Silver medal for Charlton's Gemma Gibbons in U78kg judo (From This Is Local London)

Silver medal for Charlton's Gemma Gibbons in U78kg judo

4:21pm Thursday 2nd August 2012 in News By Alan Woods

Team GB judoka Gemma Gibbons paid tribute to her late mother as she grappled her way to Olympic silver.

It was the 25-year-old's mother, Jeanette, who introduced her to the sport when she was six-years-old.

Sadly her mother died in 2004 from leukaemia, but has continued to serve as an inspiration to the athlete, born in Charlton, London.

As she won her quarter-final in the women's under-78kg category earlier today, Gibbons said: "I love you mum."

And she wept with joy and mouthed the word "mum" as she went through to the final, against USA's Kayla Harrison.

Harrison picked up her first Yuko point early on and added a second in the final minute to leave Gibbons requiring an Ippon throw to overcome the 2-0 deficit.

Earlier in the afternoon, Gibbons defeated world number one Audrey Tcheumeo in her semi-final, where she threw French-born Tcheumeo with a harai-goshi in golden score.

Now based in Greenwich, a short hop across the Thames from the Olympic Park, Gibbons is one of the Games's truly local heroes.

A member of Kidbooke-based Metro Judo Club, she took trains nowadays at the Dartford Judo Club in Cotton Lane.

Friends and family were part of a huge crowd of British fans who created a thunderous atmosphere inside the Excel Arena where they chanted her name, clapped and stamped throughout her winning run.

Prime Minister David Cameron and Russian President Vladimir Putin, himself a black belt in the martial art, were in the crowd to watch.

Her boyfriend, Euan Burton, 33, a judo athlete who was defeated in second round of the men's 81kg competition, spoke of his pride.

He took to Twitter as Gibbons reached the final, writing: "Gemma Gibbons is in the Olympic final!"

"I'm the proudest man in the world right now. Can't stop smiling. C'mon Gem!"

She returned the tribute, writing after his defeat: "Absolutely gutted for my man @Euan_Burton so proud of him though, he is everything a great man should be!"

Gibbons had always been regarded as a genuine medal hope but had only recently recovered from a shoulder injury and stepped up a weight division this year.

Her wins in the British Open and silver medals at World Cups in Romania and Estonia under-78kg division earlier this year were a signal of intent.

She was dubbed by Kate Howey, performance development squad coach for 2012, as "one of our best medals hopes for judo".

And speaking before today, Gibbons told fans: "I am buzzing for these Olympic games."

The former Westwood College (Now Harris Academy Falconwood) student, took up judo as a child at the Metro Judo Club in Blackheath, London.

She had also trained at the British Judo Performance Institute, and UEL Sports at the University of East London.

During the judo final, Gemma Gibbons was trending worldwide on social networking site Twitter, meaning she was one of the most talked about subjects on the site across the world.