Goodrich, Ties and Davis Win Bronze at Parapan American Games
(Colorado Springs, CO) – Three members of Team USA will come home from the Parapan American Games with bronze medals and Paris Paralympic qualifying points.
2023 Parapan American Games Results
Ben Goodrich (St. Paul, MN / 90 kg), Ricky Ties (Rochester, MN / 90 kg) and Katie Davis (Sacramento, CA / Team Sacramento Judo / +70 kg) each won bronze in their respective divisions in Santiago, Chile on Monday.
Goodrich, who led Team USA as flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony on Friday, won his quarter-final match by ippon (instant win) over Reinaldo Zamora (CUB), but lost his next match to eventual gold medalist Marcelo De Azevedo (BRA). In the bronze medal final, Goodrich controlled the match quickly, throwing Juan Riquelme (CHI) for a waza-ari (half-point) and then transitioning to a pin for ippon.
The bronze medal is the second podium finish at the Parapan Am Games for Goodrich who won silver in 2019 before going on to win silver at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
Ties also scored a win over Riquelme, defeating the Chilean in the quarter-finals before falling to Arthur Cavalcante Da Silva (BRA) – the reigning World No. 1 in the J1 90 kg division and a silver medalist at both the 2022 and 2023 IBSA Worlds.
Ties, a bronze medalist at the 2019 Parapan Am Games, went on to throw Hector Espinoza (VEN) for a pair of waza-ari scores in just over a minute to earn his second straight bronze at the event.
Katie Davis (Sacramento, CA / Team Sacramento Judo) entered the Parapan Am Games looking to earn qualification points for her third Paralympic Games after representing Team USA in 2012 and 2021.
Although Davis lost her quarter-final match to Sheyla Hernandez (CUB) – a medalist at the last two IBSA Worlds who went on to win gold in Santiago – she advanced to the bronze medal final against Mariana Mederos (URU). Davis attacked Mederos quickly, throwing her for ippon in the opening minute to take her second straight Parapan Am Games bronze.
The Parapan American Games are the penultimate tournament of the year for Team USA’s Paralympic athletes who will travel to Tokyo in less than two weeks to compete at the International Blind Sports Association Tokyo Grand Prix.
Top eight results are as follows:
Women’s 70 kg
1. Brenda Souza (BRA)
2. Nadia Boggiano (ARG)
3. Ariagna Hechevarria (CUB)
4. Francis Almanza (CHI)
Men’s 90 kg
1. Marcelo De Azevedo (BRA)
2. Arthur Cavalcante (BRA)
3. Ben Goodrich (St. Paul, MN)
3. Ricky Ties (Rochester, MN)
5. Juan Riquelme (CHI)
5. Hector Espinoza (VEN)
7. Reinaldo Zamora (CUB)
Women’s +70 kg
1. Sheyla Hernandez (CUB)
2. Meg Rodrigues (BRA)
3. Katie Davis (Sacramento, CA / Team Sacramento Judo)
3. Rebeca De Souza (BRA)
5. Mariana Mederos (URU)
5. Danitza Sanabria (VEN)
7. Christella Garcia (Sacramento, CA / Team Sacramento Judo)
Men’s +90 kg
1. Yordani Fernandez (CUB)
2. Wilians Silva (BRA)
3. Cristian Alderete (ARG)
3. Sergio Fernandes (BRA)
5. Ricardo Parra (CHI)
5. Oscar Aguirre (MEX)