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Team USA at World Cup in Apia, Samoa

November 11, 2011 – Team USA took two bronze medals at a World Cup tournament in the South Pacific island of Samoa today.

Kyle Vashkulat, 100 kg (Jason Morris Judo Center, Glenville, NY), and Jacob Larsen, 90 kg (Boulder Judo Training Center/OTC, Colorado) both climbed the podium after hard-fighting days. Taking fifth place were Angelica Delgado, 52 Kg (Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center, Coral Springs, FL), and Ann Shiraishi, 48 kg (East Bay Judo Institute, San Francisco, CA).

The team is led by USA Judo’s Director of High Performance, Eddie Liddie.

Vashkulat won two rounds putting him in the semi-finals. He landed in repechage after his only loss of the day and then won a third match against Jason Koster of New Zealand to take his bronze.

“The day went great,” Vashkulat said. “Eddie (Liddie) calmed me down. We had a plan,” Vashkulat said, and it paid off.

Larsen also landed in repechage after winning two matches to reach the semi–finals. He lost against Switzerland’s Dominique Hischier, who took gold in the division, but then Larsen defeated Mongolia’s Enkhbat Erdenebileg for the bronze. His best match of the day? Probably against Australia’s Anthony Mark, the highest ranked in the division. The two fought into overtime before Larsen landed an ippon for the win.

Here is the full ROSTER. Track brackets and results at IPPON.ORG.

Team USA adds three bronze to medals from

World Cup Samoa

November 12, 2011 -- Team USA today added three bronze medals, raising to five, the number taken from the World Cup in Samoa this weekend.

Brad Bolen, 66 kg (Jason Morris Judo Center, Glenville, NY), Aaron Kunihiro, 60 kg (Team FORCE, Wakefield, Mass.), and Janine Nakao, 63 kg (Team FORCE, Wakefield, Mass.), each took third to stand on the podium today in the island state in the South Pacific.

Also placing were Nicholas Kossor, 60 kg (Jason Morris Judo Center, Glenville, NY), Nicholas Delpopolo, 73 kg (Jason Morris Judo Center, Glenville, NY) Christal Ransom, 63 kg (Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, CO), and Kathleen Sell, 70 kg (Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, CO), all of whom took fifth.

Bolen was charging strong in the day. “My first match was fine,” he said, against an Australian. “I saw an opportunity early on and threw him for ippon, an osoto.”

In his second match, Bolen said, he felt the jet lag and heat, but threw his opponent uchimata for ippon.

In the third match, though, “I was absolutely exhausted,” Bolen said, and he lost before facing China to win and take the bronze.

Aaron Kuniniro also stepped out strong, throwing for ippon in his first two matches of the day. He lost his third match against China but then returned to defeat Hong Kong’s Kin Ting Yu for the bronze.

Janine Nakao said she stepped on the mat “nervous” but won her first two matches on the way to the podium. She lost her third but then returned to face her teammate from the US, Christal Ransom, and win for the bronze.

These U.S. fighters added their medals to the two bronze won yesterday by Kyle Vashkulat, 100 kg (Jason Morris Judo Center, Glenville, NY), and Jacob Larsen, 90 kg (Boulder Judo Training Center/OTC, Colorado).

For complete results, go to IPPON.ORG.