Carol Huynh won the women’s wrestling 48kg title to lift Canada's first gold medal at the Beijing Olympics on Saturday.
The 27-year-old, fifth at the world championships last year, beat Japan's two-time world champion and Athens silver medallist Chiharu Icho by taking the two periods with a 6-1 points advantage.
The bronze medals went to Athens champion Irini Merleni of Ukraine and Mariya Stadnik of Azerbaijian.
Huynh, a daughter of Vietnamese refugees, took the first period 4-0 with a takedown and a point from Icho's move outside the contest area.
Icho was forced out of the ring twice in the second. She battled back to score a point but no more.
Huynh had never beaten Icho before.
Her father is from Vietnam and her mother from China. Huynh’s parents, who emigrated to Canada as refugees, were on hand to see their daughter's triumph on the mat.
