Heavyweight (>78 kilograms), Women

The favorite was likely a woman who did not compete in this class at the World Championships. But Daima Beltrán (CUB) was World Champion in 1997 and 1999 in the open class. Her road to gold seemed easier when the 1999 heavyweight World Champion, Poland’s Beata Maksymowa, lost her first-round match to American Colleen Rosensteel. Beltrán easily made it to he final, where she met China’s Yuan Hua. Yuan was a formidable opponent, having lost the 1999 World final to Maksymowa. It seemed like a great match, but it was a dull, defensive battle, with Yuan winning the gold medal by decision. In addition to this title Yuan would win 10 international titles in her career – 2001 World heavyweight, 1998 Asian Games heavyweight, three Asian Championships, two East Asian Games titles, and three victories at the World University Games. In the heavyweight class, Beltrán would also win three consecutive Pan-American Games titles – 1995, 1999, and 2003.