Marti Malloy Wins Bronze at the Sao Paulo World Cup

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – The string of international success continued on Saturday for Marti Malloy (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University) when she earned her first World Cup medal – a bronze in the 57kg division – at the Sao Paulo World Cup in Brazil. 

The win is the third major international medal this year for Malloy who won the Belgian Ladies’ Open in February and earned a silver medal at the Pan American Championships in April. 

Malloy’s bronze was the first A-Level medal for the 23-year-old who continued to show that she can compete with the best in the world as she defeated past World Cup medalists to earn her first qualifying points for the 2012 Olympic Games. 

Malloy forced her first opponent, Emily Bensted (AUS), into two penalties before throwing Bensted for ippon (instant win).  

In the second round, Malloy defeated Emma Barkeling (SWE) after Barkeling committed three penalties. 

In the quarter-finals, Malloy fought Rafaela Silva (BRA), the 2008 Junior World Champion who defeated Malloy at the 2009 Senior Worlds en route to placing fifth as a 17-year-old.  Silva controlled the match early on and defeated Malloy by ippon.

Undeterred, Malloy turned her focus to her repechage match against seven-time World Cup medalist Marlen Hein (GER) who defeated 2010 Senior Nationals silver medalist Hana Carmichael (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) in the first round.  Malloy and Hein battled for five minutes during which neither athlete was able to score, but Malloy won the match by three penalties to two.

Fighting for a World Cup medal for the first time since the 2006 Warsaw World Cup in Poland, Malloy and two-time World Cup medalist Concepcion Bellorin (ESP) were each given stalling penalties during the second minute of the match.  Malloy kept Bellorin from scoring for the next two minutes and earned a yuko (quarter-point) of her own when Bellorin committed a penalty in the final minute, giving Malloy her fourth win of the day.

In addition to Malloy and Carmichael, two other U.S. players also competed in the 57kg division. 

Hannah Martin (Burnt Hills, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) threw Elsa Zamarripa (MEX) with a tai o toshi (body drop throw) for a waza-ari (half-point) score during the first exchange of their opening round match.  In the second round, however, Martin was thrown for ippon by eventual bronze medalist Viola Waechter (GER) during the fourth minute of their match.  

Anna Palmer (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) lost her opening round match in the 57kg division by ippon to three-time Pan Am medalist Yadinis Amaris (COL). 

Competing in the 60kg division, Aaron Kunihiro (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) placed seventh.  Kunihiro threw Olle Sundstroem (SWE) in the first round and advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating Nabor Castillo (MEX) by two yukos in his next match. 

In the quarter-finals, Kunihiro lost to eventual bronze medalist Phelipe Pelim (BRA) by two yukos. 

Still eligible for a bronze medal, Kunihiro dropped down to the repechage where he lost by ippon to reigning Pan Am silver medalist Felipe Kitadai (BRA) who went on to win the bronze medal. 

Jeff Fujimoto (Berkeley, Calif. / Cal Judo) also struggled with a Brazilian opponent in the 60kg division as he lost his opening match to Ricardo Ayres by ippon.

Team USA had two athletes competing in the 73kg division, both of whom split matches with a win and a loss each.

A bronze medalist at the 2009 Senior Pan Ams, Michael Eldred (Fruitland, Idaho / Western Idaho Judo Institute) won his first match by referees’ decision against Martin Thiblin (NOR).  In the second round, Eldred trailed Sezer Huysuz (TUR) by three penalties, giving Huysuz a waza-ari score.  Eldred scored a yuko in the last minute, but the penalty deficit was too much to overcome and Huysuz won the match. 

Nick Delpopolo (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) defeated Felipe Braga (BRA) by three penalties to one in the first round of the 73kg division.  In the second match, Delpopolo lost to Hussein Hafiz (EGY) by a yuko score with one second on the clock. 

In the 48kg division, Ann Shiraishi (San Francisco, Calif. / East Bay Judo Institute) had a first-round bye and needed to defeat Nataliya Kondratyeva (RUS) to advance to the quarter-finals.  After regulation and Golden Score (overtime) periods, Kondratyeva won the match by referees’ decision.

A week after winning a bronze medal at the Golden Judoguis Championships in Cuba, Angelica Delgado (Miami, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at South Florida) fought World and Olympic medalist Yanet Bermoy (CUB) in the first round of the 52kg division.  Delgado was down by two penalties when Bermoy pinned her for ippon.

Natalie Lafon (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) also competed in the 52kg division.  A former National Champion at 48kg, Lafon lost to Katrine Hofstad (NOR) by two penalties to one.

Christal Ransom (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) had a first-round bye in the 63kg division, but lost her second-round match to 2009 World medalist Claudia Malzhan (GER) by ippon.

Reigning Pan American Champion Brad Bolen (Scotia, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) and Jeff Fong (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University) both lost opening matches in the 66kg division.

After a first-round bye, Bolen lost to Denilson Lourenco (BRA) by two penalties.  Fong lost by ippon to Ignacio Sancho (CRC). 

Competition continues on Sunday with the men’s 81kg, 90kg, 100kg and +100kg divisions and the women’s 70kg, 78kg and +78kg divisions.

Top seven and U.S. results are as follows: 

Women’s 48kg
1. Sara Menezes (BRA)
2. Taciana Lima (BRA)
3. Paula Pareto (ARG)
3. Shugen Wu (GHN)
5. Oiana Blanco (ESP)
5. Valentina Moscatt (ITA)
7. Nataliya Kondratyeva (RUS)
7. Daniela Polzin (BRA)

Also Competed: Ann Shiraishi (San Francisco, Calif. / East Bay Judo Institute), 0-1

5. Concepcion Bellorin (ESP)
5. Rafaela Silva (BRA)
7. Marlen Hein (GER)
7. Joliane Melancon (CAN)

Also Competed: Hannah Martin (Burnt Hills, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center), 1-1
Hana Carmichael (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE), 0-1
Anna Palmer (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center), 0-1

2. Claudia Malzahn (GER)
3. Yaritza Abel (CUB)
3. Vera Koval (RUS)
5. Kylie Koenig (AUS)
5. Mariana Silva (BRA)
7. Marta Labazina (RUS)
7. Diana Velasco (COL)

Also Competed: Christal Ransom (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center), 0-1

2. Javier Guedez (VEN)
3. Felipe Kitadai (BRA)
3. Phelipe Pelim (BRA)
5. Valtteri Jokinen (FIN)
5. Sergio Pessoa (CAN)
7. Ludovic Chammartin (SUI)
7. Aaron Kunihiro (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE)
 
Also Competed: Jeff Fujimoto (Berkeley, Calif. / Cal Judo), 0-1

2. Dan Fasie (ROU)
3. Musa Mogushkov (RUS)
3. Luiz Revite (BRA)
5. Leandro Cunha (BRA)
5. Sanjaasuren Miyaragchaa (MGL)
7. Lavrentis Alexanidis (GRE)
7. Denilson Lourenco (BRA)

Also Competed: Brad Bolen (Scotia, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center), 0-1
Jeff Fong (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University), 0-1

2. Mansur Isaev (RUS)
3. Sainjargal Nyam-Ochir (MGL)
3. Nick Tritton (CAN)
5. Moacir Junior (BRA)
5. Krzysztof Wilkomirski (POL)
7. Hussein Hafiz (EGY)
7. Sezer Huysuz (TUR) 

Also Competed: Nick Delpopolo (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE), 1-1
Michael Eldred (Fruitland, Idaho / Western Idaho Judo Institute), 1-1

Tags: Aaron Kunihiro, Aaron Kunihiro, Ann Shiraishi, Anna Palmer, Anna Palmer, Christal Ransom, Hana Carmichael, Hannah Martin, Marti Malloy, Michael Eldred