Judo at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's 78 kg

Women's 78 kg competition in judo at the 2004 Summer Olympics was held on August 19 at the Ano Liossia Olympic Hall.

Women's 78 kg at the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad
Venue	Ano Liossia Olympic Hall
Dates	19 August
Competitors	21 from 21 nations
Winning score	1010
Medalists
Noriko Anno  Japan Liu Xia  China Yurisel Laborde  Cuba Lucia Morico  Italy

Judo at the 2004 Summer Olympics
	Men	Women
	60 kg	48 kg
	66 kg	52 kg
	73 kg	57 kg
	81 kg	63 kg
	90 kg	70 kg
	100 kg	78 kg
	+100 kg	+78 kg

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.