Judo at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's 78 kg

1992–1996: –72 kg
2000–: –78 kg

Women's 78 kg
at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad
Women's 78 kg; at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad
Venue	Beijing Science and Technology; University Gymnasium
Date	August 14
Competitors	21 from 21 nations
Winning score	0000
Medalists
	← 2004 2012 →

The women's 78 kg (also known as half-heavyweight) tournament in the judo at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held on August 14 at the Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium. A total of 21 women competed in this event, limited to jūdōka with a body weight of less than 78 kilograms. Preliminary rounds started at 12:00 Noon CST. Repechage finals, semifinals, bouts for bronze medals and the final were held at 18:00pm CST.

This event was the second-heaviest of the women's judo weight classes, limiting competitors to a maximum of 78 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	Stephanie Grant	Australia
1	Marylise Levesque	Canada
1	Pürevjargalyn Lkhamdegd	Mongolia
1	Yang Xiuli	China
1	Elena Proskurakova	Kyrgyzstan
1	Lucia Morico	Italy
1	Sae Nakazawa	Japan
1	Edinanci Silva	Brazil
1	Vera Moskalyuk	Russia
1	Esther San Miguel	Spain
2	Heide Wollert	Germany
2	Maryna Pryshchepa	Ukraine
2	Vivian Yusuf	Nigeria
2	Michelle Rogers	Great Britain
2	Jeong Gyeong-Mi	South Korea
2	Sagat Abikeyeva	Kazakhstan
2	Yalennis Castillo	Cuba
2	Divya	India
2	Houda Miled	Tunisia
2	Stéphanie Possamaï	France
2	Lorena Briceño	Argentina