Gemma Gibbons has won Team GB's first Olympic judo medal for 12 years with silver in the women's under-78kgs at ExCeL.

Gibbons, who missed a large chunk of the 2011 season after needing shoulder surgery, had lit up North Arena 2 as she battled through to the semi-finals and then eliminated world champion Audrey Tcheumeo with an ippon throw in golden score.

However, the gold proved just out of reach for the 25-year-old, who was watched by Prime Minister David Cameron and Russian President Vladimir Putin, himself a judo black bet.

The judoka paid an emotional tribute to her late mother, looking to the heavens and mouthing "I love you Mum" after her semi-final win, in memory of Jeanette who passed away from leukaemia in 2004.

She later told reporters: "She did so much for me. Mum didn't drive so we had to get public transport when she took me to judo all the time.

"We didn't have a lot of money and any money that my mum did have she put into me and my judo career.

"Obviously I don't get to say thank you for that, so that was a kind of thanks to her.

"I felt I would have definitely made her proud today. She was everything to me."

Fourth-seeded American Kayla Harrison claimed a narrow victory by two Yukos, to secure the United States' first ever judo Olympic title.