2006 Pan American Championships Day 1 Preview
May 25, 2006
Rousey, Cohen and Hoffmann Among Returning Americans in the Middle and Heavyweight Divisions
The Pan American Judo Championships begin Thursday at the Polideportiveo Centro Nacional Alto Rendimento Deportivo (CE.N.A.R.D.) with competition beginning at 10 a.m. local time.
There will be a break after prelims and then Opening Ceremonies will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the medal rounds at 7 p.m.
The following divisions will be contested:
Women’s 63kg
The reigning Pan Am and Junior World Champion, Ronda Rousey (Buffalo Grove, Ill./NYAC/Cohen’s Judo Club) drew one of the most anticipated first rounds of the day with Vania Ishii (BRA) a five-time Pan Am medalist and two-time Champion. The two met in the first round of last year’s Worlds as well with Rousey taking the win. On the other side of the pool is former World Champion Daniela Krukower (ARG) and 2005 World fifth place finisher Marie Helene Chisholm (CAN). Rousey defeated Krukower at last year’s Puerto Rico Open and also bested Chisholm twice earlier this season to win the Belgium Ladies Open.
Women’s 70kg
Katie Mocco (Glenville, N.Y./NYAC/Jason Morris Judo Center) opens her day with a match against Maria Rojas (VEN). Also in Mocco’s side of the 16-person draw is Yalennis Castillo (CUB), a two-time Pan Am medalist who had two top-seven finishes on the Euroepan Tour this season. On the other side of the draw is Catherine Roberge (CAN) who had an excellent 2006 European Tour, medaling at the Hamburg Super World Cup and the Belgian Ladies Open. Roberge kept Mocco off the podium in last year’s bronze medal final.
Women’s 78kg
Athens Olympian Nikki Kubes (Fort Worth, Texas/Forth Worth Judo) is a Pan Am rookie and looks to face a tough field drawing five-time Pan Am medalist Lorena Briceno (ARG) in the first round and possibly facing 2005 Pan Am Champion Amy Cotton (CAN). After a seventh place finish at the 2005 Worlds, Cotton is still a top international contender, placing fifth at the Budapest World Cup and the Paris Super World Cup in Europe this year.
Women’s +78kg
Eva Smith (Fall River, Mass./Taki-Gawa) enters her first senior Pan Ams with a first round bye and a quarter-final match against 2005 bronze medalist Olia Berger (CAN). On the other side of the draw is last year’s champion, Carmen Chala (ECU).
Men’s 81kg
Aaron Cohen (Buffalo Grove, Ill./NYAC/Cohen’s Judo) looks to improve on his bronze medal from last year’s Pan Ams with a first round bye and a second round match against the winner of Javier Terra (URU) and Francisco Ayala (CHI). Should he advance, Cohen faces a potential semi-final match with Athens Olympic bronze medalist Flavio Canto (BRA) who comes in unseeded as he bypassed last year’s Pan Ams, but won the Hamburg Super World Cup and Prague World Cup earlier this season.
Men’s 90kg
After having success as a junior in the 73kg division, Garry St. Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y./Starrett Judo) made the jump to 90s within the past two years and this will be one of his first major senior international events at this weight. St. Leger has an opening round match against Eduardo Costa (ARG), last year’s champion.
Men’s 100kg
A 2005 World Team member, Djamaldin Aliev (Greenwood Village, Colo./European Judo/Olympic Training Center USA Judo National Training Site) also is competing on his first Pan Am Team. After a first-round bye, Aliev has a quarter-final match against Mario Sabino (BRA), a two-time Pan Am Champion.
Men’s +100kg
A bronze medalist last year, Kirk Hoffmann (Colorado Springs, Colo./Olympic Training Center USA Judo National Training Site) drew a first-round bye and will meet the winner of the Carlos Zegarra (PER) vs. Carlos Cisneros (ARG) match. Also in this division are Trevor McAlpine (CAN) who Hoffmann defeated at the Liberty Bell Classic earlier this season and Joel Brutus (HAI). Brutus, who recently acquired U.S. citizenship, beat Hoffmann at the Senior Nationals, but will be competing for Haiti at this event. |
