USA Judo News USA Judo Announces 2...

USA Judo Announces 2016 Rio Olympic Team

June 01, 2016, 10:37 p.m. (ET)

After four years of rigorous training and competing, the USA Judo Olympic Team is set! In August, the team of six Judokas and three Coaches will be heading to Brazil to compete in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

The men and women judokas representing the United States are: Kayla Harrison (-78 kg), Marti Malloy (-57 kg), Travis Stevens (-81 kg), Angelica Delgado (-52 kg), Colton Brown (-90 kg), and Nicholas Delpopolo (-73 kg).

The Coach Staff will include: Jimmy Pedro – Head Coach, James Pedro Sr. – Assistant Coach, and Chris Skelley – Team Manager

“It has been a long road but this is exciting times for USA Judo. Thanks to all the hard work of our athletes and national coaching staff we have put together one of our strongest Olympic teams ever.” – Eddie Liddie, Director of High Performance

“I am super excited about the team we are bringing to Rio.” says head coach Jimmy Pedro. “We are headed into this Olympic Games with three top seeded athletes, Kayla Harrison (#1), Marti Malloy (#3), and Travis Stevens (#5) all of whom have proven they can win Gold at the highest level. All athletes on our team have a wealth of major international competition experience and are all medal contenders. With six strong U.S. Olympians, we are looking forward to another great Olympic performance in Rio.“ – Jimmy Pedro, USA Judo Olympic Head Coach.

 

Official USA Judo Olympic Team Based on World Rank:

Kayla Harrison (-78 kg) - World Rank #1

NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE

  • Gold medalist from 2012 London Olympics
  • 3-time World Championship medalist and 2-time Masters Gold medalist
  • “Olympic champion Kayla Harrison, who has been dominant in the last year, winning every major title and going into the Olympics as #1.” – Jimmy Pedro

Marti Malloy (-57 kg) – World Rank #4

USA Judo Training Center, San Jose State/NYAC

  • Bronze medalist from the 2012 London Olympics.
  • 1-time World Championship medalist and 4-time Grand Slam medalist
  • “When Marti is "on" she has proven she can beat everybody in the -57kg weight class and is a strong contender for gold this year.” – Jimmy Pedro

Travis Stevens (-81 kg) – World Rank #5

NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE

  • Three-time Olympian from 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics.
  • 1-time Masters Gold medalist and 4-time Grand Slam medalists
  • “Travis Stevens, when prepared both mentally and physically, has proven to be a force to be reckoned with and has a great chance at claiming gold in Rio.” – Jimmy Pedro

Angelica Delgado (-52 kg) – World Rank #25

USA Judo Training Center / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center

  • First time Olympian
  • 3-time Continental Championship medalist
  • “Angelica is a great competitor and has extensive international experience to draw from going into the Olympics” – Jimmy Pedro

Colton Brown (-90 kg) – World Rank #27

USA Judo Training Center / San Jose State / NYAC

  • First time Olympian
  • 1-time Continental Championship medalist and 1-time Grand Prix medalist
  • “Colton Brown has climbed on the world ranking list this past year and is a strong competitor” – Jimmy Pedro

Nicholas Delpopolo (-73 kg) – World Rank #32

Budokan Judo Club

  • Two-time Olympian
  • 5-time Continental Championship medalist and 2-time Grand Prix medalist
  • “Nick Delpopolo is an athlete that fights with a ton of emotion and has both the experience and technique to bring home a medal from Rio.” – Jimmy Pedro

 

“USA Judo is now enjoying a position of distinction never ever achieved before, with our athletes winning as never before; our athletes making money as never before; our nation world ranking as never before; and the future looking brighter than ever before. These are undeniable facts, and I congratulate the athletes and their coaches and families for their success in making the USA Judo Olympic team for 2016 Rio Summer Games. I also congratulate our President, Lance Nading and Board of Directors as they too play a big part in the success this great national governing body now enjoys. Lastly, my best wishes and recognition to those athletes who did not make the team, yet worked so very hard the last four years to qualify.“ -Jose H. Rodriquez, Chief Executive Officer at USA Judo

The 2016 Olympic Summer Games will take place August 6 - August 12 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Judo competitions will be held in Carioca Arena 2.