Adams lost nine time in the two's first ten meetings, but the home favourite produced a near-perfect performance in Thursday's match, outscoring Ren in the first three rounds, including flooring Ren with a left-right combination in round two.

"I still can't believe I've done it. It's literally like a dream come true. I've been dreaming about it since I was 5 years old. I'm so proud to have won a medal for Great Britain," said Adams.

Adams moved into the final after defeating Indian veteran Chungneijang Mery Kom Hmangte 11-6 in the semifinal. She had the home court advantage but Ren was also eager for the gold, for it would become the 200th Olympic gold medal for China if Ren wins the match.

Adams did a perfect job on home court, establishing a 4-2 lead after the first round. The 29-year-old fighter managed to extend the lead by a 5-2 lead in the second round. Ren tried hard to fight back, but Adams seemed unbeatable.

Adams was almost sure of her victory after the dominative 5-1 in the third round, finishing the match 16-7 by the end.

"During the fight all I could think about was getting points on the board. I couldn't control my nerves," said Adams.

"Now I'm going to go and show off my medal to all my family and friends and I'm eventually coming back to Leeds."

The Leeds-based fighter experienced a hard time before the Olympics. In 2009 she fell down the stairs at her home and suffered a career-threatening back injury which put her out of action for almost a year, eventually returning to competition in June 2010. She also had previously suffered a fractured knuckle and a broken thumb.

Ren celebrated together with Adams, saying that she was quite satisfied with the silver.

"As an athlete you have to accept the result, Adams is a great fighter and I was happy to win a medal," said Ren.

"I lost the match, but not my confidence. I will keep trying and keep fighting for my goal."

Four-time world champion Katie Taylor of Ireland fought a hard fight to beat Sofya Ochigava from Russia 10-8 on women's 60kg category, earning the first London Olympic gold medal for the Irish delegation.

"It is unbelievable. This is like a dream come true. I just became an Olympic champion. It's been the dream of my life. I'm very happy," said Taylor, who used to be a member of Irish women's football team.

"Now I'm looking forward to a massive celebration at home."

In the third and final women's final, Claressa Shields of the United States outlasted Russian fighter 19-12 to win the champion on women's 75kg class.