Hot! Kayla Harrison

Kayla Harrison

Harry E. Walker/MCT/Landov

When Kayla Harrison required for the honor have Thursday, most smiles with a antique watches honor bandaged close to her neck, she ended up being that image from the all-American Olympic champion, whose tears have been happy ones.

But extended leading to a judo champ bested Britain's Gemma Gibbons in the could 78-kilogram division in the 2012 Summer Olympics , in advance of the girl received the first rare metal honor inside judo intended for Team USA, Harrison, 22, battled a darker, distressing past.

In 2007, her ex - judo discipline pleaded disloyal from a federal judge around Dayton, Ohio, to be able to illicit sexual conduct when your woman had been 13, studies . In the courtroom papers, this gold medalist is referenced while "K.H." or maybe "the victim."

Harrison has since recently been frank around the abuse your woman endured which often taken place about visits around the globe until finally your woman seemed to be sixteen just before the girl discovered inescapable fact regarding her guru for you to that man who does turn into the woman's fianc .

When a reporter expected the woman to call the particular worst second she has suffered with her career, Harrison, in whose ex - coach, Daniel Doyle, has seeing that been sentenced to help ten years in prison, said, "It's zero secret this I ended up being sexually abused by my original coach. And that has been absolutely your toughest idea I've ever must overcome."

In the particular instances prior to a opposition Thursday, prior to gold medal, her present coach, Jimmy Pedro gave the woman's a pep talk.

"Today, Kayla Harrison, noone could whip you," they said. "Today, you will produce history. Today, Kayla Harrison is an Olympic champion."

And ever since she is certainly an Olympic champ that has a precious metal medal for you to the woman label Harrison is providing credit history with a certain special accessory.

Complimenting the woman's opening wedding outfit, which usually she opted in order to wear above the USA fit with she used to help less-successful matches: the woman happy socks.

"I'm significant about ritual as well as I'm big on patterns, plus I have comfortable," Harrison told CBS News . "And whenever I obtain comfortable, I find confident. And while I find confident, I win."