Women Wins First U.S. Gold in Judo: Kayla Harrison of Wakefield, Mass., became the first U.S. athlete to win a gold in judo at the Olympic Games. Harrison, 22, won by beating one competitor at a time. Before each bout, her coach, Jimmy Pedro asked her, "Are you better than her? Are you stronger than her? Are you tougher than her? Yeah? Well, then, go beat her — because she’s in your way to be an Olympic champion.” Last November Harrison revealed that she had been sexually abused by a judo coach when she was 13 years old. That coach is currently serving a 10 year prison sentence. Harrison defeated Great Britain’s Gemma Gibbons using a move called the Ippon, a throw that is judo’s equivalent of a knockout. “If I can do it, anybody can do it,” Harrison said. via NY Daily News
