| Member News
August 15, 2007
Team
USA
to Compete in
Rio
at Parapan American Games Beginning Thursday
The road for the U.S. Parapan American Judo Team to
Rio de Janeiro
has been a
long one. Although the Team doesn’t begin
competition until Thursday, this crew has been on the road since July 20 when
they first left the
United States
to compete at the International Blind Sports Association World Championships in
Sao Paulo
,
Brazil
.
Similar to the Pan American Games for able-bodied athletes,
this weekend’s competition will likely be the deciding factor in which
divisions the
United States
qualifies divisions for the 2008 Paralympic Games in
Brazil
.
With the top six men and top four women in each weight
division at the Worlds already qualifying their divisions for
Beijing
,
rookie Greg DeWall (
Chico
,
Calif.
) is the only one to have secured a
slot for the
United States
following his fifth-place finish at the World Championships in the heavyweight
division.
The remainder of the members of Team
USA
all will be
vying for slots allocated through World Rankings list in which the top five men
and top three women who have not yet qualified will earn berths for their
nations. The World Rankings are based
off international placements at tournaments such as the Parapan American Games
and the European Championships.
In addition to DeWall, two of Team
USA
’s women
also placed in the top five at the Worlds.
LisaMaria Martinez (
Union City
,
Calif.
) and Jordan Mouton (
Houston
,
Texas
/ Champion Judo) placed fifth in the 70kg and 57kg divisions,
respectively.
Mouton will have a new challenge in Rio as her 57kg division
was eliminated and the former 52kg 18-year-old will be fighting up to 63kg with
the hopes of earning points in that division as Christella Garcia (
Chicago
,
Ill.
/ Tohkon), the
fifth-place finisher at the World Championships at 63kg will not be competing
at the Parapans.
Unfortunately, the elimination of the 57kg division means that
Mouton’s hopes for competing as a 57kg player in
Beijing
currently lie in limbo until the year’s
World Rankings have been completed.
Tina Thomas (
Los Angeles
,
Calif.
/ La Costa Judo Club) is the third member of the U.S. Women’s Team. Competing in the 48kg division, Thomas was
winless against a tough field in
Sao Paulo
, but
a top placing here, could keep her in the hunt for
Beijing
.
Scott Moore (
Englewood
,
Colo.
/
Denver
Judo) is
considered the leader and most decorated veteran of the team. The 2000 Paralympic Champion and two-time
Paralympic bronze medalist in the 73kg division,
Moore
also has competed on six World
Championship Teams.
“If nothing else, giving my experience to the rest of the
team and helping them realize what to expect when they come in here, hopefully
I’m imparting some kind of wisdom in helping them prepare for these Games,”
Moore
said. “This is not just another tournament – this is
it. After this tournament, there is no
tomorrow, so hopefully I can help impart a sense of urgency.”
One of the athletes Moore has helped groom to one day reach
the Paralympic podium is 21-year-old Myles
Porter (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the
Olympic Training Center) who will be fighting in the 100kg division.
So far, Porter has begun to follow in
Moore
’s
footsteps, becoming the third visually impaired athlete – after
Moore
and 2000 Paralympic
gold medalist Kevin Szott – to become
ranked on the USA Judo Senior Elite National Roster among sighted players.
“Scott’s my role model – three Games, three medals and six World
Championship Teams. Endless credentials,”
Porter said. “I’m just trying to raise
myself up there and win a gold medal.”
After seventh place finishes at the past two World
Championships, Scott Jones (
Little Rock
,
Ark.
/
Little Rock
Judo) also will be competing this weekend,
looking to secure the 81kg division for the
United
States
in
Beijing
.
Andre Watson (
Philadelphia
,
Pa.
/
Liberty Bell Judo), who placed ninth at the Worlds in the 90kg division,
was slated to compete on the Parapan American Team, but like the 52kg and 57kg
divisions, the organizers opted not to contest 90kg at the Parapans due to a
lack of participation. Watson returned
home after Worlds and will have to wait and see if the
United States
receives a slot for 90kg.
Competition schedule is as follows:
August 16: Men’s 60kg, 66kg and Women’s 48kg
August 17: Men’s 73kg, 81kg and Women’s 63kg
August 18: Men’s 100kg, +100kg and Women’s 70kg, +70kg
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