Kayla Harrison won the first ever Olympic gold medal in judo for the United States as she claimed the women's under-78kg title here on Thursday. The 2010 world champion beat shock finalist Gemma Gibbons of Great Britain by a pair of minimum yuko scores.
World champion Audrey Tcheumeo of France bounced back from losing her semi-final to Gibbons to snatch bronze in defeating Hungary's Abigel Joo by ippon with an ura-nage (rear throw). Brazil's Mayra Aguilar beat 2009 world champion Marhinde Verkerk of the Netherlands with a kosoto-gari (minor outer reap) for the second bronze.