| Member News
August 10, 2008
Valerie Gotay and Ryan Reser Compete at 57kg and 73kg on Monday
 |
Valerie Gotay |
(Beijing, China) – Sixteen years after she qualified for the Beijing Olympic Games as an 18-year-old, Valerie Gotay (Harlingen, Texas / San Diego, Calif.) returns to the Games on Monday as a 34-year-old mother of two in the 57kg division looking for her long-awaited trip to the podium.
Preliminary competition begins at noon at the Beijing University of Science and Technology Gymnasium. Preliminary rounds will run until completion and the evening finals (including semifinals, repechage finals and gold and bronze medal matches) will begin at 6 p.m.
Gotay drew Gulzat Uralbayeva (KAZ) in the first round and will need a win to advance to the next round where she would fight former World and Olympic Champion Isabel Fernandez (ESP).
Gotay and Fernandez fought in the first round of the World Championships where Fernandez beat Gotay in overtime en route to winning her fourth World medal.
In the quarter-finals, Gotay could face former World and Olympic medalist Deborah Gravenstijn (NED).
On the opposite side of the draw, Sun-Hui Kye (PRK) has won every World title since 2001 and has medalled at every World Championships and Olympic Games since she won gold in Atlanta as a 16-year-old 48kg player.
Kye will have a difficult first round, though, when she competes against 16-time World Cup medalist Sabrina Filzmoser (AUT) whose only loss before winning bronze at the 2005 Worlds came in a match to Kye.
Also watch for a quarter-final between Kye and Yvonne Boenisch (GER) who beat the North Korean in the finals of the 2004 Olympic Games. Kye won their 2003 and 2005 matchups at the World Championships, but, as she rarely competes at international tournaments outside of the Worlds and Olympic Games, the two have not fought since 2005.
Below are past 57kg results:
2007 World Championship Results
* Indicates Players Competing in Beijing
1. Sun Hui Kye (PRK)*
2. Isabel Fernandez (ESP)*
3. Aiko Sato (JPN)*
3. Bernadett Baczko (HUN)*
5. Nina Koivumaki (FIN)*
5. Giulia Quintavalle (ITA)*
7. Yvonne Boenisch (GER)*
7. Faith Pitman (GBR)
2005 World Championships Results
1. Sun-Hui Kye (PRK)*
2. Yvonne Boenisch (GER)*
3. Sabrina Filzmoser (AUT)*
3. Erdenet-Od Khishigbat (MGL)*
5. Isabel Fernandez (ESP)*
5. Yurisleidys Lupetey (CUB)*
7. Inga Kolodziej (POL)
7. Fanny Riaboff (FRA)
2004 Olympic Results
1. Yvonne Boenisch (GER)*
2. Sun-Hui Kye (PRK)*
3. Deborah Gravenstijn (NED)*
3. Yurisleidys Lupetey (CUB)*
5. Barbara Harel (FRA)*
5. Isabel Fernandez (ESP)*
7. Cinzia Cavazzuti (ITA)*
7. Natalia Jukhareva (RUS)
 |
Ryan Reser |
In the 73kg division, Ryan Reser (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Dallas, Texas) spent the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games watching former World Champion Jimmy Pedro fight for medals while Reser was a two-time alternate. Now, at 28-years-old, Reser will have a chance to make a name for himself on the Olympic scene.
After losing in the first round of the 2007 World Championships to a Mongolian player, Reser again finds himself beginning his day against a Mongolian – 2008 Asian Championships medalist Dashdavaa Gantumur.
Should Reser advance, he would face the winner of a match between 2001 World medalist Krzysztof Wilkomirski (POL) and Vsevolod Zeljonij (LAT).
Reser and Wilkomirski have fought several times with Reser winning their Boras and Rotterdam World Cup matches in 2006 and Wilkomirski winning their 2007 Birmingham World Cup match.
A win over Wilkomirski would likely move Reser into a quarter-final against two-time World medalist Yusuke Kanamaru (JPN).
On the opposite side of the draw, Korea took home the gold in Athens and could bring home another by Ki-Chun Wang (KOR) whose teammate Min-Ho Choi won gold on Saturday in the 60kg division when he whipped through five straight wins in less than nine minutes.
Below are past 73kg results:
2007 World Championships
1. Ki-Chun Wang (KOR)*
2. Elnur Mammadli (AZE)*
3. Yusuke Kanamaru (JPN)*
3. Rasul Bokiev (TJK)*
5. Sezer Huysuz (TUR)*
5. David Kevkishvili (GEO)*
7. Konstantin Siamionau (BLR)*
7. Robert Gess (GER)
2005 World Championships
1. Akos Braun (HUN)
2. Francesco Bruyere (ITA)
3. Kiyoshi Uematsu (ESP)
3. Gennadiy Bilodid (UKR)*
5. Claudiu Bastea (ROM)
5. Henri Schoeman (NED)
7. Krzysztof Wilkomirski (POL)*
7. Leandro Guilheiro (BRA)*
2004 Olympic Games
1. Won-Hee Lee (KOR)
2. Vitali Makarov (RUS)
3. Jimmy Pedro (USA)
3. Leandro Guilheiro (BRA)*
5. Daniel Fernandes (FRA)
5. Victor Bivol (MDA)
7. Joao Neto (POR)
7. David Kevkishvili (GEO)* |
