Member News

September 14, 2007

Reser, Gotay, Chandler and Flores to Compete in Middleweight Divisions at Worlds on Saturday  

( Rio de Janeiro , Brazil ) – Hoping to build on the Team momentum created by the silver medal win of Ronda Rousey ( Wakefield , Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE / 70kg) on Friday, four more members of Team USA will compete on Saturday.  

Ryan Reser, 73kg

Valerie Gotay, 57kg

Ryan Reser ( Colorado Springs , Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / 73kg) and Valerie Gotay ( Harlingen , Texas / USA Judo National Training Site at Harlingen / 57kg) are both World Team veterans who are ranked in the top six in the World.  

Reser hasn’t lost a match since June and had great success here in July when he upset 2004 Olympic medalist Leandro Guilheiro (BRA) in front of his home crowd at the Pan American Games.  

Gotay, the 1992 Olympian whose stunning comeback to the sport began in 2004, won a silver medal

at the Pan Am Games and has counted a victory over former World Champion Yurisleidys Lupetey (CUB) among her wins this year.  

Like Reser and Gotay, Carrie Chandler (NYAC / 52kg) and Justin Flores (66kg), both of the USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center in Glenville , N.Y. , also were on the 2005 World Team.  

Carrie Chandler, 52kg

Justin Flores, 66kg

Chandler is a 2005 Pan American Champion who will be competing in her first international

event since undergoing shoulder surgery in May while Flores has placed in the top five in World Cup events and has the potential to go a long way in Rio.  

Competition begins with preliminary rounds at 11 a.m. local time (10 a.m. EDT) and medal rounds beginning at

8:45 p.m. local time.