American Marti Malloy Reaches Judo Semifinals, Could Earn USA’s First Ever Gold

Judo has been contested in every Summer Games since 1968, but America hasn’t exactly had much success. While Japan has dominated with 35 golds and 65 total medals, American contingents have never won and only earned 10 total medals.

But a victory by Marti Malloy over Portugal’s Telma Monteiro -- the No. 2 ranked judoka in the women’s 57 kg (126 lb) weight class -- has her one win away from a medal, which would be the first ever for the United States in that class. Malloy, who hails from Oak Harbor, Wash., and lives in San Jose, beat Monteiro in overtime of the round of 32. She proceeded to defeat Colombia’s Yadinys Amaris by an ippon, a throw or pin that immediately ends the match.

Now, Malloy is in the medal round, with a win putting her in the gold medal match and a loss giving her a chance to earn one of two bronze medals against a competitor from the repechage bracket who had lost earlier in the tournament.

Malloy faces Romania’s Corina Caprioriu at 9:21 a.m. ET.

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