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Silver lining for UEL student at London Olympic Games

Thursday 2 August 2012

Silver lining for UEL student at London Olympic Games

Gemma Gibbons, a postgraduate student at the University of East London (UEL), has won a silver medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Gemma, an Exercise Science and Health student and one of UEL’s elite athletes, reached the final of today’s -78kg category in women’s judo.

In what was a tense and thrilling encounter, Gemma took on Kayla Harrison from the United States. While Gemma more than held her own for most of the contest, Harrison emerged victorious to win the gold medal by two Yukos – a technical term in judo.

In her first match, Gemma beat Portugal’s Yahima Ramirez. Her second opponent, Mongolia’s Lkhamdegd Purevjargal, proved much stiffer opposition for Gemma, who had to dig deep to secure a dramatic last gasp victory.

Gemma then took on Holland’s Marhinde Verkerk to progress to the semi-final, which was undoubtedly the high point of the contest and Gemma’s judo career.

Cheered on by a deafening crowd in London’s ExCel, Gemma went head to head with France’s Audrey Tcheumeo. Despite a cagey start, the Team GB athlete finally managed to see off her French opponent by Ippon, sparking tears of joy by Gemma, and jubilant celebrations among the packed home crowd.

Speaking to BBC News immediately after this afternoon’s final, Gemma said: “It has been a brilliant day; I’m really happy. On my best day, I was hoping I could get near the medals – maybe in the top seven. I would have been happy with that. I’ve exceeded that, so I am over the moon.”

The Vice-Chancellor of UEL, Professor Patrick McGhee, said: “Gemma’s astonishing performance today is testament to her incredible skill and talent.  At UEL, we’ve supported her and closely watched her progress over the years, but even we are gobsmacked by the sheer scale of her victory today, literally toppling giants. 

“The entire university was brought to a standstill, as we cheered on Gemma during the stages of her competition today.  Needless to say, we’re all so proud of Gemma and I think we’ll have to throw a party very soon.”

Elizabeth Egan, High Performance Sports Manager at UEL, said: “Both the staff and students at the University of East London are absolutely thrilled that Gemma has won the silver medal.  Her inclusion in the final was far more than we ever expected, so today marks a fantastic day for British Judo.”

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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