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2006 USA Judo Lake Placid Training Camp Coaching Staff.

2005 World Team member Katie Mocco goes for a throw during an evening randori session Tuesday.

USA Judo athletes work on tachiwaza randori at the Lake Placid Training Camp, Jan. 10.

USA Judo Training Camp Kicks Off at Lake Placid Olympic Training Center

(Lake Placid, N.Y.) – More than 100 top judo players began five days of intense training Tuesday at the USA Judo Training Camp in Lake Placid, New York. 

Nearly all of the top-ranked athletes on the  senior roster made the journey to upstate New York, leaving school and work responsibilities behind for the week in order to hone their judo skills.

“This is really the first camp in over a decade that is so well attended by both the top U.S. and Canadian athletes,” said Jimmy Pedro (Methuen, Mass./Pedro’s Judo Club), Training Camp Coach and two-time Olympic medalist.  “Camps like this are important because it’s crucial for athletes to get out of their home dojos often.  They tend to get comfortable at home and they don’t get pushed as hard.  Your home dojo should be a base to train when there aren’t training and competition opportunities elsewhere, but in order to be the best, you have to train with the best.”

Training alongside USA Judo athletes this week are athletes from throughout the hemisphere, including a large delegation from Canada as well as athletes from Peru, Mongolia, Puerto Rico, Japan, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Chile. 

For many athletes, this camp gives them an opportunity to train with some of their top rivals in international competition as 2004 Junior World Champion Ronda Rousey (Santa Monica, Calif./Venice Judo/63kg) could be found working with Marie Helene Chisholm (CAN), a fifth place finisher in Rousey’s division at both the 2004 Olympic Games and 2005 World Championships. 

Other top Canadians in attendance include U.S. Open Champion Nick Tritton, a frequent opponent of 2005 World Team member Ryan Reser (Colorado Springs, Colo./Olympic Training Center Judo Club/73kg), as well as Amy Cotton (78kg) who finished seventh at last year’s Worlds and Isabel Latulippe (48kg), a bronze medalist at last year’s Bulgaria Open.

“Usually during a year you only get to fight the top people in your division a few times, but this has been great for our athletes to randori against the best people as many as 10 times in a day,” said German Velazco (Coral Springs, Fla./North Miami USA Judo National Training Site), Training Camp Coach and 2000 Olympian.

Athletes at this camp will compete in twice a day sessions in the dojo as well as clinics on U.S. Anti-Doping Agency regulations, strength and conditioning and successful training.

“What we’re doing this week is what the Europeans are doing every day – these two-a-day practices,” Pedro said to the athletes in the opening session.  “In order to get to the top you need to train hard and push yourself, but you also need to make a point to learn something new every day.”

In addition to senior players, many up-and-coming juniors are in attendance, including a significant contingent from the North Miami USA Judo Training Site and while athletes such as Bobby Lee (North Lauderhill, Fla./73kg), Jeannette Rodriguez (North Lauderdale, Fla./48kg) and Franchesca Durand (Coral Springs, Fla./52kg) often can be found dominating the junior ranks, training alongside the best senior athletes is an opportunity to be taken advantage of.

“These guys are the number ones as juniors, but obviously the competition there isn’t as hard as with the seniors,” said Training Camp Coach Jhonny Prado (Coral Springs, Fla./North Miami USA Judo National Training Site).  “This is a good chance for them to see who else is out there when usually they only get to compete against these guys at Nationals and fighting against all different styles of competitors.”

The USA Judo Training Camp will run through Jan. 14.

Coaches for the camp include Pedro, Velazco and Prado as well as the following:

• Israel Hernandez (Brownsville, Texas/Brownsville USA Judo National Training Site), two-time Olympic medalist.
• Eddie Liddie (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Olympic Training Center), 1984 Olympic bronze medalist and six-time World Championship Team coach.
• Jason Morris (Scotia, N.Y./Jason Morris Judo Club), 1992 Olympic silver medalist and 2005 World Championship Team coach.
• Nicolas Gil (Canada), 2000 Olympic silver medalist and three-time World medalist.
• Ewan Beaton (Canada), 1991 Pan American Games Champion. 
• Luis Martinez (Puerto Rico)
• Sauveur Soriano (France/Westchester Judo Club, Scarsdale, N.Y.)
• Philippe Verien (Canada)