Team GB wins second judo medal in 24 hours
After a 12 year medal drought, Team GB’s second judo medal is won by Karina Bryant who secures a bronze in the over 78kg category.
Going into the competition, Team GB’s judokas (male and female judo athletes) had not won an Olympic medal in twelve years.
Bryant was fighting Ukranian Irina Kindzyrska for the bronze. The Ukranian, who was four stones heavier than Bryant, went one point up early in the competition. Bryant then equalised half way through the match.
Kinzyrska then scored a yuko(see rules, below), putting her ahead with two minutes remaining, but Bryant hit back, scoring an ippon to win the match.
The rules of judo
In judo the athletes (judokas) aim to score points against their rival threw a variety of holds and throws.
The differenty types of hold or throw score different amounts of points.The best score is ippon, which can be achieved via a number of moves including throwing your opponent onto their back with their feet leaving the floor, or pinning your opponent to the floor for 25 seconds.
Other scores are waza-ari and yuko. The mat in the competition is called the tatami and the contest is begun by the referee shouting “Hajime” and finished with the word “Matte”.
Route to medals
Bryant, who competes in the over 78kg category, was hoping to equal or better the exploits of her under 78kg team-mate Gemma Gibbons, who won silver yesterday.
Her route to the semi-final included dispatching Beijing Olympics bronze medallist and number three seed Lucija Polavder of Slovenia.
In the first round Bryant beat Algeria’s Sonia Asselah with an ippon. In the last 16 of competitors she took on Polavder, beating her by a yuko.
Kazakhstan’s Gulzhan Issanova, who had beaten fancied Korean Kim Na-Young, setting up the semi-final against Mika Sugimoto. Sugimoto won to progress to the gold medal final.
Photo Gallery: Catch up on Team GB’s medal winning athletes.
