020. Riner dispelled any questions about whether he was sharp after fighting only sparingly since the start of the pandemic. He won his first two matches with relative ease, beating Stephan Hegyi of Austria with an ippon and Or Sasson of Israel with a waza-ari.

But in his quarterfinal match, Riner and Tamerlan Bashaev of Russia battled to a stalemate through the first four minutes. About half a minute into the Golden Score period, Bashaev threw down Riner with a corner drop move. The fighters waited for some time as the judges reviewed the move, apparently because Riner landed out of bounds.

Riner shook his head when the decision was announced and the referee pointed to Bashaev to confirm his victory, and left without speaking to the news media.

Riner, who was unseeded in the tournament, was aiming to win to share the record for most consecutive gold medals with Tadahiro Nomura of Japan, who won in 1996, 2000 and 2004.

After the pandemic began, Riner lost more than 50 pounds and focused on stretching to improve his recovery.

With the loss on Friday, Riner will face renewed questions about whether he will retire. Along with Thierry Henry and Tony Parker, he is one of the most famous athletes in France. At 6-foot-8, 300 pounds, Riner cut a striking pose. Known as “Teddy Bear” and “Big Ted,” he is a celebrity and has been the subject of a documentary.

With all his success in the sport already, his legacy as one of the best judoka ever is assured.