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Brazil’s Rafaela Silva overcame top seed Sumiya Dorjsuren of Mongolia to win gold in the women’s -57kg judo on Monday, sending the crowd into joyous celebration of their first Olympic gold as host country.
Silva raised her arms to the crowd in triumph as she beat Dorjsuren on a waza-ari, following a pulsating semi-finals victory that went into extra time against Romania’s Corina Caprioriu.
Gold for Silva marks a fairytale rise to the Olympic podium from a childhood in Rio’s notorious “City of God” favela, and provides redemption for a disappointing London 2012 when she was disqualified in the early rounds for a rule violation.
Portugal’s Telma Monteiro and Japan’s Kaori Matsumoto won bronze.
Source: Ahram Online
