By Sportswriters Yan Hao and Wang Yan

Tong Wen (L) of China celebrates after Women +78kg Gold Medal Contest between Tong Wen of China and Maki Tsukada of Japan of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Judo envent at USTB Gymnasium in Beijing, China, Aug. 15, 2008. Tong Wen beat Maki Tsukada and won the gold medal. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's judoka Tong Wen stunned defending gold medalist Maki Tsukada of Japan with eight seconds to go in the final showdown, winning her first Olympic title that she waited for five years.

    "Big girl, you did it!" Tong's coach Wu Weifeng couldn't be happier when she hugged the 130kg judoka that she has taught for 12 years.

    Tong, 25, has won three titles in previous world championships since 2003. She was eager to add an Olympic gold to her career total. And Tsukada had beaten all other opponents but Tong in this category.

    Five years ago before the Athens Games, Tong was stunned, not by a judoka rival, but an unexpected injury in her knee suffered in a regular training. Tong and her coach had done everything they could, yet, had to give up at the end of 2003.

    The two heaviest judokas in Beijing Olympic Games finally met at the final. "It will not be a real Olympic gold medal without defeating Chinese judoka in this category." Tsukada said before came to Beijing.

    Maki Tsukada is the reigning Gold medallist from the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. She has struggled at recent events to defeat Tong by gaining silver medal at the 2007 world championships and third at the 2005 world championships.

    At the first round, Tong ipponed Tea Donguzashvili of Russia, bronze medalist in Athens who has been regarded as a big threat. All her opponents before the final could not even make a score.

    Tsukada made a big trouble to Tong in the final when she took the chance to get a lead to the Chinese rival.

    "I have never been in such a tough situation like this, I usually made an early ippon or other lead to her in previous matches." Tong who had defeated Tsukada for five times said, "she had given very good performance today, it really surprised me.

    "But I still believe that I can win even when I was still behind in score at the last moment, for not only a self-confidence but also strong will to retake the glory at this category we lost in Athens."

    Contributing her victory a lot to the coach Wu Weifeng, Tong described their relationship as "like mother and daughter". Wu picked her up when she was training for shot put at 13 years old in Tianjin. Wu believed at her first sight with the girl that she was born to be a judoka for an unusual figure.

    Tong proved her coach's presentiment with the Olympic gold medal tonight which makes her the first Chinese grad slam judo champion.