Half-Lightweight (≤52 kilograms), Women

The defending champion was China’s Xian Dongmei. She had retired after 2004 but returned to the tatamis in 2007 after giving birth to a child. The last two World Champions in this class had been Chinese – Li Ying in 2005 and Shi Junjie in 2007, but Xian was selected for the Chinese in their stead. In 2008 she has already won a gold medal at the World Cup in Budepest and the Super World Cup in Paris. Xian advanacd to the final where she faced the formidable An Kum-Ae, who had won bronze at the last two World Championships. The final match was close but Xian won by yuko to claim her second consecutive gold medal. Xian described her reaction, “It is unforgettable and not easy to get it again. It is really very special because I won it in front of my home [crowd]. It is also special because after four years I also became a mother and I got a gold medal again.”