| Member News
July 19, 2007
Team
USA
Winless in Heavyweight Division
(Rio de Janeiro
,
Brazil)
–
U.S.
heavyweights Asma Sharif (
Wakefield
,
 |
Kirk Hoffmann vs. Carlos Cisneros (ARG).
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Jeanette Rodriguez uses her Team pins as high fashion earrings.
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USA Judo CEO Jose H. Rodriguez and Pan American Judo President Jaime Casanova.
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Each match was played on a pair of Jumbotrons.
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Rick Hawn and Ronda Rousey cheer on Hoffmann before they compete tomorrow.
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Sharif fights Ivis Duenas (CUB) in the quarter-finals.
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Taraje Williams-Murray watches the heavyweight divisions.
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Travis Stevens, Marti Malloy and Grace Ohashi.
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Mass.
/
USA
Judo National Team FORCE / +78kg) and Kirk
Hoffmann
(Colorado Springs
,
Colo.
/
USA
Judo National Training
Site at the Olympic
Training
Center
/ +100kg) each
lost in the preliminary rounds of the first day of competition.
Hoffmann, the reigning Pan Am Championships bronze medalist,
lost in the opening round to Carlos
Cisneros (ARG), a fifth-place finisher at the 2006 Pan Ams.
The match started slowly with both players receiving
simultaneous stalling penalties in the first 30 seconds. Two minutes in, Cisneros was given another
penalty, but came back quickly, throwing Hoffmann for ippon (instant win) with
a makikomi (wraparound throw).
Cisneros was pinned in the quarter-finals by Joao Schlittler (BRA), eliminating
Hoffmann from the tournament as in order to continue to fight for bronze after
a loss, the player you lost to must advance to the semifinals.
Sharif, competing in her first international event as a
heavyweight since moving up from 78kg, drew Ivis Duenas (CUB), a 14-time World Cup medalist, in the opening
round. Down by a penalty, Sharif fought
well before getting choked for ippon.
In the repechage, Sharif fought Priscilla Marques (BRA) who won a silver medal earlier this season
at the Hamburg Super World Cup.
Sharif again found herself down by a penalty and was thrown
with a tai otoshi (body drop throw) for ippon in front of a boisterous
Brazilian crowd.
“I was happy to get a chance to have this event in
Rio
, particularly with the Worlds being here in September. The crowd’s so energetic and electric that it
was a great experience…it was great to feel that level of energy,” Sharif said.
Although many people would have hoped for a less difficult
pair of fights, Sharif seemed to welcome the challenge.
“I was very happy with my draw because I fought the toughest
player in the first round. I came here
for hard fights and I got two quality matches in,” Sharif said. “From this experience fighting two quality
players, it really reinforces the idea of gaining strength and working on
conditioning because, being the smallest in my division, that’s going to be
key.”
Both Hoffmann and Sharif will return to
Rio
from Sept. 13-16 for the World Judo Championships.
Competition continues tomorrow for Team
USA
with Adler
Volmar (
Coral Springs
,
Fla.
/
USA
Judo National Training
Site at
North Miami
/ 100kg), Rick Hawn (
Wakefield
,
Mass.
/
USA
Judo National Team FORCE / 90kg), Marina
Lambert (
Chesapeake
,
Va.
/
Washington
Judo / 78kg) and Ronda Rousey (
Wakefield
,
Mass.
/
USA
Judo National Team FORCE /
70kg).
Preliminaries begin at 10:00 a.m. at Rio Centro Pavilion 4,
followed by medal rounds at 2 p.m.
Complete results are as follows:
Men's +100kg
1. Oscar Brayson (CUB)
2. Joao Schlittler (BRA)
3. Joel Brutus (HAI)
3. Carlos Zegarra (PER)
5. Pablo Figueroa (PUR)
5. Carlos Cisneros (ARG)
7. Luis Moran (HON)
7. Trevor McAlpine (CAN)
Also Competed: Kirk Hoffmann (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center), 0-1
Women's +78kg
1. Vanessa Zambotti (MEX)
2. Carmen Chala (ECU)
3. Priscila Marques (BRA)
3. Ivis Duenas (CUB)
5. Giovanna Blanco (VEN)
5. Melissa Mojica (PUR)
7. Olia Berger (CAN)
7. Alejandra Solis (NCA)
Also Competed: Asma Sharif (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE), 0-2
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