2007 Belgian Women's Open

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2007 Belgian Women's Open 3rd February - Day 1

Women Day 2 and Men Day 1

February 3, 2007

Contact: Nicole Jomantas, 719.271.9937 (cell)

Nicole.Jomantas@usajudo.us

JUDO: Kayla Harrison Becomes First American to Win Junior Belgian Ladies Open

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Sixteen-year-old Kayla Harrison (Middletown, Ohio / Renshuden Judo / 70kg) became the first American ever to win the Junior Belgian Ladies Open in Arlon on Saturday.

Harrison was one of two U.S. medalists as Jeanette Rodriguez (Coral Springs, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training Site - left with her gold medal at the British Open a week earlier) won a bronze medal in the 48kg division.

The event, considered one of the most difficult open tournaments in Europe for girls under 20-years-old, drew approximately 250 players, including past Junior and Senior World Champions.

Harrison had little trouble with her opponents, winning six consecutive matches without giving up either a point or a penalty to the other players.

Due to the unique format of the tournament, each division is broken up into a series of round robins with three or four players each. The top two out of each round robin advance to the main draw.

Harrison pinned her first two opponents, both Germans, with sankaku (triangle hold) less than two minutes into the matches.

In the draw, she threw another German with harai goshi (hip throw) for ippon (in the third minute). Harrison still another German for her second match, throwing her with an o uchi gari (inner leg throw) for ippon.

The semifinal pitted Harrison against Kelita Zupancic (CAN) who won bronze medals at both last week’s Senior British Open and the Senior U.S. Open in October. Much like their last match, the USA Junior Cup nearly a year ago, Harrison won here as well by a koka (smallest points) in overtime with a seoi nage (shoulder throw).

By the final match, Kayla was already guaranteed the most successful finish for her an American in the history of the event as no U.S. athlete had ever advanced to the finals.

Harrison started the match off quickly, throwing a German who she previously defeated in the round robin for a yuko during the first 30 seconds of the match. Harrison was up by two penalties committed by the German when her opponent went in for a throw. Harrison immediately took the German took the ground, pinning her to win gold.

“After the British last week I just wanted to come back and do best I could,” Harrison said. “I was bummed with how I finished there, but knew I had to move on and do best I could here.”

Tomorrow Harrison and her junior teammates will compete in the senior division of the Belgian Ladies’ Open.

“Tomorrow’s another day. I’m really excited now, but I know later on tonight I just have to start getting ready tomorrow,” she said. “It’ll definitely be even more people. I’m pretty sure all the girls from today will fight again, plus the Cuban and a really tough Japanese girl, so it’s gonna be pretty stacked.”

Jeanette Rodriguez (Coral Springs, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training Site / 48kg) won a bronze medal on the heels of her Senior British Open gold last week. After going undefeated against three opponents in her round-robin pool, Rodriguez advanced to the main draw.

The 16-year-old defeated a German opponent in the quarter-finals by referees’ decision at the end of Golden Score to advance to the semifinals. In the semifinal, Rodriguez’s match against Belgium went into overtime and the Belgian armbarred Rodriguez for the win.

Rodriguez then dropped down to the bronze medal match where she beat another German by ippon to finish third.

The division was won by the reigning Junior and Senior World Champion Yanet Bermoy (CUB). In what may be a prelude of things to come in the senior divisions, Cuba had four entries in the junior competition and took titles in three divisions – 48kg, 52kg and 63kg, represented by 2006 World Junior Champion Onix Cortes. Cuba’s +78kg competitor lost the country’s only match of the day, but still won a bronze.

Pauline Macias (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Olympic Training Center USA Judo National Training Site) fought for bronze in the 57kg division, but lost, finishing fifth. Macias came into the draw as her pool’s #2 player, but progressed to the semifinals where she lost to drop down to the bronze medal match.

Marina Shafir (Latham, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center) had a similar experience to Macias. The #2 player in her pool, Shafir advanced to the semifinals before losing to drop down to the repechage. Shafir lost again in the bronze medal match to finish fifth.

Hana Carmichael (Wellington, Fla. / Budokan Judo / 57kg) had a good showing, but after going 1-1 in the round robin, she won her first match and lost her second.

Franchesca Durand (Coral Springs, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training Site - left) won bronze in her 52kg division here last year, but the 15-year-old who won last week’s British Open, went 1-1 in the round robin and 1-1 in the main draw, losing first to the eventual Cuban Champion and later to a German who did not advance to the semifinal.

Natalie Laursen (Livermore, Calif. / Amador Judo / 63kg) went 1-1 in her pool and 0-1 in the main draw.

Angelica Delgado (Miami, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training Site / 57kg), Veronica Prado (Coral Springs, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Traininig Site / 48kg) and Brittni Bradford (San Antonio, Texas / Universal Judo / +78kg) also competed, but did not advance out of their pools with Delgado producing the single win for the trio.

For more information, contact Nicole Jomantas, USA Judo Director of Communications and Media Relations, at 719.271.9937 (cell) or Nicole.Jomantas@usajudo.us.

RESULTS u20

-48 1 BERMOY YANET I CUB

2 ROSSENEU AMELIE BEL

3 PRINCE TONI Y GBR

3 RODRIGUEZ JEANETTE Y USA

-52 1 ESPINOSA SHEILA I CUB

2 ZIMMERMANN SUSI DEU

3 KLIMASARA JOHANNA I DEU

3 NATOLI KATRIEN W BEL

-57 1 BRÜCK HANNAH W DEU

2 FRANSSEN JUUL NLD

3 KÜHN MEL I DEU