By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
LONDON (AP) - Kayla Harrison took her spot atop the medal stand, determined not to cry during the national anthem.
She was in tears after one note.
On this day, emotion was the only thing she could not beat.
America finally has an
Olympic judo champion - a 22-year-old from Ohio who was sexually abused
by a former coach as a child, became a self-described "teenage punk" who
hated everything about her sport and then found a way to turn
everything around.
Harrison took the final
step in the journey Thursday. She beat Britain's Gemma Gibbons 2-0 for
the gold medal in the women's under 78-kilogram division.
"Kind of just reflecting
back on my life. Everything it's taken to get here, and everything that
I've gone through," Harrison said. "I'm America's first gold medalist in
judo - and always will be."
Not only did she end
America's 0-for-forever Olympic title drought in judo, but she did it in
an arena where British flags were flying wildly. Gibbons was a surprise
finalist, spurred by a crowd that chanted her name in every match.
Even that wasn't enough to take down Harrison.
"Kayla was a great competitor," Gibbons said. "She is a very deserved winner."
With Russian President
Vladimir Putin, himself a black belt and the honorary president of the
International Judo Federation, and British Prime Minister David Cameron
among those in the VIP section, Harrison never ceded control of the
final.
She had to rally from behind in her quarterfinal match, then topped world No. 1 Mayra Aguiar of Brazil in the semifinals.
That left only Gibbons in her way.
"It was meant to be," said
Harrison's coach, Jimmy Pedro, a two-time Olympic bronze medalist. "This
is your destiny, Kayla Harrison. This is your destiny."
Russia's Tagir Khaibulaev
won the men's 100-kilogram gold medal. Khaibulaev defeated defending
Beijing champion Tuvshinbayar Naidan of Mongolia with a match-ending
ippon throw.
Putin immediately stood to applaud, and moments later walked over to shake Khaibulaev's hand.
"It was clear that he was very pleased," Khaibulaev said.
Men's bronze medals went to
Dimitri Peters of Germany and Henk Grol of the Netherlands. In the
women's event Thursday, Aguiar and Audrey Tcheumeo of France each won
bronze.
Pedro, who has spent a
lifetime chasing Olympic gold, gave Harrison the same pep talk on
Thursday over and over again. He said she must have heard it 150 times
throughout the day:
"There's one girl in front
of you. That's all we worry about is that one girl. 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.
Today, Kayla Harrison, nobody is going to beat you. Today, you will
make history. Today, Kayla Harrison is an Olympic champion."
It worked.
"Never give up on your
dreams," Harrison said. "I mean, if I can do it, anybody can do it.
Things have happened, but now, my life is a dream. I'm living my dream
right now."
Harrison moved to Massachusetts when she was 16 and found refuge at Pedro's Judo Center.
Her mother was pursuing
charges against Daniel Doyle, who had started coaching her when she was 8
and - beginning when she was 12, perhaps earlier - sexually abused her
on trips to Venezuela, Estonia and Russia. Harrison had mistaken it, for
years and years, for being in love.
The coach was later sentenced to 10 years in prison and expelled for life from USA Judo, the sport's national governing body.
After Harrison came
forward, her mother knew that the daughter needed a new beginning. So to
Massachusetts she went, alone. Her mother had placed her future in the
hands of Pedro and his father.
It was not easy. She simply did not want to be there.
In time, the trust issues
were worked out. Harrison got back into school. She believed in what
Pedro and his father, whom everyone calls "Big Jim," were telling her.
Eventually, she believed in herself again as well.
"She should inspire many to
be brave, to have courage, to realize that they're a victim and to come
forward and move on with their lives," Pedro said. "Mentally, they get
twisted into thinking that they're somebody they're not. And Kayla
Harrison stepped forward. She should be a hero. She is a hero. And she's
one brave, tough, tough girl - one that no man would want to mess with
if you don't know judo, I'll tell you."
Harrison and Pedro had an
agreement before London: If Harrison, who is engaged to a firefighter
and is working to become one herself, had not won the gold medal, she
would compete at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Except she did win. So
retirement is now an option. Pedro will undoubtedly lobby to keep her
around, but Harrison is, at best, noncommittal.
"I can't wait to get
started helping others and helping others realize their dream and
realize that there's more to life than what they are living in right
there," Harrison said.
She went on: "I can't wait.
I want to help kids realize their Olympic dreams. I want to help kids
overcome being victims. I want to help change - change the sport and
change people's lives."
___
Associated Press Writer Maria Cheng contributed to this story.
___
Follow Tim Reynolds on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ByTimReynolds.
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