Member News

February 1, 2006

Top USA Judo Athletes Kick Off European Season in Belgium

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Twenty-three judo players will compete in the Belgium Open and the Belgium Ladies Open this weekend to kick off the first major event of the European season.

The event is split into two separate locations with the men competing in Vise Feb., 3-4 and the women competing in Arlon Feb., 3-4.  The women’s event will include both a senior event that is estimated to draw 300 competitors as well as a junior event for 250 athletes under 20.

The U.S. men’s contingent includes three of the #1-ranked players with Ryan Reser (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Olympic Training Center/73kg), Taylor Takata (Brownsville, Texas/Brownsville USA Judo National Training Site/66kg) and Kirk Hoffmann (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Olympic Training Center/+100kg). 

Reser did well at this event last year, finishing fifth and is looking for a medal in this B Level event this time around.

Takata, Reser and J. Daniel McCormick (Arlington, Texas/Bedford Kodokan Judo Club), who just made the official move from the junior to senior division, all won bronze medals at their last European event – the British Open in December.

Takata will have plenty of company in the 66kg division as he is joined by third- and fourth-ranked Americans Kenny Hashimoto (Thornton, Colo./Northglenn Judo Club) and Josh O’Neil (Colorado Springs, Colo./Olympic Training Center) as well as 18-year-old AJ Silverman (Scotia, N.Y./Jason Morris Judo Club) who is making his first foray into European senior competition.

Radu Brestyan (Medway, Mass./Pedro’s Judo Center) and Bobby Lee (Lauderhill, Fla./North Miami USA Judo National Training Site) will both be competing in the 73kg division.  Much like his coach Jimmy Pedro (Methuen, Mass.), Brestyan is a former Brown University wrestler who is now focusing on judo and is looking to follow up his bronze medal win at the U.S. Open.  At 17-years-old, Lee will likely be one of the youngest competitors in the division, but he fared well at the British Open, just missing the podium with a fifth place finish. 

Rick Hawn (Woburn, Mass./Pedro’s Judo Center/81kg) is one of the few carryovers from the Athens Olympic Team still actively competing and looks to use his experience to his advantage in Vise.

Five of the seven top-ranked Americans will compete in the Belgium Ladies Open: Carrie Chandler (Scotia, N.Y./NYAC/Jason Morris Judo Center/52kg), Valerie Gotay (Temecula, Calif./Judo America/57kg), Ronda Rousey (Buffalo Grove, Ill./NYAC/Cohen’s Judo Club/63kg), Katie Mocco (Scotia, N.Y./NYAC/Jason Morris Judo Center/70kg) and Eva Smith (Fall River, Mass./Taki Gawa/+78kg).  Chandler, Gotay, Rousey and Mocco were each members of the 2005 World Championship Team while Smith, also a top-ranked junior, took over the #1 heavyweight position in September with a bronze medal at the Rendez-Vous Canada.

Also competing in the event are Jessica Sternick (Mansfield, Pa./Mansfield University Judo/52kg), Kristen Allan (Springfield, Va./Sport Judo/63kg) and Nina Cutro-Kelly (Albany, N.Y./Judo America/78kg).

The U.S. women’s contingent includes not only most of the best senior players in the United States, but a cast of under-20 athletes who will compete in both junior and senior competition, including top-ranked juniors Jeanette Rodriguez (North Lauderdale, Fla./USA Judo North Miami National Training Site/48kg), Franchesca Durand (North Lauderdale, Fla./USA Judo North Miami National Training Site/52kg), Hannah Martin (Burnt Hills, N.Y./Judo America/57kg) and Marina Shafir (Latham, N.Y./Judo America/78kg). 

This event will be the first senior European event for all of these athletes while Martin and Shafir both won bronze medals at the 2005 Junior British Open.

Angelica Delgado (North Lauderdale, Fla./USA Judo North Miami National Training Site/57kg) also will be competing in her first senior European event as a #2-ranked junior.

The U.S. Women’s Team is coached by Jim Hrbek (Schenectady, N.Y./Judo America) and German Velazco (Coral Springs, Fla./North Miami USA Judo National Training Site).  Michael Smith (Fall River, Mass.) is serving as the Team Manager.

Complete rosters are as follows:

Women

48kg: Jeannette Rodriguez (North Lauderdale, Fla./ North Miami National Training Site)

52kg: Carrie Chandler (Scotia, N.Y./NYAC/Jason Morris Judo Center)

         Franchesca Durand (North Lauderdale, Fla./USA Judo North Miami National Training Site)

         Jessica Sternick (Mansfield, Pa./Mansfield University Judo)

57kg: Valerie Gotay (Temecula, Calif./Judo America)

         Hannah Martin (Burnt Hills, N.Y./Judo America)

         Angelica Delgado (North Lauderdale, Fla./USA Judo North Miami National Training Site)

63kg: Ronda Rousey (Buffalo Grove, Ill./NYAC/Cohen’s Judo Club)

         Kristen Allan (Springfield, Va./Sport Judo)

70kg: Katie Mocco (Scotia, N.Y./NYAC/Jason Morris Judo Center)

78kg: Marina Shafir (Latham, N.Y./Judo America)

         Nina Cutro-Kelly (Albany, N.Y./Judo America)

+78kg: Eva Smith (Fall River, Mass./Taki Gawa)

Men

66kg: Taylor Takata (Brownsville, Texas/Brownsville USA Judo National Training Site)

         Kenny Hashimoto (Thornton, Colo./Northglenn Judo Club)

         Josh O’Neil (Colorado Springs, Colo./Olympic Training Center)

         AJ Silverman (Scotia, N.Y./Jason Morris Judo Club)

73kg: Ryan Reser (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Olympic Training Center)

         Radu Brestyan (Medway, Mass./Pedro’s Judo Center)

         Bobby Lee (Lauderhill, Fla./North Miami USA Judo National Training Site)

81kg: Rick Hawn (Woburn, Mass./Pedro’s Judo Center)

+100kg: Kirk Hoffmann (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Olympic Training Center)