| Member News
May 22, 2007
PJU Awards Miami the 2008 Olympic Zone Qualifyier
USA Judo is pleased to announce the final qualifying tournament for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing will be held in Miami, Fla.
The event will be held on May 11, 2008, just two days after the close of individual shiai competition for the 2008 Pan American Championships. Both events will be held at James L. Knight Center in downtown Miami.
“This is an excellent opportunity to show the international judo community a great event at first-class facilities in Miami. We have worked extensively with the PJU in the past and are looking forward to putting on two top-notch championship tournaments,” said USA Judo President Dr. Ron Tripp. “Miami will be a great host city both because of its central location within the region, but also because South Florida has embraced many events of this caliber in the past and we’re looking forward to another quality tournament.”
USA Judo was notified of the selection of Miami as the host city for this premier event by Frank Fullerton, Sports Technical Director of the Pan American Judo Union. The PJU Executive Committee madace the selection during their last meeting in April in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic.
“We are indeed honored to have been selected by the PJU to host yet another important event for the region,” said USA Judo CEO Jose H. Rodriguez. “This is such a win-win situation for everyone; for our USA athletes it is priceless to know that the last two opportunities that they will have to qualify for the Olympic Games will take place right here in our own home turf; for our USA Judo family it is such a great opportunity to be able to travel within our country to support our athletes and experience the region's best Judo Championships; and for the Pan American judo family it provides them with a great, and centrally located venue.”
The Zonal Qualifier is the fifth event in a series of qualifying events for countries within the Pan American region that also includes the 2006 Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina; 2007 Pan American Championships, May 24-26 in Montreal; 2007 Pan American Games, July 19-22 in Rio de Janeiro; and the 2008 Pan American Championships May 8-9 in Miami.
The Pan American region is divided into three “zones,” each of which will host their own tournament. The United States is located in Zone 1 and competition in the Qualifier is expected to include 13 countries, including Canada and Cuba, both of whom are considered among the most competitive countries in the Pan Am region.
“The host hotel, the Hyatt Regency in downtown Miami, is one of Miami's finest and the James L. Knight Center where the competition will take place is a world-class facility and as good as any Olympic Games venue if not better," Rodriguez said. "This will be one of USA Judo's finest moments as we look at these two international championships in May 2008, followed by the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Judo which will be held in conjunction with the USA Wrestling Trials just a few weeks later. These two months of 2008 will be judo heaven for our USA Judo members! "
Countries eligible to compete in the event include:
- Bahamas
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Canada
- Cuba
- United States
- British Virgin Islands
- Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- Dominican Republic
- Saint Lucia
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