Kayla Harrison became the first American woman ever to advance to the gold medal match in judo at the Summer Olympics after pulling off an upset over Brazil’s Mayra Aguiar, the No. 1-ranked judoka in the world, Thursday. The final for the women’s judo -78 kg final is set for 11:00 a.m. ET, where Harrison will take on Great Britain’s Gemma Gibbons, who defeated France’s Audrey Tcheumeo in the other semifinal.
Kayla Harrison Advances To Gold Medal Match In Women’s Judo
Harrison won after scoring an ippon with 14 seconds left in the bout, automatically giving her the win. She scored a yuko at the 3:56 mark that would have proved decisive on its own. Aguiar was held scoreless throughout the match.
The 22-year-old Harrison isn’t a total surprise at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She became the first American woman in 26 years to win a judo world championship in 2010.
For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation’s London 2012 Olympics Hub. For more on Olympic Judo, follow the 2012 Olympic Judo section.
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