Karina Bryant's Biography

Karina Bryant was born on 27 January 1979 and comes from Surrey and is based at Camberley Judo Club. Karina started judo at 10 and got her black belt six years later.

She won gold at the Junior World Championships in 1996 and 1998. Also in 1998 Bryant won the Senior European Championships Gold.

Bryant won two World Championship silver medals in 2005. The Sydney and Athens Olympics, however, have proved disappointing.

In Sydney, Karina Bryant, who five months earlier claimed the European title, won only one bout (against the Senegalese Adja Marieme Diop).

In the 2004 Olympics, Karina was defeated by a yuko by silver medallist Dayma Beltran. She then won her first repecharge match against Tatiana Martine Bvegadz, but lost to Giovanna Jose Blanco.

Karina is 6'0" and at around 15 stone was much lighter than most of her opponents.

The London Olympics in 2012 was her fourth Olympics and she gained a bronze medal.

In 2013, she retired from judo.