LONDON - Kayla Harrison took her spot atop the medal stand, determined not to cry during the national anthem.
She was in tears after one note.
America finally has an Olympic judo champion - a 22-year-old from Ohio who was sexually abused by a former coach as a child, became a self-described "teenage punk" who hated everything about her sport and then found a way to turn everything around.
Harrison took the final step in the journey Thursday. She beat Britain's Gemma Gibbons 2-0 for the gold medal in the women's under 78-kilogram division.
"Kind of just reflecting back on my life. Everything it's taken to get here, and everything that I've gone through," Harrison said. "I'm America's first gold medalist in judo - and always will be."
Not only did she end America's 0-for-forever Olympic title drought in judo, but she did it in an arena where British flags were flying wildly. Gibbons was a surprise finalist, spurred by a crowd that chanted her name in every match.
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Even that wasn't enough to take down Harrison.
She had to rally from behind in her quarterfinal match, then topped world No. 1 Mayra Aguiar of Brazil in the semifinals.
That left only Gibbons in her way.
"It was meant to be," said Harrison's coach, Jimmy Pedro, a two-time Olympic bronze medalist.
Pedro gave Harrison the same pep talk on Thursday over and over again. He said she must have heard it 150 times throughout the day:
"There's one girl in front of you. That's all we worry about is that one girl. Are you better than her? Are you stronger than her? Are you tougher than her? Yeah? Well, then, go beat her - because she's in your way to be an Olympic champion. Today, Kayla Harrison, nobody is going to beat you. Today, you will make history. Today, Kayla Harrison is an Olympic champion."
It worked.
Harrison moved to Massachusetts when she was 16 and found refuge at Pedro's Judo Center.
Her mother was pursuing charges against Daniel Doyle, who had started coaching her when she was 8 and - beginning when she was 12 - sexually abused her on trips to Venezuela, Estonia and Russia.
The coach was later sentenced to 10 years in prison and expelled for life from USA Judo, the sport's national governing body.
After Harrison came forward, her mother knew that the daughter needed a new beginning. So to Massachusetts she went, alone.
Harrison and Pedro had an agreement before London: If Harrison, who is engaged to a firefighter and is working to become one herself, had not won the gold medal, she would compete at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Except she did win. Pedro will undoubtedly lobby to keep her around, but Harrison is, at best, noncommittal.
"I can't wait to get started helping others and helping others realize their dream and realize that there's more to life than what they are living in right there," Harrison said.
