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August 18, 2007

Team USA Finishes Parapan Am Games with Three Medals on Final Day

By Ryan Lucas  

(Rio de Janeiro) – The final day made the long trip more than worthwhile.

Three U.S. Judo players earned medals Saturday at the 2007 Parapan Am Games, a day before heading back to the states after a month-long excursion through Brazil that included a stint at the World Championships in Sao Paulo .

Greg De Wall (Chico, Calif.) and Lisamaria Martinez ( Union City , Calif.) won silver neckwear and Myles Porter ( Colorado Springs , Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center ) earned bronze on the final day of judo competition. All three American players were sharp and responsive on the mat, making adjustments with muscles straining and arms locked on opponents.

“When they listen, it makes a big difference in their performance because I can see what they need to do,” U.S. Head Coach Raul Tamayo ( Redwood City , Calif. ) said. “If they follow the directions, it goes a long way.”

De Wall had already qualified for the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games in his 100+ kg men’s class by earning fifth place in Sao Paulo . Even with his ticket to China assured, his growing expectations and resolve to win on the mat pushed him to an elite status in the Americas .

“I came down here with two goals: one, to qualify the spot and two, to go home with some hardware and I did both,” De Wall said. “For my first international tournament, I’m very satisfied.”

Small for a heavyweight – some opponents outweigh him by more than 30 pounds – De Wall followed up an opening match loss to eventual gold medalist Yangaliny Dominguez of Cuba with two victories, pinning one opponent and throwing the other.

“He kept distance like he’s supposed to,” Tamayo said. “Being a lighter player, smaller than the opponents, he needs to keep a distance. He needs to hit and go, hit and go, and that’s what he did. He used his speed to keep them moving and off balance.”

De Wall also won a third match by forfeit, as one of the five competitors in his weight class withdrew from action. He finished the day 3-1, giving the bigger opposition little opportunity to use the size discrepancy as an advantage.

“Very few of them are stronger than I am,” De Wall said of his opponents. “I just try to be faster and smarter and try to not make mistakes and that’s really what it comes down to.”

Martinez also used her quick wits and clever timing in her first women’s 70 kg match. She won the battle with her instantaneous ability to react, letting her competitor make the first move before unleashing her power as an aggressor.

“She’s really good at countering her opponent,” Tamayo said. “She just kind of waits and benefits off their attacks.”

Although Martinez lost her second match to gold medalist Lenia Ruvalcaba of Mexico , finishing the day 1-1, she could earn a spot to compete in Beijing when individual ranking points are tallied in the coming weeks.

Porter, also a possibility for the 2008 Paralympic Judo Team, prospered in two of his four 100 kg men’s class Parapan Am Games matches using his combination of intensity and speed. He earned his first victory with a wrenching arm bar, forcing the opponent to tap out, and his second with a throw just four seconds into the bout.

“Everything’s coming together,” Porter said. “My throws are becoming nice and crisp.”

Eventual gold medalist Antonio Silva of Brazil quickly discovered just how much of a threat Porter has become on the mat. Porter agitated Silva so much that the local player had to change his tendencies during the match.

“I made a lefty turn righty,” Porter said of Silva. “This guy’s No. 1 in my weight class in the world and I took him out of his game today. He got frustrated.”