Visually Impaired World Team Members to Compete at German Open

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) - Eight members of the 2010 World Championships Team for the Visually Impaired are among the U.S. athletes competing at the International German Open Championships for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Heidelberg, Germany this weekend.

The squad includes 2009 German Open Champions Myles Porter (NYAC) and Ron Hawthorne, both of the USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.  A fifth-place finisher at the 2008 Paralympic Games at 100kg, Porter will be competing in the +90kg category while Hawthorne, a fifth-place finisher among sighted players at the 2009 Senior Nationals at 55kg, will be competing in the 60kg division.

A silver medalist in the 81kg division at this event in 2009, Adnan Gutic (White Dragon Judo, St. Louis, Mo) moved down to 73kg at the U.S. Open in September to qualify for the 2010 World Team and is looking to return to the new finals at the lighter weight.

Beijing Paralympic medalist Greg Dewall (Washington, D.C., Washington Judo) and his 2008 Paralympic Teammate Jordan Mouton (Houston, Texas / Diamondback Judo) are making their debuts on the European judo scene.  A former +100kg player, Dewall has moved down to 90kg and Mouton remains 63kg.

First-time World Team members Cindy Simon (Wayne, N.J. / Performance Judo / 52kg) and Joshua Farra (Philadelphia, Pa. / Liberty Bell Judo / 66kg) will each be competing for the first time outside of the United States.

A bronze medalist at the 2009 German Open, Robert Deese (Billings, Mont. / Kim's Martial Arts) will not be competing at the Worlds in March, but is a strong candidate for a medal at 90kg in this World tune-up event. 

The team will be led by Coach Scott Moore (Englewood, Colo.) and team leader Marc Vink (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Tags: Adnan Gutic, Cindy Simon, Greg De Wall, Jordan Mouton, Joshua Farra, Marc Vink, Myles Porter, Robert Deese, Ron Hawthorne, Scott Moore