Nearly two years ago, Travis Stevens (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) first gained international attention when he defeated 2004 Olympic medalist Flavio Canto (BRA) en route to winning the Pan American Games – his first event as a member of Team USA.
Since then, Stevens won a silver medal at the 2008 Pan American Championships and placed ninth at the Olympic Games, but it was a rematch with Canto in the finals of the Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires that proved to be one of the most exciting matches of the day on Thursday.
After a first-round bye in the 81kg division, Stevens advanced to the finals against Canto, a nine-time World Cup medalist.
The two fought for the duration of the five-minute regulation period with neither athlete giving up a score.
Stevens controlled the overtime period before throwing Canto for ippon (instant win) with an o uchi gari (inner leg throw) to win the gold medal.
Garry St. Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y. / NYAC / Legrosports Starrett) repeated his bronze medal from 2007 in the 90kg division.
After splitting his first two matches, St. Leger threw 2008 Pan Am silver medalist Diego Rosati (ARG) for ippon with a left o soto gari (outer leg throw) to place third.
Olympian Daniel McCormick (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) lost in the opening round of the +100kg division to 2007 World medalist Joao Schlittler (BRA), but defeated Andrew Goulet (CAN) to advance to the bronze medal match.
McCormick and Orlando Baccino (ARG) were tied with a yuko (quarter-point) each when Baccino scored a second yuko in the final 10 seconds to win the bronze medal while McCormick placed fifth.
Mindy Swanson (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri) lost her opening match in the +78kg division to Alyssa Caughy (CAN) and dropped down to the bronze medal match where she lost by two waza-aris (half-point each) to Vanessa Zambotti (MEX).
Four first-time Pan Am Team members also competed, but did not advance to the medal rounds.
Christal Ransom (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) defeated Tamara Diaz (CHI) in the first round of the 63kg division. In the second round, Ransom lost to Emilie-Claude Leroux (CAN) and dropped down to the repechage where she lost to Diana Velasco (COL).
Former Junior World Team member Kyle Vashkulat (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) won his first match against Antony Pena (VEN) in the first round of the 100kg division, but lost his next two to 2007 World Champion Luciano Correa (BRA) and Italo Cordova (CHI).
Suzie Rizek (Naperville, Ill. / Fox Valley Judo & Jujitsu) and Katie Sell (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) each went 0-2 in the 78kg and 70kg divisions, respectively.
Competition continues on Friday with the men’s 55kg, 60kg, 66kg, 73kg and Open divisions and the women’s 44kg, 48kg, 52kg, 57kg and Open divisions.
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