Nick Delpopolo and Ann Shiraishi Win Gold at Rendez-Vous Canada

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) - The United States continued its success at the Rendez-Vous Canada in Montreal on Sunday when Nick Delpopolo (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) and Ann Shiraishi (San Francisco, Calif. / East Bay Judo Institute) won the 73kg and 48kg divisions, respectively.  

Delpopolo and Shiraishi's wins brought the overall gold medal tally to nine out of 16 divisions for the United States.  Canada earned six titles, followed by the Netherlands with one.

Delpopolo threw Arthur Margelidon (CAN) for ippon (instant win) midway through the first round, but went to his first of three Golden Score (overtime periods) of the day when he defeated Danny Harper (GBR) by two penalties. 

Delpopolo led by a waza-ari (half-point) score when he threw Vincent Ballargeon, but the Canadian tied the match when he threw Delpopolo for a waza-ari score of his own.  Ballargeon nearly won the match when he pinned Delpopolo who managed to escape before a score was called.  A former high school wrestler, Delpopolo took the match to the ground again, this time pinning Ballargeon to win the quarter-finals.

Neither Delpopolo nor Jean-Philippe Gagnon (CAN) scored during the five-minute regulation period of the semifinals, sending the match to Golden Score where Delpopolo threw Gagnon for ippon with an uchimata (inner thigh throw).

In the final, Delpopolo met a familiar opponent in Michael Eldred (Fruitland, Idaho / Western Idaho Judo Institute).  A bronze medalist at the Pan Ams earlier this year, Eldred won their last match during the finals of the Senior Nationals in April.  

As the two have fought numerous times during recent years, both players were familiar with each other's styles and neither was able to score during either the regulation or Golden Score periods.  Delpopolo was awarded the gold medal by referee's decision.  The win marked the first major senior international title for 20-year-old Delpopolo who also will move past Eldred as the new #1-ranked 73kg player in the United States. 

After taking much of this season off to rehabilitate an injury, Shiraishi's gold medal in the 48kg division was her second international medal in less than a month.  

A silver medalist at the U.S. Open in September, Shiraishi dominated her opponents in Canada, winning each of her four matches by ippon, including a victory over 2009 Senior Nationals bronze medalist Angela Creutzberger (Ballston, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center).

Shiraishi's gold medal also will improve her ranking in the division, moving her up to the #1 slot on the USA Judo Senior Elite National Roster.

After a first-round bye in the 63kg division and a quarter-final win against Laurence Cote (CAN), Christal Ransom (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center) advanced to the semifinals against Janine Nakao (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE).  Nakao defeated Ransom in the finals of the Senior Nationals earlier this year and won their next two World Team Trials matches later that evening.   

Nakao won their next match again when she threw Ransom during the bronze medal round at the U.S. Open, but Ransom came prepared for another tough match on Sunday and took the lead when she threw Nakao for a waza-ari score.  Nakao was unable to come back and Ransom advanced to her first international gold medal match

In the finals, Myriam Lamarche (CAN) defeated Ransom by two waza-ari scores.

Nakao won the bronze medal when she threw Sarah Black (Chico, Calif. / Stanford Judo) for ippon in the final eight seconds of the match.

Aaron Kunihiro (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) defeated Dominique Cote (CAN) and Emanoel Iago De Oliveira (CAN) in the first two rounds of the 60kg division, but lost by a waza-ari in the semifinals to Frazer Will (CAN), a seventh-place finisher at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. 

Kunihiro was scheduled to compete in the bronze medal match against Jeff Fujimoto (Berkeley, Calif. / Cal Judo / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University) who won their last match-up at the U.S. Open, but Fujimoto withdrew prior to the match and Kunihiro was awarded the bronze medal.

Competing in the 70kg division, Katie Sell (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center) lost a close opening match to Lisa Nakajima (CAN) by three penalties to two.  

Sell came back in the repechage, however, defeating her next two opponents to advance to the bronze medal match.  Sell fought for bronze against Marie-Eve De Villers-Matte (CAN) who won their last match in the finals of the U.S. Open.  This time, the match went to Golden Score where Sell threw De Villers-Matte for a waza-ari score. 

Complete results are as follows: 

Completed Draws

Women's 48kg
1. Ann Shiraishi (San Francisco, Calif. / East Bay Judo Institute)
2. Andrea Madgett (CAN)
3. Angela Creutzberger (Ballston, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)

Women's 63kg
1. Myriam Lamarche (CAN)
2. Christal Ransom (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center)
3. Janine Nakao (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE)
3. Julia Hansson (SWE)
5. Sarah Black (Chico, Calif. / Stanford)
5. Carolanne Vadnais (CAN)

Women's 70kg
1. Marylise Levesque (CAN)
2. Aneta Mozdzen (CAN)
3. Ann-Marie Pettersen (CAN)
3. Katie Sell (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center)
5. Lisa Nakajima (CAN)
5. Marie-Eve De Villers Matte (CAN)

Also Competed: Samantha Bleier (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center), 0-1
Angela Marino (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center), 0-1

Men's 60kg
1. Frazer Will (CAN)
2. Blake Tsuyuki (CAN)
3. Aaron Kunihiro (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE)
3. Diego Sanchez (CAN)
5. Jeff Fujimoto (Berkeley, Calif. / Cal Judo / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University)
5. Emanoel Iago De Oliveira (BRA)

Also Competed: Vitaliy Vanyan (North Hollywood, Calif. / Mojica), 1-1

Men's 66kg
1. Sasha Mehmedovic (CAN)
2. Serge Zamotine (CAN)
3. Patrick Gagne (CAN)
3. Charles Koshiro Chibana (BRA)
5. Derek Langlois (CAN)
5. Joel Benoit (CAN)

Also Competed: Brad Bolen (Scotia, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center), 1-1
Toshiya Nishimura (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Olympic Training Center), 0-1

Men's 73kg
1. Nick Delpopolo (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE)
2. Michael Eldred (Fruitland, Idaho / Western Idaho Judo Institute)
3. Jean-Philippe Gagnon (CAN)
3. Danny Harper (GBR)
5. Olivier Obin-Mercier (CAN)
5. David Ancor (CAN)

Also Competed: Salama Salem (Jersey City, N.J. / Tech Judo), 0-1
Austin Strube (Tallman, N.Y. / Tech Judo), 0-1

Tags: Kathleen Sell, Aaron Kunihiro, Aaron Kunihiro, Angela Creutzberger , Angela Marino, Ann Shiraishi, Brad Bolen, Christal Ransom, Christal Ransom, Janine Nakao, Janine Nakao, Jeff Fujimoto, Kathleen Sell , Katie Sell, Michael Eldred, Nick Delpopolo, Samantha Bleier, Sarah Black, Vitaliy Vanyan