2006 Pan American Championships Day 1 Results
May 25, 2006
Rousey Wins Silver; Cohen and Mocco Win Bronze
(Buenos Aires, Argentina) – Ronda Rousey (Buffalo Grove, Ill./NYAC/Cohen’s Judo/63kg) reached the medal stand for the third consecutive year Thursday at the Pan American Championships.
After throwing seven-time Pan Am medalist Vania Ishii (BRA) twice for waza-ari (half-point), Rousey put Yennifer Dominguez into her trademark armbar to advance to the medal rounds.
In the semi-finals, Rousey threw Isis Barreto (VEN) with an osoto gari (outer circling leg throw) and then pinned her for ippon (instant win).
After taking a year hiatus from the Pan Am Championships, Cuba came to this year’s event prepared to reclaim their status as the powerhouse of the Pan Am region, fielding a strong team that would win medals in seven of the eight divisions contested Thursday.
Like many other athletes in the finals, Ronda faced a Cuban – in her case the foe of the day was Yaritze Abel, an up-and-comer who many hadn’t seen before, but had excellent first results on last year’s European Tour, claiming a trio of back-to-back top-seven places, including fifth at the Paris Super World Cup.
Rousey held her own well at the start of the match, but went to throw her for osoto and got countered and thrown for ippon, marking the first time the 19-year-old has dropped a match at this event.
Team USA advanced to the bronze medal finals in four divisions, with Katie Mocco (Glenville, N.Y./NYAC/Jason Morris Judo Center/70kg) and Aaron Cohen (Buffalo Grove, Ill./NYAC/Cohen’s Judo Club) each winning hardware.
After a disappointing fifth-place finish at last year’s tournament, Mocco returned to this year’s event determined to reach the medal stand.
The 22-year-old likely had the quickest first round of the day, throwing Maria Rojas (VEN) for ippon in less than 10 seconds. In the quarter-finals Mocco met up with last year’s Champion Diana Chalas (ECU) who had defeated Mocco en route to her eventual gold medal.
“I really wanted to get a chance to fight Ecuador again this year and was happy to see I drew her this time because I really thought I could beat her,” Mocco said.
With the score tied at a yuko (quarter-point) apiece at the end of the five-minute regulation, the match went into a Golden Score (overtime) period.
“I knew I could beat her when we went into OT,” Mocco said. “I have great conditioning and I knew she would give up. I could feel her getting tired and so I had to win it.”
The win moved Katie into the semis where she lost to Yalennis Castillo (CUB).
“The only thing I wish would have gone differently was my match against Cuba. I need to work on my adjustments because she kept catching me with the same technique,” Mocco said. “Jason (Morris, USA Coach) kept telling me from the chair what to do to adjust, but I couldn’t manage to pull it off.”
Mocco dominated her bronze medal match, though, pressing the action against Elizabeth Copes (ARG), picking up early points with a koka (smallest points) and then forcing Copes into a penalty. After continually attacking and perservering with excellent groundwork, Mocco ultimately pinned the Argentinian for the win.
“There was definitely a lot of pressure today because I didn’t want a repeat of last year, but I remembered how awful that felt and I was determined not to let that happen again,” Mocco said.
The win not only serves as a key step toward qualification for the 2008 Olympic Games as Pan Am countries must finish in the top three (women) and top six (men) for slot allocation, but marks the latest in a series of consistent improvements for the American who claimed her first U.S. Open title last fall.
“I think I’ve definitely improved a lot in the past year,” Mocco said. “I think that’s really because of two things. I’ve put in a lot of hard work this year, in the gym and in the dojo, working on my conditioning, so it’s definitely paying off. And I know it sounds cliché to attribute doing well to your coach, but Jason’s also been a big part of that. I always feel good just having him in my chair because he’s one of those people who can just look at a match and know exactly what you should be doing next.”
Cohen repeated last year’s bronze medal finish, advancing through his bracket cleanly until he met Flavio Canto, an outstanding Brazilian who posted two World Cup wins earlier this year.
Canto threw Cohen twice with a sumi gaeshi (corner throw), first for yuko (quarter-point) and then for ippon to take the match.
“The Brazilian was definitely tough. We knew that going in and I fought well, but just didn’t pull it out,” Cohen said.
In the bronze medal match, Cohen choked Victor Palofox (MEX) for the win.
“I had a good draw today and I definitely took advantage of it. I beat the guys I had to and lost a tough one to the Cuban, but I’d beaten the Mexican before so I knew I could do it again,” he said.
Cohen’s win came immediately after watching teammate Rousey take a hard throw in her bronze medal match.
“I was a little nervous going into the final and then I saw Ronda get thrown, but couldn’t tell if she’d hit her head so I kept asking Jason if she was ok, but I didn’t let it effect me on the mat,” Cohen said.
Two years ago, Nikki Kubes (Fort Worth, Texas/Fort Worth Judo/78kg) was the second-youngest member of the Athens Olympic Team. After a year off, the 19-year-old came back with a force at this year’s Senior Nationals in April to defeat the top seed at the Pan Am Trials to qualify for her first Senior Team.
After a tough first round loss to five-time Pan Am medalist Lorena Briceno (ARG), Kubes defeated Anny Cortez (COL), throwing her first for yuko, then moving straight into a pin before ultimately throwing her with o soto for ippon.
In the bronze medal match, Kubes was thrown and then pinned by Yunisel Laborde (CUB), last year’s World Champion.
A veteran of last year’s World Team, Djamaldin Aliev (Greenwood Village, Colo./European Judo/Olympic Training Center USA Judo National Training Site/100kg) entered this event as a Pan Am rookie.
Due to a first-round bye, Aliev survived a second round loss on four penalties to advance to the bronze medal match. Unfortunately, Aliev failed to play the role of the aggressor against Alexandru Ciupe (CAN) and lost the match on a quartet of penalties as well.
Garry St. Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y./Starrett Judo/90kg) fought a close opening match against last year’s gold medalist Eduardo Costa (ARG), but lost on penalties. Costa was later upset and failed to pull St. Leger through to the repechage.
In the men’s heavyweight division, 2005 bronze medalist Kirk Hoffmann (Colorado Springs, Colo./Olympic Training Center USA Judo National Training Site) lost his first match by a koka (smallest points) to eventual bronze medalist Pablo Figueroa (PUR). In the repechage, Hoffmann was pinned for ippon by Carlos Zegerra (PER).
After a first-round bye, Eva Smith (Fall River, Mass./Taki-Gawa/+78kg) was pinned by 2005 Pan Am bronze medalist Olia Berger (CAN) and then armbarred by Aline Puglia (BRA) in the repechage.
Competition continues Friday with the women’s 44kg, 48kg, 52kg, 57kg and Open divisions and the men’s 55kg, 60kg, 66kg, 73kg and Open divisions when Carrie Chandler (Scotia, N.Y./NYAC/Jason Morris Judo Center/52kg), Valerie Gotay (Temecula, Calif./Judo America/57kg) and Ryan Reser (Colorado Springs, Colo./Olympic Training Center USA Judo National Training Site/73kg) will look to defend their 2005 titles.
Complete results are as follows:
Women’s 63kg
1. Yaritze Abel (CUB)
2. Ronda Rousey (Buffalo Grove, Ill./NYAC/Cohen’s Judo)
3. Daniela Krukower (ARG)
3. Marie Helene Chisholm (CAN)
5. Isis Barreto (VEN)
5. Vania Ishii (BRA)
Women’s 70kg
1. Yalennis Castillo (CUB)
2. Kelly Silva (BRA)
3. Katie Mocco (Glenville, N.Y./NYAC/Jason Morris Judo Center)
3. Catherine Roberge (CAN)
5. Elizabeth Copes (ARG)
5. Sarai Mendoza (ESA)
Women’s 78kg
1. Edinancy Silva (BRA)
2. Amy Cotton (CAN)
3. Yunisel Laborde (CUB)
3. Lorena Briceno (ARG)
5. Nikki Kubes (Fort Worth, Texas/Fort Worth Judo)
5. Mirla Nolberto (GUA)
Women’s +78kg
1. Ivis Duena (CUB)
2. Giovanna Blanco (VEN)
3. Carmen Chala (ECU)
3. Aline Puglia (BRA)
5. Olia Berger (CAN)
5. Melissa Mojica (PUR)
Also Competed: Eva Smith (Fall River, Mass./Taki-Gawa), 0-2
Men’s 81kg
1. Flavio Canto (BRA)
2. Tyler Boras (CAN)
3. Emmanuel Lucenti (ARG)
3. Aaron Cohen (Buffalo Grove, Ill./NYAC/Cohen’s Judo)
5. Mario Valles (COL)
5. Victor Palafox (MEX)
Men’s 90kg
1. Hugo Pessanha (BRA)
2. Jorge Benevides (CUB)
3. Eduardo Costa (ARG)
3. Jose Camacho (VEN)
5. Alexis Chiclana (PUR)
5. Jorge Guittierez (MEX)
Garry St. Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y./Starrett Judo), 0-1.
Men’s 100kg
1. Oreidis Despaigne (CUB)
2. Mario Sabino (BRA)
3.
Teófilo Diek (DOM)
3. Alexandru Ciupe (CAN)
5. Jose Camacho (VEN)
5. Djamaldin Aliev (Greenwood Village, Colo./European Judo/Olympic Training Center USA Judo National Training Site)
Men’s +100kg
1. Daniel Hernandez (BRA)
2. Oscar Braison (CUB)
3. Joel Brutus (HAI)
3. Pablo Figueroa (PUR)
5. Trevor McAlpine (CAN)
5. Carlos Cisneros (ARG)
Kirk Hoffmann (Colorado Springs, Colo./Olympic Training Center USA Judo National Training Site), 0-2.
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