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Follow on Google News | JUDO: Kayla Harrison Ends European Tour with Bronze at Rotterdam Grand PrixOne month and three World Tour events in Europe concluded on Sunday with a third medal for reigning World Champion Kayla Harrison who won bronze in the 78kg division at the Rotterdam Grand Prix in the Netherlands.
By: USA Judo Harrison, who travelled to the Netherlands last week to spend time training after a silver medal win at the Uzbekistan World Cup and gold at the Birmingham World Cup, entered the event at the conclusion of a month-long tour of Europe. After a first-round bye, Harrison armbarred three-time Pan Am medalist Keivi Pinto (VEN). In the quarter-finals, Harrison had a rematch with 2008 Rotterdam Super World Cup medalist Jennifer Kuijpers (NED) whom Harrison defeated two weeks ago at the Birmingham World Cup. This time, Harrison took just 30 seconds to throw Kuijpers for ippon (instant win) with a sode (sleeve throw). Harrison’s semifinal match pitted her against 20-year-old Audrey Tcheumeo (FRA). Although Harrison defeated Tcheumeo during their first meeting in the finals of the 2008 Junior Worlds, Tcheumeo won their last match at the Brazil Grand Slam in May. Early in the match, Tcheumeo caught Harrison with an o soto gari (outer leg throw) for a waza-ari (half-point) “Audrey is always a tough match-up for me because she’s very strong,” Harrison said. “I didn’t stick to my game plan because i got caught early on and it flustered me. So instead of keeping my head, I chased her and it cost me the match. It’s something I’m going to have to work on. But it does not pertain only to Audrey, it’s relevant to all of my matches.” Harrison, who will return to Wakefield to train before the Asian leg of the Tour, went on to say that her focus remains on the London Olympic Games in 2012. “It’s good to let her get the wins in now because I know that the ultimate goal is the Olympics and I’m going to go home and go over the tapes with Jimmy and Big Jim and come up with a solution to the problem,” she said. Due to the tournament’s single elimination format, Harrison’s semifinal loss meant a bronze medal win rather than an additional fight for third. “If 'm being honest with myself, I know I didn’t fight that well,” Harrison said. “I peaked for Worlds and I came here for experience. I know I fought flat, but if I can fight flat and still come home with medals, it means I’m on the right track for the Olympics.” Harrison’s next major event is scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend in Abu Dhabi. “I know I need to continue to work on my gripping and my mental focus during my matches,” Harrison said. “I’m looking forward to going home with some hardware and settling back into a tough training regimen, even if it’s only for a short while.” Three of Harrison’s teammates also competed at the Rotterdam World Cup, but did not advance to the medal rounds. On Saturday, four-time World Cup medalist Travis Stevens (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) had a first-round bye before pinning Lukasz Blach (POL) in the 81kg division. In the third round, Stevens and four-time World Cup medalist Arsen Pshmakhov (RUS) were tied with a penalty each when the Russian caught Stevens first for a waza-ari score and then for ippon in the last minute. Two-time World Cup Champion Nick Delpopolo (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) lost his first-round match in the 73kg division by a waza-ari to Hasan Vanlioglu (TUR). The lone competitor for Team USA on Friday, 2009 Pan Am medalist Aaron Kunihiro (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) had a close match against 2009 World medalist Elio Verde (ITA) after a first-round bye in the 60kg division. Although Kunihiro held Verde scoreless, he lost the match by two penalties. Top-five and U.S. results for the Rotterdam Grand Prix are as follows: Women’s 48kg 1. Charline Van Snick (BEL) 2. Alina Dumitru (ROU) 3. Carmen Bogdan (ROU) 3. Emi Yamagishi (JPN) 5. Lisa Kearney (IRL) 5. Gayane Arutiunyan (ARM) 5. Roni Schwartz (ISR) 5. Laetitia Payet (FRA) Women’s 52kg 1. Jaana Sundberg (FIN) 2. Laura Gomez (ESP) 3. Ana Carrascosa (ESP) 3. Penelope Bonna (FRA) 5. Petra Nareks (SLO) 5. Lucie Chytra (CZE) 5. Majilinda Kelmendi (IJF) 5. Miriam Polak (NED) Women’s 57kg 1. Aiko Sato (JPN) 2. Marlen Hein (GER) 3. Vesna Dzukic (SLO) 3. Viola Waechter (GER) 5. Julie Baeyens (BEL) 5. Giulia Quintavalle (ITA) 5. Andreea Chitu (ROU) 5. Joliane Melancon (CAN) Women’s 63kg 1. Elisabeth Willeboordse (NED) 2. Urska Zolnir (SLO) 3. Claudia Malzahn (GER) 3. Anicka Van Emden (NED) 5. Esther Stam (NED) 5. Alice Schlesinger (ISR) 5. Paulina Weglarz (POL) 5. Marijana Miskovic (CRO) Women’s 70kg 1. Haruka Tachimoto (JPN) 2. Erica Barbieri (ITA) 3. Linda Bolder (NED) 3. Marie Pasquet (FRA) 5. Mylene Riad (FRA) 5. Iljana Marzok (GER) 5. Maria Bernabeu (ESP) 5. Nataliya Smal (UKR) Women’s 78kg 1. Akari Ogata (JPN) 2. Audrey Tcheumeo (FRA) 3. Catherine Jacques (BEL) 3. Kayla Harrison (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) 5. Lucie Louette (FRA) 5. Annika Heise (GER) 5. Jennifer Kuijpers (NED) 5. Heide Wollert (GER) Women’s +78kg 1. Gulsah Kocaturk (TUR) 2. Anne-Sophie Mondiere (FRA) 3. Belkis Zehra Kaya (TUR) 3. Lucia Tangorre (ITA) 5. Maryna Prokofyeva (UKR) 5. Sarah Adlington (GBR) 5. Franziska Konitz (GER) 5. Carola Uilenhoed (NED) Men’s 60kg 1. Amiran Papinashvili (GEO) 2. Ludwig Paischer (AUT) 3. Sergio Pessoa (CAN) 3. Elio Verde (ITA) 5. Jeroen Mooren (NED) 5. Ashley McKenzie (GBR) 5. Hirofumi Yamamoto (JPN) 5. Pavel Petrikov (CZE) Also Competed: Aaron Kunihiro (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE), 0-1 Men’s 66kg 1. Mikhail Pulyaev (RUS) 2. Francesco Faraldo (ITA) 3. Miklos Ungvari (HUN) 3. Serhiy Drebot (UKR) 5. Florent Urani .(FRA) 5. Victor Scvortov (MDA) 5. Jasper De Jong (NED) 5. Pierre Duprat (FRA) Men’s 73kg 1. Joao Pina (POR) 2. Dex Elmont (NED) 3. Murat Kodzokov (RUS) 3. Tomasz Adamiec (POL) 5. Volodymyr Soroka (UKR) 5. Christopher Voelk (GER) 5. Ioseb Palelashvili (ISR) 5. Riki Nakaya (JPN) Also Competed: Nick Delpopolo (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE), 0-1 Men’s 81kg 1. Guillaume Elmont (NED) 2. Takahiro Nakai (JPN) 3. Sergiu Toma (MDA) 3. Antonio Ciano (ITA) 5. Laszlo Csoknyai (HUN) 5. Yoel Razvozov (ISR) 5. Alain Schmitt (FRA) 5. Arsen Pshmakhov (RUS) Also Competed: Travis Stevens (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE), 1-1 Men’s 90kg 1. Yuya Yoshida (JPN) 2. Varlam Liparteliani (GEO) 3. Kirill Voprosov (RUS) 3. Milan Randl (SVK) 5. David Alarza (ESP) 5. Anthony Laignes (FRA) 5. Robby Van Laarhoven (NED) 5. Zviad Gogotchuri (GEO) Men’s 100kg 1. Henk Grol (NED) 2. Jevgenijs Borodavko (LAT) 3. Sergey Samoylovich (RUS) 3. Martin Pacek (SWE) 5. Danny Meeuwsen (NED) 5. David Loriashvili (GEO) 5. Lukas Krpalek (CZE) 5. Askhab Kostoev (RUS) Men’s +100kg 1. Hiroki Tachiyama (JPN) 2. Vladimirs Osnachs (LAT) 3. Stanislav Bondarenko (UKR) 3. Paolo Bianchessi (ITA) 5. Masaru Momose (JPN) 5. Adam Okruashvili (GEO) 5. Janusz Wojnarowicz (POL) 5. Dmitriy Sterkhov (RUS) # # # USA Judo is dedicated to the growth & development of the sport of judo at all levels. A member organization of the U.S. Olympic Committee, USA Judo is responsible for the development, support and selection of Olympic, Pan Am & World Championship Teams. End
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