Karim Zidan delves into Kayla Harrison’s historic career and analyzes whether she should follow in Ronda Rousey’s footsteps.
Four years ago, Middletown, Ohio native Kayla Harrison made history as the first American judoka to win a gold medal at the Olympics. She defeated hometown hero Gemma Gibbons, and did so with a dislocated knee and the harrowing experience of the sexual abuse she had endured as a child.
The Harrison that arrived in Rio bears little resemblance to the one who appeared in London at age 22. The judo coach who had abused her for three years when she was a pre-teen is behind bars and the thoughts of suicide no longer accompany her every waking hour.