Member News

March 4, 2007

Stevens Defeats Japanese National Champion at Warsaw World Cup

Travis Stevens (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center / 81kg) won matches against two high-level international players at the Warsaw Super World Cup on Sunday.

With Stevens’ first-round match against reigning Japanese National Champion Shota Kawahara (JPN) tied at a koka a piece, Stevens clinched the win when he threw Kawahara for a yuko in the closing seconds of the match.

In the next round, Stevens was leading by a penalty committed by Daniel Fernandez (BEL) when he picked up Fernandez with a huge kata guruma (fireman’s carry) and slammed him to the mat for ippon (instant win).

In the third match Stevens and Zoltan Kallai (HUN) battled back and forth with Kallai committing two penalties, but the Hungarian still took the match on with a waza-ari, yuko and a koka.

Kallai then lost in the quarter-finals to Saba Gavashelishvili (GEO) who beat Stevens last week at the Otto Super World Cup in Hamburg, Germany.

“Travis is doing very well against quality competitors and gained valuable experience for the future," 2008 Olympic Head Coach Nominee Jason Morris (Glenville, N.Y.)

Adler Volmar (Coral Springs, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami / 100kg) lost by ippon in the first round to Junior World Champion Cyril Maret (FRA) who lost his next match, eliminating Volmar.

Complete results are as follows:

Men’s 81kg

1. Alain Schmitt (FRA)

2. Anthony Rodriguez (FRA)

3. Giorgi Baindurashvili (GEO)

3. Elkhan Rajabli (AZE)

5. Saba Gavashelishvili (GEO)

5. Lucas Blach (POL)

7. Flavio Canto (BRA)

7. Sirazhudin Magomedov (RUS)

Also Competed: Travis Stevens (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center), 2-1

Men’s 90kg

1. Irakli Tsirekidze (GEO)

2. Andrei Kazusionak (BLR)

3. Winston Gordon (GBR)

3. Elkhon Mammadov (AZE)

5. Yves Matthieu Dafreville (FRA)

5. Tatsuki Masubuchi (JPN)

7. Carlos Honorato (BRA)

7. Krzysztof Weglarz (POL)

Men’s 100kg

1. Przernyslaw Matyaszek (POL)

2. Ruslan Gasymov (RUS)

3. Levan Razmadze (GEO)

3. Levan Zhorzholiani (GEO)

5. Francesco Lepre (ITA)

5. Luciano Correa (BRA)

7. Peter Cousins (GBR)

7. Vitaliy Bubon (UKR)

Also Competed: Adler Volmar (Coral Springs, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami), 0-1

Men’s +100kg

1. Alexander Mikhaylin (RUS)

2. Maxim Bryanov (RUS)

3. Jean-Sebastien Bonvoisin (FRA)

3. Lasha Gujejiani (GEO)

5. Angel Parra (ESP)

5. Daniel Hernández (BRA)

7. Yury Snehauskoi (BLR)

7. Zviadi Khanjaliashvili (GEO)