Teams Announced for USA vs. Venezuela Challenge in Miami on Saturday

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – USA Judo is pleased to announce the roster of 11 U.S. athletes will compete against members of the Venezuelan National Team on Saturday in Miami in the USA vs. Venezuela Challenge team competition.                 

The competition will be held through a partnership between USA Judo and the International Judo Federation Judo for Peace Commission from 5 – 6:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Miami Christian School, 200 NW 109th Avenue, Miami, Fla.  The event has free admission and is open to the public.

Both teams include past Pan American and World Championship Team members with one of the marquee match-ups coming between 2007 Pan Am Games medalist Jeanette Rodriguez (Davie, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami) and six-time Pan Am medalist Flor Velazquez (VEN) who will compete against each other for the first time.  

The Venezuelans arrived on Monday and have been training at the USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami in preparation for the U.S. Open which will be held Sept. 25-26 in San Jose, Calif.

Players from both teams are available for interviews on either Friday or Saturday upon request.  

A complete roster of both teams is as follows:

Team USA

Women
44kg
Veronica Prado (Coral Springs, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami), 2006 Senior Pan Am Team member and fifth-place finisher at the 2009 Belo Horizonte World Cup

48kg
Brianna Padron (Davie, Fla. / Panther Judo), 2009 Junior U.S. Open bronze medalist

52kg
Jeanette Rodriguez (Davie, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami), 2007 Pan Am Games bronze medalist and fifth-place finisher at the 2009 Belo Horizonte World Cup

57kg
Lauren Baez (Coral Gables, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami), 2009 Junior U.S. Open

63kg
Angelica Delgado (Miami, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami), 2009 Senior Pan Am Team member and fifth-place finisher at the Belo Horizonte World Cup

Men
60kg
Steve Perez (Miami, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami), 2008 U.S. Open silver medalist

66kg
Rolando Ruiz (Hialeah, Fla. / Budokan Judo Club), fifth-place finisher at the 2009 Junior U.S. Open

73kg
Andrew Porras (Miami, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami), 2009 Jose Ramon Rodriguez Championships silver medalist

81kg
Jonathan Fernandez (Miami, Fla. / Baraqua Judo Kai), 2009 Junior U.S. Open Champion

90kg
Shawn Blakey (Miami, Fla. / FIU Judo Club)

100kg
Ozzie Norat (Miami, Fla. / Budokan Judo Club)

+100kg
Anthony Turner (Miami, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami), 2008 U.S. Olympic Team alternate and 2001 Pan Am bronze medalist

Venezuela

Women
44kg
Orlinda Ortiz, 2009 Venezuelan National Champion and Simon Bolivar International Cup Champion  

48kg
Diana Ortiz, two-time Simon Bolivar International Cup medalist

52kg
Flor Velazquez, six-time Pan Am medalist and ninth-place finisher at the Beijing Olympic Games

57kg
Luciana Castillo, 2009 Venezuelan National Champion

63kg
Isis Barreto, seventh-place finisher at the Beijing Olympic Games and five-time Pan American medalist

Men
60kg
Javier Guedez, three-time Pan American Champion and seventh-place finisher at the 2009 World Championships

66kg
Ricardo Valderrama, 2004 South American Junior Champion

73kg
Ludwig Ortiz, 10-time Pan Am medalist and fifth-place finisher at the 1999 World Championships

81kg
Melvin Rodriguez, 2004 South American Junior Champion

90kg
Jose Camacho, three-time Pan Am medalist

100kg
Antonio Pena, 2009 Venezuelan National Champion

+100kg
Miguel Soto, fifth-place finisher at the 2008 Pan American Championships

Tags: Angelica Delgado, Brianna Padron , Jeanette Rodriguez, Steve Perez, Veronica Prado