Member News

May 26, 2007

Team USA Wins Six Medals at the Pan Am Kata Championships

Although the United States Kata Team only had two pairs of competitors at the Pan American Championships, the Americans won medals in each of six divisions in the forms competition in Montreal on Saturday.

Jeff Giunta (Webster, N.Y. / Bushido Kai Judo Club) and Heiko Rommelmann (Webster, N.Y. / Bushido Kai Judo Club) finally struck gold in their latest Pan Am appearance, sweeping of the men’s events: Nage No Kata, Katame No Kata and Ju No Kata.

“We’ve been four times and the first won we won all bronzes and after that it’s been all silver medals.  It’s nice to finally get up there and have all your hard work recognized,” Rommelmann said.

Karen Whilden (Vienna, Va. / Baltimore Judo) and Diane Jackson (Silver Spring, Md. / Hui-O Beltsville Judo) also reached the medal stand three times in the women’s event, successfully defending their 2006 Katame No Kata title and winning silver medals in the Ju No Kata and Nage No Kata divisions.

Complete results are as follows:

Men’s Nage No Kata

1. Jeff Giunta (Webster, N.Y. / Bushido Kai Judo Club)

Heiko Rommelmann (Webster, N.Y. / Bushido Kai Judo Club)

2. Luis Gabriel Mantes Cuartes (COL)

Glatenferd Escobar Ramirez (COL)

3. Gusttavo Adolfo Iondano Correa (COL)

Henry Antonio Diaz Botero (COL)

Men’s Katame No Kata

1. Heiko Rommelmann (Webster, N.Y. / Bushido Kai Judo Club)

Jeff Giunta (Webster, N.Y. / Bushido Kai Judo Club)

2. Yves Pearson (CAN)

Jacques Mantion (CAN)

3. Daniel De Angelis (CAN)

Donald Ferland (CAN)

Men’s Ju No Kata

1. Jeff Giunta (Webster, N.Y. / Bushido Kai Judo Club)

Heiko Rommelmann (Webster, N.Y. / Bushido Kai Judo Club)

2. Sylvain Tremblay (CAN)

Boris Mayer-St-Onge

3. Yves Pearson (CAN)

Jacques Mantion (CAN)

Women’s Nage No Kata

1. Liliana Patrica Iberra Uribe (COL)

Margarita Rose Castano Muilo (COL)

2. Karen Whilden (Vienna, Va. / Baltimore Judo)

Diane Jackson (Silver Spring, Md. / Hui-O Beltsville Judo)

3. Gisele Gravel (CAN)

Monette Leblanc (CAN)

Women’s Katame No Kata

1. Karen Whilden (Vienna, Va. / Baltimore Judo)

Diane Jackson (Silver Spring, Md. / Hui-O Beltsville Judo)

2. Monette Leblanc (CAN)

Gisele Gravel (CAN)

3. Ann Larouche (CA)

Britt Quinlan (CAN)

Women’s Ju No Kata

1. Gisele Gravel (CAN)

Monette Leblanc (CAN)

2. Karen Whilden (Vienna, Va. / Baltimore Judo)

Diane Jackson (Silver Spring, Md. / Hui-O Beltsville Judo)

3. Mara Markkovic-Siladi (CAN)

Mirna Cucic (CAN)