Member News

July 19, 2007

Judo Day 2 Preview

Team USA will have four athletes competing in the second day of the Pan Am Games on Thursday. 

A two-time Pan Am Champion at 63kg, Ronda Rousey ( Wakefield , Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) is among the favorites to win a medal on Friday.  Rousey moved up to 70kg in February when she won the Vienna World Cup and is a third seed Friday after winning a bronze medal at the Pan Am Championships in May. 

Among Rousey’s competitors will be a first-round match with Catherine Roberge (CAN) who she defeated in the final of the Pan Ams in Montreal and a potential final with Onix Cortes (CUB).  Rousey and Cortes have fought twice with Cortes taking both wins, including a semifinal win at 63kg at the 2006 Junior Worlds and a first-round victory over Rousey in Montreal .   

Adler Volmar ( Coral Springs , Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) also competed at the Pan Ams in Montreal where he placed fifth in the 100kg division and won a bronze medal in the Open division.  Volmar drew Oreidis Despaigne (CUB) in the quarter-finals after a first-round bye.  Luciano Correa (BRA) is on the top of the Volmar’s half of the draw. 

Rick Hawn ( Wakefield , Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE) is a veteran of three Pan Am Championship Teams when he competed at 81kg and won a bronze medal in 2002, but will be fighting in only his third international event since moving up to 90kg. 

Hawn drew Javier Terra (URU) in the first round, followed by a likely quarter-final match against World Cup medalist Tiago Camilo (BRA).  Jorge Benavides (CUB), a two-time Pan Am medalist was on the opposite side of the draw. 

At 15-years-old, Marina Lambert ( Chesapeake , Va. / Washington Judo) is the Team’s youngest member and will be fighting in her third international senior tournament in the 78kg division.  She’ll begin the day with a tough first match, fighting Marylise Levesque (CAN) who beat Lambert in the bronze medal match in Montreal .