RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — For the first time, the U.S. will have a defending Olympic judo champion when the Rio games begin — and she will be backed up by arguably the strongest team ever produced by the U.S. to compete in the Japanese martial art, with a serious chance of taking three medals.
Kayla Harrison made history when she became the first American to win a judo gold at the London Games in 2012 and even though she had intended to quit — and become a firefighter instead — the lure of defending her title was too great.