| | Event type

Half-Heavyweight (≤78 kilograms), Women

Date	2 August 2012
Status	Olympic
Location	ExCeL, Newham, London (Hall 2)
Participants	21 from 21 countries
Format	Losing quarter-finalists compete against losing semi-finalist for bronze.

Prior to this event, the United States had won 11 Olympic judo medals, but never a gold. The US entrant was Kayla Harrison, World Junior Champion in 2008 and World Champion in 2010. Harrison defeated top seed Mayra Silva (BRA) in the semi-finals, after beating European Champion Abigel Joo (HUN) in the quarters. In the other half of the draw, Britain’s Gemma Gibbons was given little chance, ranking 42nd in the world prior to the Olympics, and only qualifying as a host country entry, but she stunned in the semi-finals by defeating reigning World Champion Audrey Tcheumeo of France, with a golden score in extra-time.

The final was close but Harrison won the first ever judo gold for the United States, scoring a yuko early and another one in the last minute for the win. The bronze medals went to Tcheumeo and Aguiar. The defending champion Yang Xilu of China lost in the repêchage, beaten by Dutch judoka Marhinde Verkerk.

Pos	Judoka	NOC
1	Kayla Harrison	USA	Gold
2	Gemma Gibbons	GBR	Silver
=3	Audrey Tcheuméo	FRA	Bronze
=3	Mayra Aguiar	BRA	Bronze
=5	Abigél Joó	HUN
=5	Marhinde Verkerk	NED
=7	Daria Pogorzelec	POL
=7	Yang Xiuli	CHN
=9	Hana Mareghni	TUN
=9	Heide Wollert	GER
=9	Vera Moskalyuk	RUS
=9	Audrey Koumba	GAB
=9	Akari Ogata	JPN
=9	Pürevjargalyn Lkhamdegd	MGL
=9	Maryna Pryshchepa	UKR
=9	Aung Aye Aye	MYA
=17	Ana Velenšek	SLO
=17	Odette Ntahomvukiye	BDI
=17	Jeong Gyeong-Mi	KOR
=17	Yahima Ramirez	POR
=17	Amy Cotton	CAN

Round One (2 August 2012 — 10:19)

Match 1	Mayra Aguiar	BRA			bye
Match 2	Hana Mareghni	TUN			bye
Match 3	Heide Wollert	GER			bye
Match 4	Daria Pogorzelec	POL	Ana Velenšek	SLO	0010/0000 SOO 5:00
Match 5	Kayla Harrison	USA			bye
Match 6	Vera Moskalyuk	RUS			bye
Match 7	Abigél Joó	HUN			bye
Match 8	Audrey Koumba	GAB	Odette Ntahomvukiye	BDI	0200/0000 KYS 0:38
Match 9	Akari Ogata	JPN	Jeong Gyeong-Mi	KOR	0010/0002 P29 5:00
Match 10	Marhinde Verkerk	NED			bye
Match 11	Pürevjargalyn Lkhamdegd	MGL			bye
Match 12	Gemma Gibbons	GBR	Yahima Ramirez	POR	1000/0000 UMA 2:14
Match 13	Audrey Tcheuméo	FRA	Amy Cotton	CAN	0010/0001 DAB 5:00
Match 14	Maryna Pryshchepa	UKR			bye
Match 15	Yang Xiuli	CHN			bye
Match 16	Aung Aye Aye	MYA			bye

Round Two (2 August 2012 — 11:01)

Match 1	Mayra Aguiar	BRA	Hana Mareghni	TUN	0200/0003 P29 4:05
Match 2	Daria Pogorzelec	POL	Heide Wollert	GER	0200/0000 SON 1:33
Match 3	Kayla Harrison	USA	Vera Moskalyuk	RUS	1000/0000 JG 0:56
Match 4	Abigél Joó	HUN	Audrey Koumba	GAB	1000/0000 OUG 0:38
Match 5	Marhinde Verkerk	NED	Akari Ogata	JPN	0110/0020 SON 5:00
Match 6	Gemma Gibbons	GBR	Pürevjargalyn Lkhamdegd	MGL	0021/0010 SUG 5:00
Match 7	Audrey Tcheuméo	FRA	Maryna Pryshchepa	UKR	1000/0000 OSG 0:34
Match 8	Yang Xiuli	CHN	Aung Aye Aye	MYA	1000/0000 KUG 1:19

Quarter-Finals (2 August 2012 — 11:43)

Match 1	Mayra Aguiar	BRA	Daria Pogorzelec	POL	0200/0000 KYS 2:44
Match 2	Kayla Harrison	USA	Abigél Joó	HUN	1010/0100 OSG 3:10
Match 3	Gemma Gibbons	GBR	Marhinde Verkerk	NED	0100/0000 OUG 5:00
Match 4	Audrey Tcheuméo	FRA	Yang Xiuli	CHN	0101/0001 SUG 5:00

Repêchage (2 August 2012 — 14:00)

Match 1	Abigél Joó	HUN	Daria Pogorzelec	POL	1012/0022 UMA 4:33
Match 2	Marhinde Verkerk	NED	Yang Xiuli	CHN	0000/0000 3:00 GS

Semi-Finals (2 August 2012 — 14:14)

Match 1	Kayla Harrison	USA	Mayra Aguiar	BRA	1010/0000 JG 4:46
Match 2	Gemma Gibbons	GBR	Audrey Tcheuméo	FRA	1000/0000 UMA 1:33 GS

Final Round (2 August 2012 — 14:56)

Match 3/5	Audrey Tcheuméo	FRA	Abigél Joó	HUN	1000/0001 KSG 3:42
Match 3/5	Mayra Aguiar	BRA	Marhinde Verkerk	NED	1000/0000 KSG 1:29
Match 1/2	Kayla Harrison	USA	Gemma Gibbons	GBR	0020/0000 KUB 5:00