| Member News
November 11, 2006
Completed Draw Sheets
Gotay Wins Finnish Open
(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Valerie Gotay (Harlingen, Texas / Harlingen USA Judo National Training Site / 57kg) earned a belated “Happy Birthday” gift on Saturday with a gold medal win at the Finnish Open in Vantaa - her first in a European event.
Gotay turned 33 last Sunday in a sport where the average age of women with a #1 ranking in the United States is 20-years-old. The day before, Gotay finished fifth at the Swedish Open in Boras and spent her birthday trying to find quality sushi in a Swedish town and watching more judo. The next day, Gotay and her U.S. teammates started a three-day international training camp before embarking on the six-hour bus trip and 12-hour boat ride needed to get to Vantaa.
Once in Finland, Gotay won each of her first three matches quickly, ending all of them by ippon (instant win) in less than 90 seconds, to advance to the final against Nina Koivumaki (FIN) who finished fifth at this year’s European Championships and second at the Tallinn World Cup in March.
Gotay’s final against Koivumaki went longer than the total of her previous three, but she sealed the win with a koka (smallest points) in the five-minute match.
Sayaka Matsumoto (El Cerrito, Calif. / NYAC / East Bay Judo Institute) won the United States’ other medal for the day, earning her first European medal with a silver at 48kg.
Matsumoto had a first-round bye and then racked up a yuko (quarter-point) and a koka before pinning Olga Teselkina (RUS) in just over two minutes.
In the semifinals, Matsumoto beat Kimi Suda (CAN) by a yuko to move on to the final against Donna Robertson (GBR) who she beat last week in Sweden. Matsumoto tried to throw Robertson with an o uchi gari (major inner reaping leg throw), but got countered and went down for a yuko that would decide the match.
Nick Kossor (Glenville, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center / 60kg) began the day well, throwing 2005 U.S. Open Champion James Millar (GBR) with an o uchi gari for a yuko in his Golden Score second-round match after an opening bye.
In the quarter-finals, Kossor and Farid Ben Ali (FRA) were tied with a koka each when Ali threw Kossor with an uchimata (inner thigh throw) at the edge of the mat. The center referee called for play to stop as they went out of bounds, but the side referee called the throw good and Ben Ali won the match by ippon en route to a bronze medal.
In the repechage, Kossor lost by a yuko to Antti Rintamaki (FIN) who also would win bronze later in the day. Kossor finished seventh overall.
Stephanie Moyerman (Philadelphia, Pa. / Liberty Bell Judo / 57kg) beat Anna Nikonova (RUS) by ippon 44 seconds into her first match, but lost the next two to Louise Renicks (GBR) and Joliane Melancon (CAN).
Ryan Reser (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Olympic Training Center USA Judo National Training Site / 73kg) lost in the first round to Bartlomiej Garsztecki (POL). Down by a yuko, Reser countered Garsztecki’s kata garuma (fireman’s carry throw) for what looked to be an ippon, but was called as a waza-ari (half-point). Reser went to throw Garsztecki again, but landed backward, giving a waza-ari, and the match, to Garsztecki.
Gerard Cadet (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Starrett Judo / 60kg) went 0-1, losing after a first-round bye to Iman Pouya (SWE) by ippon after being down by a waza-ari.
Bobby Lee (Lauderhill, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training Site / 73kg) also had trouble with a Swede, losing in the first round by ippon to Ali Reza Parchami.
Dustin Moran (Kalamazoo, Mich. / Southside Dojo) earned a koka off a penalty committed by Eetu Laamanen (FIN), but the score wasn’t enough to win the match as Laamanen scored three kokas and a yuko.
Chris Snyder (Scotts, Mich. / Southside Dojo / 90kg) lost both of his matches by ippon, dropping the first match to bronze medalist Tobias Larsson (SWE) and the second to fifth-place finisher Alexis Landais (FRA).
Competition continues tomorrow in the women’s 52kg, 63kg and 78kg divisions and the men’s 66kg, 81kg and 100kg divisions.
Complete results are as follows:
Women’s 48kg
1. Donna Robertson (GBR)
2. Sayaka Matsumoto (El Cerrito, Calif. / NYAC / East Bay Judo Institute), 2-1
3. Bianca Oockedahl (CAN)
3. Tiia Suo-Yrjo (FIN)
5. Kimiko Suda (CAN)
5. Olga Teselkina (RUS)
7. Ann Shiraishi (Elk Grove, Calif. / East Bay Judo Institute), 0-2
Women’s 57kg
1. Valerie Gotay (Harlingen, Texas / Harlingen USA Judo National Training Site), 4-0
2. Nina Koivumaki (FIN)
3. Georgina Singleton (GBR)
3. Julia Bezko (EST)
5. Maryse Guilbault (CAN)
5. Louise Renicks (GBR)
Also Competed: Stephanie Moyerman (Philadelphia, Pa. / Liberty Bell Judo), 1-2
Women’s 70kg
1. Elina Paulman (FIN)
2. Katrin Leitner (AUT)
3. Anna-Soffia Vikingsdottir (ISL)
3. Katre Tekkel (EST)
5. Gigja Gudbrandsdottir (ISL)
5. Heidi Meckler (GBR)
Women’s +78kg
1. Malgorzata Gornicka (POL)
2. Marie Elodie Lleres (FRA)
3. Magdalena Koziol (POL)
Men’s 60kg
1. Valtteri Jokinen (FIN)
2. Nuno Carvalho (POR)
3. Antti Rintamaki (FIN)
3. Farid Ben Ali (FRA)
5. Dmitrijs Kozlovs (LAT)
5. Josuke Tanaka (SUI)
7. Nick Kossor (Glenville, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center), 1-2
Also Competed: Gerard Cadet (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Starrett Judo)
Men’s 73kg
1. Antti Virta (FIN)
2. Craig Ewers (GBR)
3. Künter Rothberg (EST)
3. Alexander Bakke (DEN)
5) Bartlomiej Garsztecki (POL)
5) Teemu Herva (FIN)
Also Competed: Ryan Reser (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Olympic Training Center USA Judo National Training Site), 0-1, Dustin Moran (Kalamazoo, Mich. / Southside Dojo), 0-1 and Bobby Lee (Lauderhill, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training Site)
Men’s 90kg
1. Alexandre Emond (CAN)
2. Bobby Rich (GBR)
3. Tobias Larsson (SWE)
3. Steven Vidler (GBR)
5. Remy Leverdez (FRA)
5. Alexis Landais (FRA)
Also Competed: Chris Snyder (Scotts, Mich. / Southside Dojo), 0-2
Men’s +100kg
1. Martin Padar (EST)
2. Rauli Karpanen (FIN)
3. Christoffer Johansson (SWE)
3. Thormodur Jonsson (ISL)
5. Nodar Metreveli (GEO)
5. Christopher Sherrington (GBR)
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