Half-Lightweight (≤52 kilograms), Women

The big favorite was Japan’s Misato Nakamura, who was a bronze medalist at Beijing, but had since won two golds and one silver at the World Championships. In the first round she had the misfortune to be drawn against North Korean An Kum-Ae, who defeated her in Beijing in the semi-finals, and the result was the same as the favorite was out. An eventually moved on to the final, defeating Italian Rosalba Forciniti by ippon in the semis, where she met Cuba’s Yanet Bermoy, also a silver medalist at Beijing, but as an extra-lightweight. Bermoy had had a relatively easy time getting to the final with her draw.

The final was scoreless through regulation time, but An won in extra time with a yuko, giving North Korea its first judo gold medal since 1996. Forciniti won one of the bronze medals, with the other going to Frenchwoman Priscilla Gneto, who defeated the veteran Belgian Ilse Heylen for the bronze.