(Adds quotes from Silva) By Chris Gallagher RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 8 (Reuters) – Brazilians celebrated in the stands after Rafaela Silva won gold in women’s judo at the Rio Games on Monday, claiming the first Olympic gold medal for the host country and capping a journey to the podium that began in one of the city’s most notorious slums.
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The world champion Chinese duo were the favourites to win, but it was the first time they have dived together at an Olympics.
Silva grew up in Rio’s infamous City of God favela, improbably rising from poverty-stricken anonymity to prominence as a judo star.
Silva, 24, went on to dispatch Hedvig Karakas of Hungary in the quarterfinals and Romania’s Corina Caprioriu in the semifinal contest before defeating Sumiya Dorjsuren in the final.
Now she hopes to inspire others from similarly underprivileged backgrounds.
“It’s great for kids who are watching judo now”.
Silva won judo’s 57-kilogram division, then, overwhelmed with emotion, performed the Brazilian version of the “Lambeau Leap” to celebrate with her compatriots Monday. Also in the opening threesome: Graham DeLaet of Canada, which IGF President Peter Dawson referred to as the defending champion at the Olympics.
“If these children have a dream, they have to believe it can be done”.
“I hope my medal now will open the door for Brazil to win many more medals”, Silva said. The 19-year-old gymnast was adopted by her maternal grandfather, Ron Biles, and his wife, Nellie, after spending time in foster care. “I thought about leaving judo”.
“She did not let me leave judo”. My coach encouraged me every day. “I’m just happy to be here”, Efimova said. I was semi-discredited, people said I was an unknown quantity. She struggled to hold herself together, never mind the tears that came out gushing. They see a lot of violence; they may not have food.
Later on Tuesday, Phelps looks to win gold medal No. 20 when he swims in the 200-meter butterfly against South African Chad le Clos, who beat Phelps in London; the US women’s gymnastics team goes for gold in the team competition; and Lochte is set to make his Rio debut in the preliminaries of the men’s 4×200-meter relay. Simone Biles and the American women’s gymnastics team are on the mat and the Brazilian women’s soccer team will try to pick up the slack for the celebrated men, who have underwhelmed early in the Olympics.
American Lilly King won a trash-talking duel with Russian Yulia Efimova for the gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke on Monday night, the US men’s basketball team surged after a slow start, beating Venezuela 113-69, and Serena Williams struggled before beating France’s Alize Cornet 7-6 (5), 6-2 in her bid for a second consecutive singles gold medal. Her second match watch against no. 2 seed South Korea’s Kim Jan-Diand.
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London champion Matsumoto bounced back to win bronze, beating her Taiwanese training partner Lien Chen-Ling.
