# Judo at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's 52 kg

The Women's 52 kg (also known as half-lightweight) judo tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held on August 10 at the Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium. A total of 22 women competed in this event, limited to jūdōka with a body weight of less than 52 kilograms. Preliminary rounds started at 12:00 CST, while repechage finals, semifinals, bouts for bronze medals and the final were held at 18:00 CST.
This event was the second-lightest of the women's judo weight classes, limiting competitors to a maximum of 52 kilograms of body mass. Like all other judo events, bouts lasted five minutes. If the bout was still tied at the end, it was extended for another five-minute, sudden-death period; if neither judoka scored during that period, the match is decided by the judges. The tournament bracket consisted of a single-elimination contest culminating in a gold medal match. There was also a repechage to determine the winners of the two bronze medals. Each judoka who had lost to a semifinalist competed in the repechage. The two judokas who lost in the semifinals faced the winner of the opposite half of the bracket's repechage in bronze medal bouts.

## Qualifying athletes

| Mat | Athlete | Country |
| 1 | Flor Velázquez | Venezuela |
| 1 | An Kum-ae | North Korea |
| 1 | Yagnelis Mestre | Cuba |
| 1 | Shih Pei-chun | Chinese Taipei |
| 1 | Sholpan Kaliyeva | Kazakhstan |
| 1 | Ilse Heylen | Belgium |
| 1 | Audrey La Rizza | France |
| 1 | Kristie-Anne Ryder | Australia |
| 1 | Zinura Djuraeva | Uzbekistan |
| 1 | Romy Tarangul | Germany |
| 1 | Misato Nakamura | Japan |
| 2 | Anna Kharitonova | Russia |
| 2 | Telma Monteiro | Portugal |
| 2 | Ana Carrascosa | Spain |
| 2 | Mönkhbaataryn Bundmaa | Mongolia |
| 2 | Xian Dongmei | China |
| 2 | María García | Dominican Republic |
| 2 | Andressa Fernandes | Brazil |
| 2 | Kim Kyung-ok | South Korea |
| 2 | Hortense Diedhiou | Senegal |
| 2 | Marie Muller | Luxembourg |
| 2 | Soraya Haddad | Algeria |

## Tournament results
### Final

| Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | An Kum-Ae (PRK) | 0001 |
| 2 | Xian Dongmei (CHN) | 0011 |

### Mat 1

The gold and silver medalists were determined by the final match of the main single-elimination bracket.
| 1st round | 1st round | 1st round | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarter Finals | Quarter Finals | Quarter Finals | Semi Finals | Semi Finals | Semi Finals |
| | | | Flor Velázquez (VEN) | Flor Velázquez (VEN) | 0001 | | | | | | |
| An Kum-Ae (PRK) | An Kum-Ae (PRK) | 0201 | An Kum-Ae (PRK) | An Kum-Ae (PRK) | 0010 | | | | | | |
| Yagnelis Mestre (CUB) | Yagnelis Mestre (CUB) | 0000 | | | | An Kum-Ae (PRK) | An Kum-Ae (PRK) | 0200 | | | |
| | | | | | | Sholpan Kaliyeva (KAZ) | Sholpan Kaliyeva (KAZ) | 0000 | | | |
| | | | Shih Pei-Chun (TPE) | Shih Pei-Chun (TPE) | 0020 | | | | | | |
| | | | Sholpan Kaliyeva (KAZ) | Sholpan Kaliyeva (KAZ) | 0021 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | An Kum-Ae (PRK) | An Kum-Ae (PRK) | 0001 |
| Ilse Heylen (BEL) | Ilse Heylen (BEL) | 0001 | | | | | | | Misato Nakamura (JPN) | Misato Nakamura (JPN) | 0000 |
| Audrey La Rizza (FRA) | Audrey La Rizza (FRA) | 0000 | Ilse Heylen (BEL) | Ilse Heylen (BEL) | 1000 | | | | | | |
| | | | Kristie-Anne Ryder (AUS) | Kristie-Anne Ryder (AUS) | 0000 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Ilse Heylen (BEL) | Ilse Heylen (BEL) | 0000 | | | |
| Zinura Djuraeva (UZB) | Zinura Djuraeva (UZB) | 0000 | | | | Misato Nakamura (JPN) | Misato Nakamura (JPN) | 0001 | | | |
| Romy Tarangul (GER) | Romy Tarangul (GER) | 1101 | Romy Tarangul (GER) | Romy Tarangul (GER) | 0000 | | | | | | |
| | | | Misato Nakamura (JPN) | Misato Nakamura (JPN) | 0001 | | | | | | |

### Mat 2

The gold and silver medalists were determined by the final match of the main single-elimination bracket.
| 1st round | 1st round | 1st round | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarter Finals | Quarter Finals | Quarter Finals | Semi Finals | Semi Finals | Semi Finals |
| | | | Anna Kharitonova (RUS) | Anna Kharitonova (RUS) | 0000 | | | | | | |
| | | | Telma Monteiro (POR) | Telma Monteiro (POR) | 0211 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Telma Monteiro (POR) | Telma Monteiro (POR) | 0010 | | | |
| Ana Carrascosa (ESP) | Ana Carrascosa (ESP) | 0100 | | | | Xian Dongmei (CHN) | Xian Dongmei (CHN) | 1011 | | | |
| Mönkhbaataryn Bundmaa (MGL) | Mönkhbaataryn Bundmaa (MGL) | 0000 | Ana Carrascosa (ESP) | Ana Carrascosa (ESP) | 0000 | | | | | | |
| | | | Xian Dongmei (CHN) | Xian Dongmei (CHN) | 1000 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Xian Dongmei (CHN) | Xian Dongmei (CHN) | 1001 |
| María García (DOM) | María García (DOM) | 0010 | | | | | | | Soraya Haddad (ALG) | Soraya Haddad (ALG) | 0000 |
| Andressa Fernandes (BRA) | Andressa Fernandes (BRA) | 0001 | María García (DOM) | María García (DOM) | 0000 | | | | | | |
| | | | Kim Kyung-Ok (KOR) | Kim Kyung-Ok (KOR) | 1003 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Kim Kyung-Ok (KOR) | Kim Kyung-Ok (KOR) | 0001 | | | |
| | | | | | | Soraya Haddad (ALG) | Soraya Haddad (ALG) | 0210 | | | |
| | | | Hortense Diedhiou (SEN) | Hortense Diedhiou (SEN) | 0001 | | | | | | |
| Marie Muller (LUX) | Marie Muller (LUX) | 0000 | Soraya Haddad (ALG) | Soraya Haddad (ALG) | 0010 | | | | | | |
| Soraya Haddad (ALG) | Soraya Haddad (ALG) | 0211 | | | | | | | | | |

### Repechage

Those judoka eliminated in earlier rounds by the four semifinalists of the main bracket advanced to the repechage. These matches determined the two bronze medalists for the event.
| First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Bronze medal finals | Bronze medal finals |
| Yagnelis Mestre (CUB) | 0000 | Sholpan Kaliyeva (KAZ) | 0010 | | | | |
| Flor Velázquez (VEN) | 0001 | Flor Velázquez (VEN) | 0000 | Sholpan Kaliyeva (KAZ) | 1000 | Soraya Haddad (ALG) | 0121 |
| Romy Tarangul (GER) | | Ilse Heylen (BEL) | 0002 | Ilse Heylen (BEL) | 0000 | Sholpan Kaliyeva (KAZ) | 0010 |
| Bye | | Romy Tarangul (GER) | 0000 | | | | |
| Ana Carrascosa (ESP) | | Telma Monteiro (POR) | 0001 | | | | |
| bye | | Ana Carrascosa (ESP) | 0101 | Ana Carrascosa (ESP) | 0001 | Misato Nakamura (JPN) | 0200 |
| Marie Muller (LUX) | 1001 | Kim Kyung-Ok (KOR) | 0010 | Kim Kyung-Ok (KOR) | 1010 | Kim Kyung-Ok (KOR) | 0000 |
| Hortense Diedhiou (SEN) | 0001 | Marie Muller (LUX) | 0001 | | | | |