Rodriguez and Malloy Win Gold at USA World Cup, Team USA Earns Five Medals

(Miami, Fla.) – It has been three years since Jeanette Rodriguez (Davie, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at South Florida) moved up from 48kg to 52kg. 

One of the United States’ most promising juniors who competed on her first Senior World Team as a 17-year-old, Rodriguez struggled this season.  Although she won a bronze medal at the Pan American Championships in April, a broken foot kept her from competing at the Senior National Championships in May.

Rodriguez returned to competition in June at the Venezuela World Cup where she fought for bronze, but placed fifth and was eliminated early at the El Salvador World Cup. 

“I haven’t been pleased at all with how things have been going this year.  I’ve made some stupid mistakes, but I’ve been training really hard, really hard for this,” Rodriguez said.  “It’s my hometown and I was here to win gold.” 

After beating Oritia Gonzalez (ARG) by a waza-ari (half-point) in her opening match at the USA World Cup on Friday at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa, Rodriguez faced her USA Judo National Training Site at South Florida teammate Angelica Delgado (Miami, Fla.) in the semifinals.  Although the two have never fought in competition, years of the two friends battling in the dojo set the stage for a close match that was won by Rodriguez on penalties.

In the finals, Rodriguez was thrown by Keum-Mai Choi (KOR) early in the match for what was called as a yuko (quarter-point) score and then upgraded to a waza-ari (half-point). 

“I didn’t care what the score was.  I just didn’t want it to be ippon [instant win],” Rodriguez said.  “Even when they changed it from a yuko, I didn’t care because I knew I still had five minutes to kick some tail.”  

Soon Choi began acquiring penalties and when the tally got to three for the Korean, the score was tied.  Early in the final minute, the referee awarded a fourth penalty to Choi that would have given Rodriguez the win. 

“I thought for sure it was gonna be over,” she said.  “I really didn’t want to go to Golden Score, so I tried everything I could to win it.”

Although Rodriguez made multiple throw attempts, she couldn’t earn a score and the sudden death overtime period drug on with both athletes visibly tired from the match. 

“I kept applying pressure and eventually it paid off,” said Rodriguez who finally won the match when Choi was given another penalty.

The win is the first gold medal for Rodriguez who hadn’t let the goal out of her sight.

“All I focused on was winning the gold medal,” Rodriguez said.  “Yesterday I just kept saying ‘I’m not going home without the gold’ when I was cutting weight and then before weigh-ins this morning and during the first match and the second one.  All the way into Golden Score I kept saying it.”

Still, gold medal and Olympic qualification points aside, Rodriguez said that it doesn’t change her attitude leading up to the Worlds in September.

“It doesn’t change anything.  I’m still fighting in the U.S. Open on Sunday and I still have lots of things to work on,” Rodriguez said.  “But I’m back.  I want this.  I was sick of my performance and now it’s time to do something about it.”

While Rodriguez made her first steps toward a comeback, Marti Malloy (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University) put an end to her most successful summer ever with a gold medal win in the 57kg division – her second title and four World Cup medal during her last three outings. 

Far from just another medal, however, Malloy’s win came after defeating two Olympic medalists.

After a first-round bye and a second round win over Mee-Hwa Kim (KOR), Malloy fought former World and Olympic Champion Isabel Fernandez (ESP) in the quarter-finals. 

Malloy led by two of Fernandez’ penalties, but Fernandez took the lead when she threw Malloy for a waz-ari score.  Malloy came back in the fourth minute, however, to win the match on penalties when Fernandez was awarded two more.

“Sometimes I get caught up in wanting to have the big throw, but sometimes, particularly at this level, you just have to win by whatever it takes, not necessarily the prettiest technique,” Malloy said.

Malloy won her next match when she threw Emily Bensted (AUS) for ippon in the semifinals to advance to the final round where she would fight for gold against 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Ketleyn Quadros (BRA).  

“I really wanted to control the match.  She’s a righty and I thought I could fight her well, but she was stronger than I’d thought.” 

Down by two penalties, Malloy was having trouble gripping her opponent.

“I was thinking that maybe I could pick up another shido and find some way to make it up, but I kept trying to throw her and it wasn’t working.  Then all of a sudden I just kind of went for it and I was so surprised when it actually worked!” Malloy said.

With the most difficult opponents of the day for a U.S. Team member, Malloy focused on how her difficult draw would be beneficial in the long run.

“I always think I get really good draws, but not today!” she laughed.  “Actually, it was great preparation for Worlds because a, I got to fight players I hadn’t fought before, other than the Australian.  And b, because I got to fight the hardest girls possible here.”

Two days after returning to the United States from Singapore after winning gold at the first-ever Youth Olympic Games, 16-year-old Katelyn Bouyssou (Hope, R.I. / NYAC / Mayo Quanchi Judo Club) found herself in another gold medal final on Friday.

After winning her opening match against Isandrina Sanchez (DOM), Bouyssou advanced to the finals with victories over seven-time World Cup medalist Isabel Latulippe (CAN) and two-time World Cup medalist Lisa Kearney (IRL).  

In the finals, 2008 Olympic medalist Paula Parreto (ARG) controlled the match, throwing Bouyssou for three yuko scores.  Parreto earned a fourth yuko on two stalling penalties by Bouyssou to win the match. 

Competing in the 73kg division, Michael Eldred (Fruitland, Idaho / Western Idaho Judo Institute) and Nick Delpopolo (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Justo National Team FORCE) both won bronze medals. 

Eldred defeated former World medalist Krzysztof Wilkomirski (POL) by ippon in the quarter-finals, but lost in the semis to 10-time World Cup medalist Nick Tritton (CAN). 

Fighting for bronze, Eldred defeated Larent Meseguer (FRA) by three penalties to two. 

After winning his first three matches in the division, Delpopolo lost a close semifinal match to 2009 World medalist Dirk Van Tichel (BEL), but came back in the repechage to defeat Wilkomirski by three penalties.

Four athletes also fought for bronze, but lost their final match to place fifth.

On the heels of back-to-back bronzes at the Venezuela and El Salvador World Cups in June, Nick Kossor (Glenville, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Club) advanced to his third World Cup bronze medal match in the 60kg division.  

Kossor, who won three of his four earlier matches by ippon, went to the edge of the mat during his final match against Charles Breton-Leduc (CAN) where he was caught and thrown for ippon. 

Competing in her second career World Cup medal match Natalie Lafon (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) lost the bronze to Andressa Fernandes (BRA) by four penalties. 

After a loss in the semifinals to Rodriguez, Delgado threw five-time World Cup medalist Marie Muller (LUX) for a yuko score, but Muller came back to throw Delgado for a waza-ari and pin the American for the win. 

Christal Ransom (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) split her opening two matches in the 63kg division, but lost her chance at a bronze medal when six-time Pan Am medalist Isis Barreto (VEN) threw Ransom for ippon late in the match. 

Competition continues on Saturday when Team USA will have 25 athletes taking to the tatami.   

Men’s 60kg
1. Sergio Pessoa Jr. (CAN)
2. Frazer Will (CAN)
3. Javier Guedez (VEN)
3. Charles Breton-Leduc (CAN)
5. Diego Rodriguez (ARG)
5. Nick Kossor (Glenville, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)

Also Competed: Vitaliy Vanyan (Sherman Oaks, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center), 1-1
Aaron Kunihiro (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE), 1-1
Jeff Fujimoto (Berkeley, Calif. / Cal Judo), 0-1

Men’s 66kg
1. Michal Popiel (CAN)
2. Chibana Charles (BRA)
3. Rufat Magomedov (UKR)
3. Michael Mayr (AUT)
5. Fabian Jose (COL)
5. Lloyd Manning (IRL)

Also Competed: Kenny Hashimoto (Thornton, Colo. / Northglenn Judo), 1-1
Brad Bolen (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center), 0-1
Kyle Taketa (Torrance, Calif. / Gardena Judo), 0-1
Leonardo Victoria (Weehawken, N.J. / Tech Judo), 0-1

Men’s 73kg
1. Nick Tritton (CAN)
2. Dirk Van Tichelt (BEL)
3. Michael Eldred (Fruitland, Idaho / Western Idaho Judo Institute)
3. Nick Delpopolo (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE)
5. Laurent Meseguer (FRA)
5. Krzysztof Wilkomirski (POL)

Also Competed: David Torres (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University), 2-1

Women’s 48kg
1. Paula Pareto (ARG)
2. Katelyn Bouyssou (Hope, R.I. / NYAC / Mayo Quanchi Judo Club)
3. Ji-Sun Jung (KOR)
3. Isabel Latulippe (CAN)
5. Lisa Kearney (IRL)
5. Luz Alvarez (COL)

Also Competed: Ann Shiraishi (San Francisco, Calif. / East Bay Judo Institute), 0-1
Angela Creutzberger (Ballston, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center, 0-1
Nadine Encarnacion (Bothell, Wash. / Budokan Judo Club), 0-1 

Women’s 52kg
1. Jeanette Rodriguez (Davie, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at South Florida)
2. Keum-Mai Choi (KOR)
3. Marie Muller (LUX)
3. Andressa Fernandes (BRA)
5. Angelica Delgado (Miami, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at South Florida)
5. Natalie Lafon (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)

Also Competed: Amelia Fulgentes (Simi Valley, Calif. / Mojica Judo), 0-1

Women’s 57kg
1. Marti Malloy (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University)
2. Ketleyn Quadros (BRA)
3. Isabel Fernandez (ESP)
3. Yadinys Amaris (COL)
5. Carli Renzi (AUS)
5. Emily Bensted (AUS)

Also Competed: Hannah Martin (Burnt Hills, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center), 1-2
Pauline Macias (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center), 0-1
Hana Carmichael (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE), 0-1

Women’s 63kg
1. Danielli Yuri Barbosa (BRA)
2. Camila Minakawa (BRA)
3. Myriam Lamarche (CAN)
3. Ysis Barreto (VEN)
5. Katherine Campos (BRA)
5. Christal Ransom (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)

Also Competed: Paola Genao-Butler (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center), 0-1
Janine Nakao (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE), 0-1
Sarah Black (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center), 0-1

Tags: Jeanette Rodriguez, Katelyn Bouyssou, Marti Malloy