Myles Porter Wins German Open for the Blind, Team USA Earns Three Medals

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) - Myles Porter (Colorado Springs, Colo. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) won his second consecutive title at the German Open Championships for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Heidelberg, Germany on Saturday and led Team USA to three medals overall. 

Twelve nations competed in the event, including athletes from Great Britain, Russia, Ukraine, Austria, Hungary and Azerbaijan. 

Porter, a fifth-place finisher at the 2008 Paralympic Games, won all of his four matches by ippon (instant win) in the 100kg division.  In his first match, Porter threw Reine Gunnarsson (SWE), for a waza-ari (half-point) with a seoi nage (shoulder throw) and ended the match with an armbar. 

Porter used his seoi nage in his second match to throw Joe Ingram (GBR) for ippon.  In the semifinals, Porter threw Khayal Ganiyev (AZE) for ippon with a te guruma (hand wheel throw).

Porter dominated his final match against Joe Ingram (GBR) to win gold by throwing Ingram with a seoi nage in the first minute. 

A 2008 Paralympian in the 70kg division, Jordan Mouton (Houston, Texas / Diamondback Judo) won a silver medal at 63kg.  Mouton threw Dzebeta Bajerektarevic (GER) for a waza-ari score and then choked her to win the match.  In her second match, Mouton threw Paiui Tolppanen (FIN) with a tani o toshi (valley drop) to win the match by ippon in the first minute.  In her final match, Mouton led by a waza-ari score against 2008 Paralympian Nicolina Pernheim (SWE), but was thrown for a yuko and pinned for ippon in the second minute of the match. 

Cindy Simon (Wayne, N.J. / Performance Judo) was scheduled to compete at 52kg, but the division was combined to include both 52kg and 57kg players.  Competing in her first event outside the United States, Simon pinned Christina Skandali (GRE) in the first round for ippon.  In her next match Simon pinned Nikoletta Fassa (GRE) as well. 

In the third round, Simon was pinned by Alex Garrington (GBR).  Simon ended her day with a match against 2008 Paralympic medalist Ramona Brussig (GER) who took an early waza-ari lead and then threw Simon for a second waza-ari with a tai o toshi (body drop throw) for a second waza-ari to end the match.  Simon won a bronze medal in the round-robin division. 

Greg Dewall (Washington, D.C. / Washington Judo), a 2008 Paralympic medalist in the +100kg division, competed in the 90kg division where he lost his first match to 2008 Paralympic silver medalist Tofig Mammadov (AZE).  Dewall trailed by two yukos when Mammadov threw him first with a drop seoi nage (dropping shoulder throw) and then Dewall was given two penalties to equal a second yuko.  In the final minute, Mammadov caught Dewall again and threw him for ippon.  In the second round, Dewall was thrown by 2008 Paralympian Sebastian Junk (GER) for ippon with an uchimata (inner thigh throw). 

Dewall dominated his third match against Joannis Nichos (GRE) who he threw for waza-ari and yuko scores.  Later in the match, Nichos attempted a seoi nage and Dewall countered the attack and took Nichos to the ground where Dewall pinned him for ippon. 

A gold medalist at the 2009 German Open, Ron Hawthorne (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) returned to the 60kg division, but started off slowly with a first-round loss to Ramin Ibrahmov (AZE) who threw Hawthorne for a waza-ari with a drop seoi nage and then caught Hawthorne with a second drop seoi nage for ippon to end the match.  In his second match, Hawthorne was armbarred by Ihar Staselka (BLR).  Hawthorne rebounded in this third match when he defeated Samsm Setoodeh (GER) by two penalties for non-combattivity. 

Robert Deese (Billings, Mont. / Kim's Martial Arts) won his first match in the 90kg division when he threw Nahwan Badi (AUT) for ippon during the first minute.  In his second match, Dees was thrown for an early ippon by Zakir Mislimov (AZE).  Dees was thrown for ippon with an uchimata by 2008 Paralympic medalit Samuel Ingram (GBR).

In his first event outside the United States since moving down from 81kg to 73kg, Adnan Gutic (St. Louis, Mo. / White Dragon Judo) threw Jon Craig (GBR) with a drop seoi for ippon during his first match.  Gutic won his second match as well against Evangelos Exachos (GRE).  In his third match, Gutic and 2004 Paralympic medalist Jani Kallunki (FIN) fought until the final 15 seconds of the match when Kallunki threw Gutic for ippon with a seoi nage.  In his last match, Gutic was thrown for ippon with a kata guruma (fireman's carry) by Natig Novruzzade (AZE).  Adnan lost the match by ippon with kata guruma in the second minute of the match.

Sixteen-year-old Josh Farra (Coatesville, Pa. / Liberty Bell Judo) fought in both the junior and senior 66kg divisions.  Farra won the junior division where he threw his German opponent with a harai goshi (hip throw) for ippon in the first of their two matches.  In the second, Farra pinned the German for ippon to win the gold medal. 

In the senior division, Farra fought for five minutes against 2008 Paralympian Daaren Harris (GBR), but lost by three penalties for non-combattivity.  In his second match, Parra was pinned by Joseph Bauer (GER).  Farra ended his day with a match against Iikn Alsihof (AZE) who threw Farra for a waza-ari score with a kata guruma and then pinned Farra for the win.    

Team USA remained in Heidelburg for three days to participate in an international training camp and then travelled to Lithuania where the team will compete this weekend in the International Judo Competition for the Blind and Visually Impaired. 

 

 

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