Team USA to Compete at IBSA World Championships in Turkey Beginning on Thursday

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Team USA arrived in Antalya, Turkey on Tuesday to compete at the International Blind Sports Association World Championships.

 

Twelve athletes will compete in the first of three qualifying events for the 2012 Paralympic Games beginning on Thursday and concluding on Sunday.

 

The team is being led by Coach Scott Moore (Englewood, Colo.), a former World and Paralympic Champion.

 

“This is my seventh Worlds, but my first as a coach,” said Moore who was the assistant coach for the team at the 2008 Paralympic Games.  “I’m more nervous as a coach than I was an athlete.  When you’re an athlete, you’re just responsible for yourself, but when you’re a coach you have a whole team to be responsible for.”

 

The team includes three members of the 2008 Paralympic Team and six veterans of previous World Teams.

 

All three Paralympians have experienced fighting in the medal rounds at the World Championships, but each will be looking for his or her first World medal.  A trip to the podium would mark the first for a U.S. athlete at the IBSA Worlds since 2003.

 

Greg Dewall (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) placed fifth at his first World Championships in 2007 as a +100kg player, but returned to the medal rounds to earn the top finish for Team USA at the 2008 Paralympic Games – a bronze medal.  Dewall has since moved down to 90kg where he will compete for the first time at the world level.

 

Myles Porter (Colorado Springs, Colo. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) is a veteran of the medal rounds as well, having placed fifth at the 2006 World Championships and the 2008 Paralympic Games in the 100kg division.  Since 2008, Porter has won every competition he has entered for visually impaired competitors and has earned a top-three ranking in the United States against sighted players.  Now Porter will return to his third World Championships with his eyes set on the podium.

 

Jordan Mouton (Houston, Texas / Diamondback Judo) will be competing on her third World Championship Team, having fought as a 52kg player in 2006 and a 57kg player in 2007 when she placed fifth.  Although the United States did not qualify to send a 57kg player to Beijing, Mouton responded to the challenge by moving up two weight divisions to compete at 70kg.  Since the Games, Mouton has moved back down in weight and will compete in the 63kg division in Turkey.

 

“There’s a lot of potential medalists on this team.  It’s a young team, but Myles, Greg, Jordan, Ron [Hawthorne]… We’re expecting a lot from these guys and from the new people as well,” Moore said.

 

Competition schedule for the event is as follows:

 

Thursday, March 25

Women’s 48kg, 52kg

Men’s 60kg, 66kg

 

Friday, March 26

Women’s 57kg, 63kg

Men’s 73kg, 81kg

 

Saturday, March 27

Women’s 70kg, 78kg, +78kg

Men’s 90kg, 100kg, +100kg

 

Sunday, March 28

Team Competition

 

A roster of athletes competing is as follows:

 

Women’s 48kg

Tina Thomas (Los Angeles, Calif. / Mojica Judo)

 

Women’s 52kg

Cindy Simon (Wayne, N.J / Performance Judo)

 

Women’s 63kg

Jordan Mouton (Houston, Texas / Diamondback Judo)

 

Women’s 70kg

Christella Garcia (Sacramento, Calif. / Sacramento Judo)

 

Women’s 78kg

Katie Davis (Sacramento, Calif. / Team Sacramento)

 

Men’s 60kg

Ron Hawthorne (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)

 

Men’s 66kg

Joshua Farra (Coatesville, Pa. / Liberty Bell)

 

Men’s 73kg

Adnan Gutic (St. Louis, Mo. / White Dragon Judo)

 

Men’s 81kg

Nathaniel Fodrea (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Judan Judo)

 

Men’s 90kg

Greg Dewall (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)

 

Men’s 100kg

Myles Porter (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)

 

Men’s +100kg

Ryan Jones (Aurora, Colo. / Denver Judo)

 

Heidi Moore (Englewood, Colo.) and Marc Vink (Riverton, N.J.) are the team leaders for Team USA.  Gary Berliner (Cumming, Ga.) was selected as a referee to represent the United States.

Tags: Greg De Wall, Jordan Mouton, Myles Porter, Scott Moore