After winning his third World title in 1995, Koga was at the top of his game. In the finals of the 1996 Olympics, he faced Bouras of France, an opponent he defeated by Ippon in the 1995 World Championships.
Within 10 seconds of the match, Bouras was given a Chui for stepping out. That gave Koga a Yuko. Within the first minute, Bouras was given Keikoku for passivity. Koga was up by Waza-Ari. It seemed the gold medal was a foregone conclusion.
But Bouras fought back. Unable to throw Koga, he manhandled him for the next four minutes. Little by little, Koga started getting penalties. First a Shido, then a Chui and with just 12 seconds left, a Keikoku. It went to flags and all three judges gave it to Bouras. Koga was stunned.
