Kayla Harrison

Harrison at the 2016 Olympics

Born

July 2, 1990 (age 26)
Middletown, Ohio, U.S.

Residence

Danvers, Massachusetts, U.S.

Nationality

American

Height

5 ft 8 in (173 cm)

Weight

165 lb (75 kg)

Trainer

Jimmy Pedro

Rank

6th degree black belt in Judo

Notable club(s)

NYAC
USA Judo National Team FORCE

Website

http://kaylaharrison.com/

Medal record

Representing the United States
Olympic Games
	2012 London	–78 kg
	2016 Rio de Janeiro	–78 kg
World Judo Championships
	2010 Tokyo	–78 kg
	2011 Paris	–78 kg
	2014 Chelyabinsk	–78 kg
Pan American Games
	2011 Guadalajara	–78 kg
	2015 Toronto	–78 kg
Pan American Judo Championships
	2010 San Salvador	–78 kg
	2011 Guadalajara	–78 kg
	2016 Havana	–78 kg
	2015 Edmonton	–78 kg
	2013 San José	–70 kg

Kayla Harrison (born July 2, 1990) is an American judoka who competes in the 78 kg weight category. She won the 2010 World Championships, gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, and gold at the 2011 and 2015 Pan American Games.

Born in Middletown, Ohio, Harrison took up judo at the age of six, having been introduced to the sport by her mother, who was a black belt. She graduated from Middletown High School (Ohio) in the west side of town.

She began training under coach Daniel Doyle, and won two national championships by the age of 15. However, during that period Doyle was abusing Harrison, who reported it to another judoka, who in turn told Harrison's mother. She subsequently reported this to the police. Doyle was convicted and sentenced to a ten-year prison term. A month after the abuse was revealed, she moved away from her home in Ohio to move to Boston to train with Jimmy Pedro and his father.

She changed weight classes in 2008, from the −63 kg division to the 78 kg division. However, she couldn't compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics as the United States had not qualified in that division. She won the Junior World Championship that year, and the following year placed second, becoming the first American to compete in two Junior World Championships finals.

She won the gold medal in the −78 kg category at the World Judo Championships in 2010, the first American to do so since 1999 (when her coach, Jimmy Pedro, did so in Birmingham, United Kingdom). At the 2011 World Judo Championship in Paris, she placed third taking the bronze medal. Harrison had lost to the eventual winner, Audrey Tcheumeo of France, in her semi-final.

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