While no official plans have been made, Middletown Mayor Larry Mulligan hopes to throw “a celebration worthy of a gold medal winner.”

On Thursday morning, Kayla Harrison, who was born and raised in Middletown, became the first American to win a gold medal in judo when she defeated Britain’s Gemma Gibbons 2-0 in the women’s under 78-kilogram division in the London Olympics.

Mulligan said several people have “thrown around ideas” on how to properly celebrate Harrison’s Olympic victory. She joins Jerry Lucas, who won a gold medal on the U.S. men’s basketball team during the 1960 Olympic in Rome, as the only gold medalist from Middletown.

He said the city may throw a parade in her honor and she will be recognized by Middletown City Council.

Kayla’s father and step-mother, who live in Middletown, would like to see the portion of Manchester Road behind John XXIII School — near where she was raised — renamed Kayla Harrison Boulevard. Her mother, father and grandparents all live in that area of town.

They also suggested putting up a billboard on Interstate 75 or hanging a banner off the city building.

Harrison, her mother, Jeannie Yazell, her fiance, Aaron Handy, a Fairfield native and firefighter in Massachusetts, and Middletown friends, Courtney Gainey and Katy Banks, are planning on spending several days in and around London.

On Friday, a day after Harrison’s victory, her family and friends were still celebrating her gold medal.

Her father, Kenny Harrison, said he tossed and turned most of the night, replaying his daughter’s achievements over in his head. He said after her win in the Round of 16, when she defeated Russia’s Vera Moskalyuk, he knew she was going to bring home the gold.

“It was her time to achieve her lifetime dream,” he said. “Nobody can take that away from her.”

Kenny Harrison said he kept his emotions under control during her four victories, but once she started crying on the podium during the national anthem, “that’s when I lost it,” he said.

Harrison, 22, trains in Massachusetts and during one of her visits back home, she autographed a poster, “Dad, You’re the best. Love you.” The poster hangs in the kitchen, her father said.

“That’s worth all the gold to me,” he said.