Today, Kayla Harrison of Team USA took gold in judo at the 2016 Rio Olympics. 

Harrison defeated France's Audrey Tcheuméo in the final with a straight armbar. She attacked early and often, and Tcheuméo was forced to go on the defensive, which resulted in two early penalties. Harrison finished the fight in the final 30 seconds by ippon.

About Kayla Harrison

This is Harrison's second Olympic gold medal; she won her first at the 2012 Games in London. Backed by consecutive Olympic victories and a legacy of world-class domination, the judo blackbelt has cemented herself as one of America's greatest judokas of all time. 

78kg podium#gold @Judo_Kayla #USA#silver @AudreyTcheumeo #FRA#bronze @mayraaguiarjudo #BRA #bronze Velensek #SLO pic.twitter.com/8LTvInoYJX

— Int. Judo Federation (@IntJudoFed) August 11, 2016

Harrison's ascension began in 2008, when she won the Junior World Championships. In 2012, she qualified for her first Olympic team, and took gold by beating Gemma Gibbons of Great Britain. 

While training for the 2016 Games, she became a household name within the MMA community as one of Ronda Rousey's lead training partners. 

As the top-ranked 78kg Judoka in the world, Harrison took gold at the 2015 Pan-American Games in Toronto, and followed up with another Pan-American title in Havana.  

Kayla Harrison 2016 Olympic Results

Def Audrey Tcheuméo of France (Finals) by armbar
Def Anamari Velenšek of Slovenia (Semifinals) by ippon
Def Abigél Joó of Hungary (Quarterfinals) by kami-shiho-gatame
Def Zhang Zhehui of China (Round of 16) by pin




Aug. 11, 2016; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Abigel Joo (HUN, blue) and Kayla Harrison (USA, white) compete in a women's 78kg quarterfinal judo contest at Carioca Arena 2 during the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports​



Aug. 11, 2016; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Zhehui Zhang (CHN, blue) and Kayla Harrison (USA, white) compete in a women's 78kg elimination round judo contest at Carioca Arena 2 during the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports