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 Pan-American Games Judo Competition Santo Domingo: August 9 - 12, 2003 Day 3 By Barnaby Chesterman |
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| Until now Cuba was the dominant force in the judo competition
of the Pan-American Games, led formidably by its all-conquering women. Brazil hit back in
style on the second day to share the main spoils but on the third day there was a significant
shift in power. Brazil edged closer to Cuba at the top of the medal table but Canada and USA
figured prominently and showed that they too have a say in the final destinations of the gold
medals. But the biggest news of all was a chink in the Cuban women's armour. Women's under 70kg
That always looked like being the gold medal contest, even though it arrived at the semi-final stage. When Zuleta Produced a second Yuko from Maki-komi and moved into a hold, she could as good as taste the gold medal. Christina Yannetsos of USA put up a spirited showing in the final but was simply outclassed and did well to take the contest four minutes before penalties cost her. She was already trailing by Waza-ari from a lovely Ura-nage when her third penalty ended the bout. Chisholm was surprisingly beaten for bronze by Ecuador's Diana Chala. Chisholm fell behind early on by shido and then struggled to stamp her authority on proceedings. Chala matched her for determination and industry and when Chisholm went for broke with a running leg-grab, Chala countered her for Ippon with a sweet Uchi-mata. The final medal was the most popular in the stadium as Dominicana's Dulce Pina made short work of Copes. She reacted quickly from the buzzer and took her over for Ippon with a dynamic Kochiki-taioshi. She celebrated wildly, as did the noisy crowd. Women's under 78kg
Yurisle Laborde had only stepped onto the mat once before, having been the lucky beneficiary of a bye straight into the last four. She was made to work by Canada's Amy Cotton but eventually finished it with a lovely textbook Cuban Sode-tsuri-komi-goshi. The final was tense and tactical with both fighters reluctant to allow the other a sleeve grip. They moved around the mat steadily, Silva's left stance to Laborde's right. But the cagey game work wonders for Silva who struck in the final 20 seconds, pouncing on a Laborde error to push her backwards for Yuko - and the gold medal. Cotton enjoyed a strong finish to her championship by overcoming German and a passionate crowd. Cotton was always first to attack and was twice rewarded with Yuko from Maki-komi. When she pounced on a German mistake to take her backwards for Waza-ari, she moved straight into a hold and kept a strong grip for 20 seconds to win the bronze. Venezuela's Keivi Pinto joined her on the podium by edging out USA's Loretta Edwards in a drab fight settled by penalties. Men's under 90kg
It was such a tight final between Canada's Keith Morgan and Brian Olson of USA that it was fitting it should end in sudden-death. Olson had tried and failed with his sumi-gaeshi, Morgan likewise with his stooping Yoko-kata-gatame but in the end, that was his undoing. Morgan, possibly wary of not conceding a decisive penalty, came in for his low attack but without enough conviction. Olson blocked, pounced and drove him backwards for the smallest score, Koka, and the biggest title in this area. The other two genuine world class contenders came away with bronze medals. Carlos Honorato of Brazil beat Yosvane Despaigne of Cuba by a single penalty in the first round but when he was then beaten in the semi-final by Morgan, it left both of these fighting for the smaller scraps. Despaigne had the harder task against the big home idol, Vicbart Gersldino. But Despaigne has the finest physique in judo and had just enough to hold off the Dominican's challenge and win by shido. Honorato, who was a little unfortunate to lose to Morgan when his Canadian opponent benefited from a slightly generous and wholly decisive Waza-ari, faced Argentina's Diego Rosati for bronze. The Argentine looked like he had few expectations but he did not fight like a man with nothing to lose and Honorato took the upper hand from the beginning. He scored an early Yuko with a rolling counter to uchi-mata and then forced a succession of penalties on his opponent. With Rosati at Keikoku, Honorato scored Waza-ari to finish the contest and improve his country's growing medal haul. Men's under 100kg
Gill cruised past Michael Barnes of USA in the quarter-finals to set up a bout with Oreidis Despaigne of Cuba. This was his first long and gruelling extended battle but that was all his own doing. Gill moved ahead by scoring Waza-ari with a whipping, driving hand technique. The fighters incurred a couple of penalties each and then Despaigne hit back with Yuko from a foot sweep. It was a close call that could have gone Gill's way but he thought it did. With time ticking away, the Canadian gave away a needless penalty, thinking he had scores in hand but that levelled matters as he received Keikoku to cancel out his Waza-ari. The bemused Gill made amends in extra-time, though, with a fine Sasae-tsuri-komi-ashi of his own to score a winning Ippon. The final was an equally tight affair but, in keeping with many of the finals, it was a tactical and ponderous one. Gill faced Mario Sabino of Brazil and the two simply cancelled each other out. Although there were moments of drama, they came more from the brittle tension than the fighters' produce. Again the fight moved into golden score, but with Gill looking considerably more tired in the stifling heat and humidity in Santo Domingo. And half way through, that was the difference. Gill wilted and Sabino seized his chance with a powerful Osoto-gari for Ippon. Despaigne emulated his brother's earlier achievement by making it onto the third podium platform. The powerful Cuban had too much for Dominicana's Jose Vasquez and despite a bright opening form the home fighter, Despaigne threw him for Ippon. Barnes came back well through the repechage to face Ramon Ayala of Puerto Rico for bronze. Despite vociferous support for Ayala, Barnes had the edge and won bronze with Waza-ari from Sumi-gaeshi. « Day 2 Day 4 » « back |
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| Pan Am Games 2003 |
| MEN -60kg GOMEZ, Angelo (USA) -66kg ARENCIBIA, Yordanis (CUB) -73kg CAMILO, Luiz (BRA) -81kg CANTO, Flavio (BRA) -90kg OLSON, Brian (USA) -100kg SABNIMO, Mario (BRA) +100kg HERNANDEZ, Daniel (BRA) WOMEN -48kg CARRION, Danieska (CUB) -52kg MELO, Neyla (COL) -57kg LUPETEY, Yurisleidis (CUB) -63kg GONZALEZ, Driulis (CUB) -70kg ZULETA, Regla (CUB) -78kg SILVA, Edinanci (BRA) +78kg BELTRAN, Daima (CUB) |