U S JudoPAN AM GAMES – JUDO: Storylines for the USA Judo Team
For Immediate Release
July 17, 2007
Contact: Nicole Jomantas, 011-55-21-8890-3155
Nicole.Jomantas@usajudo.us
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) – As Team USA prepares for the judo competition to begin on Thursday, here are some of the top storylines to follow as they fight for gold:
Valerie Gotay (Harlingen, Texas / USA Judo National Training Site at Harlingen) will be competing in her first Pan American Games since she retired from competition as an 18-year-old after the 1992 Olympic Games. Now a 33-year-old mother of two, Gotay returned to competition in 2004 and is one of the top players in the 57kg division in the world. A two-time Pan American Champion (2005 and 2007), Gotay is the top seed in the division and a favorite for gold. Gotay is the captain of the U.S. Women’s Team and won a silver medal during her last Pan Am Games in 1991 in Havana, Cuba at 48kg.
Ronda Rousey (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) competed at the Olympic Games in 2004 as a 17-year-old, but will be aiming for her first Pan Am Games gold. A two-time Pan American Champion at 63kg, Rousey moved up to 70kg in February and instant won a World Cup in the division, giving her top-15 rankings in both weight categories. Like many judo players, Rousey comes from a strong family history of success in the sport as mother AnnMarie DeMars became the first person in the Western Hemisphere to win a World Championship in 1984.
Ryan Reser (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) is the heir apparent to long-time 73kg champion Jimmy Pedro (Methuen, Mass.) After the retirement of Pedro, a World Champion and two-time Olympic medalist, in 2004, Reser soon became the U.S. #1 in the division and earned a top-10 World ranking in 2006 after back-to-back World Cup silver medal finishes. A 2005 and 2007 Pan Am Champion, Reser will come into this event with the top seed and is the captain of the U.S. Men’s Team.
Asma Sharif (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE) was a former medalist in the 70kg and 78kg divisions who moved up to +78kg in March. Likely the smallest in the division by an average of 50 lbs., Sharif is hoping her natural speed will provide an advantage against her larger competitors. This event will be her first international tournament in the heavyweight division. A graduate of UCLA, Sharif works at Harvard University as a public health researcher.
Adler Volmar (Coral Springs, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami / 100kg) will be competing in his first Pan American Games, but is no stranger to international events as he fought at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta for Haiti. A dual citizen of both Haiti and the United States, Volmar has been the #1 in the United States since 2005.
Team USA’s coaches, Jason Morris (Glenville, N.Y.) and Israel Hernandez (Harlingen, Texas) are both former Pan Am Games Champions as well as Olympic medalists. Morris won the 1991 78kg title and Hernandez won 65kg in 1995 while competing for his native Cuba. Hernandez gained U.S. citizenship less than three weeks ago.
Team USA begins competition on Thursday with the men’s and women’s heavyweight divisions at Rio Centro Pavilion 4.
A daily schedule is as follows:
July 19
10:00. – 14:00 Men’s +100kg Preliminaries
Women’s +78kg Preliminaries
14:00 – 16:00 Men’s +100kg Medal Rounds
Women’s +78kg Medal Rounds
July 20
10:00 – 14:00 Men’s 90kg, 100kg Preliminaries
Women’s 70kg, 78kg Preliminaries
14:00 – 16:00 Men’s 90kg, 100kg Medal Rounds
Women’s 70kg, 78kg Medal Rounds
July 21
10:00 – 14:00 Men’s 73kg, 81kg Preliminaries
Women’s 57kg, 63kg Preliminaries
14:00 – 16:00 Men’s 73kg, 81kg Medal Rounds
Women’s 57kg, 63kg Medal Rounds
July 22
10:00 – 14:00 Men’s 60kg, 66kg Preliminaries
Women’s 48kg, 52kg Preliminaries
14:00 – 16:00 Men’s 60kg, 66kg Medal Rounds
Women’s 48kg, 52kg Medal Rounds
2007 Pan American Games Team
Men
60kg: Taraje Williams-Murray (Bronx, N.Y. / NYAC / Spartak Sports Club)
66kg: Justin Flores (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center / San Shi Judo)
73kg: Ryan Reser (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)
81kg: Travis Stevens (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)
90kg: Rick Hawn (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE)
100kg: Adler Volmar (Coral Springs, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami)
+100kg: Kirk Hoffmann (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)
Women
48kg: Jeanette Rodriguez (Coral Springs, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami)
52kg: Grace Ohashi (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)
57kg: Valerie Gotay (Harlingen, Texas / USA Judo National Training Site at Harlingen)
63kg: Marti Malloy (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University)
70kg: Ronda Rousey (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE)
78kg: Marina Lambert (Chesapeake, Va. / Washington Judo)
+78kg: Asma Sharif (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE)
For more information, contact Nicole Jomantas, USA Judo Director of Communications and Media Relations, at 011.55.21.8890.3155 or Nicole.Jomantas@usajudo.us.
For Immediate Release
July 17, 2007
Contact: Nicole Jomantas, 011-55-21-8890-3155
Nicole.Jomantas@usajudo.us
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) – As Team USA prepares for the judo competition to begin on Thursday, here are some of the top storylines to follow as they fight for gold:
Valerie Gotay (Harlingen, Texas / USA Judo National Training Site at Harlingen) will be competing in her first Pan American Games since she retired from competition as an 18-year-old after the 1992 Olympic Games. Now a 33-year-old mother of two, Gotay returned to competition in 2004 and is one of the top players in the 57kg division in the world. A two-time Pan American Champion (2005 and 2007), Gotay is the top seed in the division and a favorite for gold. Gotay is the captain of the U.S. Women’s Team and won a silver medal during her last Pan Am Games in 1991 in Havana, Cuba at 48kg.
Ronda Rousey (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) competed at the Olympic Games in 2004 as a 17-year-old, but will be aiming for her first Pan Am Games gold. A two-time Pan American Champion at 63kg, Rousey moved up to 70kg in February and instant won a World Cup in the division, giving her top-15 rankings in both weight categories. Like many judo players, Rousey comes from a strong family history of success in the sport as mother AnnMarie DeMars became the first person in the Western Hemisphere to win a World Championship in 1984.
Ryan Reser (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) is the heir apparent to long-time 73kg champion Jimmy Pedro (Methuen, Mass.) After the retirement of Pedro, a World Champion and two-time Olympic medalist, in 2004, Reser soon became the U.S. #1 in the division and earned a top-10 World ranking in 2006 after back-to-back World Cup silver medal finishes. A 2005 and 2007 Pan Am Champion, Reser will come into this event with the top seed and is the captain of the U.S. Men’s Team.
Asma Sharif (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE) was a former medalist in the 70kg and 78kg divisions who moved up to +78kg in March. Likely the smallest in the division by an average of 50 lbs., Sharif is hoping her natural speed will provide an advantage against her larger competitors. This event will be her first international tournament in the heavyweight division. A graduate of UCLA, Sharif works at Harvard University as a public health researcher.
Adler Volmar (Coral Springs, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami / 100kg) will be competing in his first Pan American Games, but is no stranger to international events as he fought at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta for Haiti. A dual citizen of both Haiti and the United States, Volmar has been the #1 in the United States since 2005.
Team USA’s coaches, Jason Morris (Glenville, N.Y.) and Israel Hernandez (Harlingen, Texas) are both former Pan Am Games Champions as well as Olympic medalists. Morris won the 1991 78kg title and Hernandez won 65kg in 1995 while competing for his native Cuba. Hernandez gained U.S. citizenship less than three weeks ago.
Team USA begins competition on Thursday with the men’s and women’s heavyweight divisions at Rio Centro Pavilion 4.
A daily schedule is as follows:
July 19
10:00. – 14:00 Men’s +100kg Preliminaries
Women’s +78kg Preliminaries
14:00 – 16:00 Men’s +100kg Medal Rounds
Women’s +78kg Medal Rounds
July 20
10:00 – 14:00 Men’s 90kg, 100kg Preliminaries
Women’s 70kg, 78kg Preliminaries
14:00 – 16:00 Men’s 90kg, 100kg Medal Rounds
Women’s 70kg, 78kg Medal Rounds
July 21
10:00 – 14:00 Men’s 73kg, 81kg Preliminaries
Women’s 57kg, 63kg Preliminaries
14:00 – 16:00 Men’s 73kg, 81kg Medal Rounds
Women’s 57kg, 63kg Medal Rounds
July 22
10:00 – 14:00 Men’s 60kg, 66kg Preliminaries
Women’s 48kg, 52kg Preliminaries
14:00 – 16:00 Men’s 60kg, 66kg Medal Rounds
Women’s 48kg, 52kg Medal Rounds
2007 Pan American Games Team
Men
60kg: Taraje Williams-Murray (Bronx, N.Y. / NYAC / Spartak Sports Club)
66kg: Justin Flores (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center / San Shi Judo)
73kg: Ryan Reser (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)
81kg: Travis Stevens (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)
90kg: Rick Hawn (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE)
100kg: Adler Volmar (Coral Springs, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami)
+100kg: Kirk Hoffmann (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)
Women
48kg: Jeanette Rodriguez (Coral Springs, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami)
52kg: Grace Ohashi (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)
57kg: Valerie Gotay (Harlingen, Texas / USA Judo National Training Site at Harlingen)
63kg: Marti Malloy (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University)
70kg: Ronda Rousey (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE)
78kg: Marina Lambert (Chesapeake, Va. / Washington Judo)
+78kg: Asma Sharif (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE)
For more information, contact Nicole Jomantas, USA Judo Director of Communications and Media Relations, at 011.55.21.8890.3155 or Nicole.Jomantas@usajudo.us.
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