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Stevens places ninth in Olympic judo competition
August 12, 2008
Travis Stevens, in blue, throws Taigo Camilo of Brazil in the 81 kg judo competition Tuesday at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
(Beijing, China) – Within an hour after 22-year-old Travis Stevens (Glenville, N.Y. / Tacoma Wash.) placed ninth in the 81kg division on Tuesday, he was already making plans for tonight’s workout, tomorrow’s workout and the gold medal he hopes to win in London four years from now.
A Pan American Games Champion who won his first international gold medal at the U.S. Open less than two years ago, Stevens began his Olympic Games with a first round bye and a second round match that ended in just over three minutes when he soundly defeated Franklin Ceisneros (ESA). After Cisneros was given a penalty, Stevens threw him for a yuko (quarter-point) score and later armbarred him to win the match.
In the next round, Stevens was penalized twice against 10-time World Cup medalist and former European Champion Ole Bischof (GER) and thrown for a koka (smallest points) score. Although Bischof was given a penalty as well, Stevens lost the match.
“He was really strong and he changed up how he fights which I didn’t expect,” Stevens said. “The German brought a whole new game plan and let me make mistakes.”
In one of the day’s biggest upsets, Bischof dispatched reigning World Champion Tiago Camilo (BRA) in the
quarter-finals which kept Stevens’ medal hopes alive as he moved down to the repechage where athletes can fight through for bronze.
“It’s a new day!” Stevens said after finding out he was going to have another chance at a potential medal.
An uneducated spectator never would have known that Stevens’ next opponent, Mehman Azizov (AZE), was a 17-time World Cup medalist who placed fifth in Athens as Stevens controlled the entire match from the first minute.
Azizmov was awarded the first penalty of the match and a pair of penalties for both players soon followed before Stevens threw Azizmov for a waza-ari (half-point) score.
In the final minute, Azizmov still hadn’t attacked and was given a third penalty which, combined with the throw for a waza-ari earlier in the match, combined to give Stevens the win with 54 seconds remaining.
Stevens’ next opponent was Camilo who won the 2007 World Championships in spectacular fashion, throwing all of his opponents for ippon (instant win).
Down by two penalties, Stevens was thrown by Camilo for a koka score, but still didn’t give up, nearly tying the match with a throw that was scored as a yuko in the fourth minute.
Camilo held onto the narrow lead for the final 90 seconds to win the match while Stevens placed ninth.
“I think I got a couple bad calls during the day, but if you don’t come back from that you don’t really deserve to win,” Stevens said.
After his last match, Stevens described the competition as being a valuable experience toward his goal to become the best judo player in the world.
“I didn’t perform my best, but I did a lot of things right and I’m going to learn from my mistakes,” Stevens said. “Now that I’ve been here, I’ve had the experience and I’ve shown that I can compete at this level.”
While many players will take time off after the Games, Stevens insists there will be no break in his focus for gold.
“I’m going to go back to the village and go for a run tonight and then do a workout tomorrow. I want to get right back into training and go through the tapes. If you wait a month, you start to forget things so I’m staying through freestyle wrestling and then I want to get back in the dojo.” said Stevens who plans to return to international competition in the fall with stops at the U.S. Open and Rendez-Vous Canada as well as a trip to fight in Europe.
For Stevens, the countdown to London starts today: “I’m ready to be on the top of the podium in 2012.”
For more on Stevens' performance, read Morris' blog, "Live at the Olympics," at www.dailygazette.com
*Photo courtesy Lou DiGesare/realjudo.net
Travis Stevens Makes 2008 Olympic Team
In the final, Stevens fought Aaron Cohen for the first time this year. Although Stevens won four of their five matches in 2007, the crowd expected a close match and both players had nearly a hundred supporters in the stands.
“I’m from Washington and then I trained in San Jose and now I’m on the East Coast so I have a big group of people cheering for me,” Stevens said.
The match was scoreless and went into overtime when Cohen threw Stevens for a koka' While Cohen celebrated on the mat, the referee jury convened and overturned the call, resuming the match for both players.
Stevens came back several attacks later, throwing Cohen with a pickup for ippon.
“It means a lot too because that would’ve been a lot of pressure to come back and beat him two more times,” Stevens said. “I was just happy [after the throw for ippon] because I knew it was official.”
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Travis Stevens with a throw @ the Pan Am Games
Travis with his Pan Am Games Gold Medal
From the Seattle Times
LOCAL BOY WINS GOLD AT JUDO JR. US OPEN
July 28-29
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Young judo players from fourteen countries participated in the USA Judo Jr. U.S. Open Judo Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Among them was Isaac Harai, 7, of Ippon Judo Dojo in Lakewood, WA. Isaac’s last match, against the fighter from Barbados, was his closest, but he managed to protect his lead, winning the gold medal.
Several of Isaac’s teammates also medaled. Mychayla Villani (9) and Anthony Haskins (18) took silver, and Christian Villani (10) took bronze.
Other medalists from the Northwest include Eric Soler (12) of Emerald City Judo in Redmond and Austin Hronek (14) of Obukan Dojo in Portland, who both placed third.
LOCAL BOY WINS GOLD AT JUDO JR. US OPEN
July 28-29
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Young judo players from fourteen countries participated in the USA Judo Jr. U.S. Open Judo Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Among them was Isaac Harai, 7, of Ippon Judo Dojo in Lakewood, WA. Isaac’s last match, against the fighter from Barbados, was his closest, but he managed to protect his lead, winning the gold medal.
Several of Isaac’s teammates also medaled. Mychayla Villani (9) and Anthony Haskins (18) took silver, and Christian Villani (10) took bronze.
Other medalists from the Northwest include Eric Soler (12) of Emerald City Judo in Redmond and Austin Hronek (14) of Obukan Dojo in Portland, who both placed third.
Seattle Times
Local Judo Team Stands Out at Junior Olympics
July 21-22, San Antonio, Texas
As the 2007 USA Judo National Junior Olympic Championships got underway, the team from Ippon Judo Dojo, of Lakewood Washington, broke into cheers at the announcement that their alumni, Travis Stevens of Tacoma, competing on the same day at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, had just won the gold medal. Inspired by this news, the team of nine from Ippon Judo Dojo, Stevens’s home town dojo, then went on to win an amazing five Junior Olympic gold medals and three silvers.
On day one, fourteen-year-old Joshua Villani, who beat the previous year’s quadruple crown winner and took the gold (Boys Juvenile A, 53 kg), was recognized as that day’s Outstanding Judoka (the equivalent of an MVP) by USA Judo. The highlight of day two was seventeen-year-old Jared Sterling’s win over Aaron Kunihiro, a two-time Senior National Champion, in the Boys IJF Junior 60 kg division. Sterling’s spectacular leg picks earned him the Best Technique award for the day by USA Judo.
Other gold medal winners were seven-year-old Isaac Harai (Boys Bantam 3, 23 kg), ten-year-old Christian Villani (Boys Intermediate 2, 34 kg), and seven-year-old Jasmine Parker-Borrero (Girls Bantam 2, 30 kg). Taking the silver were nine-year-old Mychayla Villani (Girls Intermediate 1, 30 kg), eleven-year-old Kiaya Van Scoyoc (Girls Intermediate 2, 60 kg), and eighteen-year-old Anthony Haskins (Boys IJF Junior, +100 kg), who is also this year’s USA Judo Collegiate National Champion.
Ippon Judo Dojo’s head coach, Jason Harai says, “I expected our team to do well, but this weekend’s performance was like a dream. These kids all worked hard, and it’s nice to see that paying off.”
Jared Sterling, Joshua Villani, Christian Villani, Mychayla Villani, and Isaac Harai aren’t done yet. They will represent the United States in the USA Judo Junior U.S. Open, in Fort Lauderdale, FL this weekend, July 28-29. Coach Harai says, “I look forward to seeing what these kids can do on the international level.”
Local Judo Team Stands Out at Junior Olympics
July 21-22, San Antonio, Texas
As the 2007 USA Judo National Junior Olympic Championships got underway, the team from Ippon Judo Dojo, of Lakewood Washington, broke into cheers at the announcement that their alumni, Travis Stevens of Tacoma, competing on the same day at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, had just won the gold medal. Inspired by this news, the team of nine from Ippon Judo Dojo, Stevens’s home town dojo, then went on to win an amazing five Junior Olympic gold medals and three silvers.
On day one, fourteen-year-old Joshua Villani, who beat the previous year’s quadruple crown winner and took the gold (Boys Juvenile A, 53 kg), was recognized as that day’s Outstanding Judoka (the equivalent of an MVP) by USA Judo. The highlight of day two was seventeen-year-old Jared Sterling’s win over Aaron Kunihiro, a two-time Senior National Champion, in the Boys IJF Junior 60 kg division. Sterling’s spectacular leg picks earned him the Best Technique award for the day by USA Judo.
Other gold medal winners were seven-year-old Isaac Harai (Boys Bantam 3, 23 kg), ten-year-old Christian Villani (Boys Intermediate 2, 34 kg), and seven-year-old Jasmine Parker-Borrero (Girls Bantam 2, 30 kg). Taking the silver were nine-year-old Mychayla Villani (Girls Intermediate 1, 30 kg), eleven-year-old Kiaya Van Scoyoc (Girls Intermediate 2, 60 kg), and eighteen-year-old Anthony Haskins (Boys IJF Junior, +100 kg), who is also this year’s USA Judo Collegiate National Champion.
Ippon Judo Dojo’s head coach, Jason Harai says, “I expected our team to do well, but this weekend’s performance was like a dream. These kids all worked hard, and it’s nice to see that paying off.”
Jared Sterling, Joshua Villani, Christian Villani, Mychayla Villani, and Isaac Harai aren’t done yet. They will represent the United States in the USA Judo Junior U.S. Open, in Fort Lauderdale, FL this weekend, July 28-29. Coach Harai says, “I look forward to seeing what these kids can do on the international level.”
