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June 13, 2008    

2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Judo Day 1 Finalists List

(Las Vegas, Nev.) – In a day of upsets at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Judo, athletes from the USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center led the field with four players advancing to the finals in Olympic qualified weight divisions.

Finals begin at 5 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center. 

In his second Trials appearance, Hawaiian native Taylor Takata (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / 66kg) was one of three #1 seeds who advanced to the evening finals. 

After defeating Tanner Singh (Plano, Texas / Dallas Judo) in the first round, Takata met two-time World member Justin Flores (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) in the semifinals. 

Both Flores and Takata have been top-ranked 66kg players, during the past four years, but had only fought once when Flores defeated Takata in the 2007 Senior National finals. 

This time, however, Takata controlled the match, throwing Flores for a yuko (quarter-point) score to start the match.  Takata was given a penalty, but threw Flores with a double leg for another score which was later waved off by the referees.

Takata clinched the match in the last 30 seconds when he threw Flores for a koka (smallest points) score and broke into a smile as he knew he had eliminated the 2004 Olympic Team alternate from the tournament.

Takata will face Jeremy Liggett (Glenville, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) in the finals.  Nineteen-year-old Liggett has been in the 66kg division for less than two years after moving up from 60kg after the 2006 Junior World Championships.  After a first round win against Joseph Hashimoto (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University), Liggett and 2008 National Champion Nate Torra (El Cerrito, Calif. / NYAC / East Bay Judo Institute) fought in the semifinals.

With similarly matched styles, Liggett and Torra went back and forth through both the five-minute regulation period as well as a second Golden Score session.  The match looked like it would be left to a referee decision when Torra went in for a final attack and Liggett swept him to win the match. 

If Takata wins the match against Liggett, he will be nominated to the Olympic Team.  If Liggett wins the match, the two will have a best-of-three fight-off this evening.

The +100kg division nearly included an upset when #4 Jonathan Leonhardt (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University) was down by two yukos (quarter-point each) and a koka against top-ranked Anthony Turner (Miami, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) when Leonhardt threw Turner for ippon. 

An elated Leonhardt, who had beaten Turner for the first time in April at the National Championships, pointed to his San Jose contingent in the stands and flashed the #1 sign to his family and friends, but the referees convened and determined that the match had been stopped at the start of the throw. 

The win was reversed and Turner threw Leonhardt for another yuko score.  Although Turner appeared to be in pain, Leonhardt couldn’t produce another score and lost the match. 

Turner will fight in the final against Daniel McCormick (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE) who beat two-time World Team member Kirk Hoffmann (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) by two penalties in the other semifinal.   

If Turner wins the match against McCormick, he will be nominated to the Olympic Team.  If McCormick wins the match, the two will have a best-of-three fight-off this evening.

Reigning World silver medalist Ronda Rousey (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE / 70kg) needed less than 90 seconds to advance to her second Trials final. 

After throwing Natalie Laursen (Livermore, Calif. / Northern California Elite Team) off the grip, Rousey pinned Jennifer Tutass (El Cerrito, Calif. / Cunningham’s Judo) in the first minute of the semifinals. 

On the other side of the bracket, Katie Sell (Oshkosh, Wis. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) upset former National Champion Katie Mocco (Glenville, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) in the semifinals.  Although Mocco went for an armbar early in the match, Sell attacked on her feet and threw Mocco for ippon. 

If Rousey wins the final match against Sell, she will be nominated to the Olympic Team.  If Sell wins the match, the two will have a best-of-three fight-off this evening.

Former World medalist Brian Olson (Boulder, Colo. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) continued his nine-month comeback from retirement when he advanced to the 90kg final against Jacob Larson (Santa Rosa, Calif. / Redwood Coast Judo Club). 

After Olson defeated 2007 Pan Am Games Champion Rick Hawn (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE), 2006 Junior World Team member Larson upset two-time National Champion Garry St. Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y. / NYAC / Legrosports Starrett) with a throw for ippon (instant win) in overtime.

As St. Leger is the #1 seed, he will fight the winner of the Olson and Larson final in a best-of-three fight-off tonight. 

In the 100kg division, top-ranked Adler Volmar (Coral Springs, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami) lost in the first round to #8 seed Brian Picklo (Mustang, Okla. / USA Stars) – a former All-American wrestler at Michigan State University. 

Picklo then defeated Senior Nationals bronze medalist Dariusz Mikolajczak (Brooklyn, N.Y. / NYAC / Legrosports Starrett) to advance to the final against two-time World Team member Djamaldin Aliev (Denver, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center).  Aliev threw 2004 Olympic alternate Michael Barnes (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University) in the first round and then defeated Victor Jean-Baptiste (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Mushakan Dojo) by two penalties to one. 

The winner of the final between Aliev and Picklo will face Volmar in a best-of-three series to determine who will qualify for the Olympic Team.

Two divisions that the United States did not qualify for the Olympic Games were contested on a contingency basis.

In the 52kg division, 2008 Senior Nationals silver medalist Tracy Nagai (Bellevue, Wash. / Budokan Judo) defeated Kim Carpenter (Burnt Hills, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) in the final by a yuko score. 

In the alternate bracket, 13-year-olds Mindy Chow (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri) threw Samantha Martin (Burleson, Texas / Ruben Martin Judo Training Center) in the first round.  Chow then advanced to fight Carpenter in the alternate final, throwing Carpenter off the grip. 

Earlier in the day, Chow’s 15-year-old sister Chrissy Chow (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri) was armbarred in the first round by Carpenter.  Eighteen-year-old brother Daniel Chow (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri) fought in the 66kg division, but lost to Torra in the first round.

In the 63kg division, former 57kg player Christal Ransom (Colorado Springs, Colo.) fought her USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center teammate Paola Genao-Butler in the final, throwing her for a yuko score and later pinning her for the win.

As Genao-Butler was the #1 seed, the two fought twice more with Ransom winning the first match by a penalty and a yuko scored in the last minute.  In the next round, Ransom

Although the United States is not qualified to compete at the Games in either the 52kg or 63kg divisions, Nagai and Ransom would be the nominees to the Team should a slot for the United States become available.