Paris 2024: Three-time Olympian Delgado Fights to Round of 16
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by Bill Kellick
PARIS, France - Competing at her third Olympic Games, Angelica Delgado (Miami, Fla / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) advanced to Sunday's round of 16 in the women's -52kg division during the second day of judo competition at Champ-de-Mars Arena at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Both of Delgado's matches went well into the golden score period before being decided.
In her opening-round match against Azerbaijan's Gultaj Mammadaliyeva, Delgado scored the decisive waza-ari 3:04 into the extra session to punch her ticket to the round of 16.
"We know each other so well, we compete maybe 10 to 15 times a year between training camps and everything," Delgado said of Mammadaliyeva. "It was good to fight someone I know really well and I had a gameplan for her. It was a good match to begin with."
Facing defending world champion Odette Giuffrida in the round of 16, Delgado again took the match to golden score before Giuffrida recorded a waza-ari 2:28 in.
"She is a current world champion and I felt really good today. I felt like if I could have gotten past her, I definitely would have got a medal today," Delgado said about her match with Giuffrida. "Going into overtime, I was catching her a couple of times, but then she kind of pulled away the last two minutes of golden score."
Delgado also felt that strategy and player tendencies played a big role in the close match.
"I was trying to close the distance and she just kept pulling away, pulling away and not letting me get close or getting the attacks. So I felt like I was just a step behind. I like a close fight, and she is the complete opposite. She's a lefty, I'm a righty - it's always awkward. I like a close, body-to-body type of judo. I like to use my feet, foot sweeps and stuff. She does the same, but she likes the distance. And then when she gets in close, it's usually attack. So I'm always kind of chasing her. And it's tiring after the regulation time and then into overtime."
Experience also played a role for Delgado in going toe-to-toe with her opponents on Sunday.
"We compete maybe 10-15 times a year, and I'm the oldest one in the division now. So I've kind of gotten my hands on all these women, and I know them like the back of my hand. I knew exactly how she was going to come out, and I was just trying to see what my game plan was, but it just didn't work."
After competing in her third Olympic Games, Delgado took some time for reflection.
"I've dedicated my whole life to this. You start when you're so young. I'm 33 now, I started when I was nine. So that was my whole life. I've dedicated myself completely to the sport. You don't always get the support that you need. But I make sure to tell everyone if you really want something, you will find a way. And I found a way to make it three times to the Olympics because I always wanted that Olympic medal."
An arena full of family members also helped carry Delgado through her tough matches today.
"I saw them up in the stands after I won my first match. I pointed up to them because I could hear all of them up there. So it was really nice. It's really nice to know that they were watching. It gives me that extra push and motivation, especially with those overtime bouts."
The three-time Olympian parted the arena with some closing thoughts after her last match.
"I gave it my all and that's really all I can say. I'm not gonna say that I'm going to sleep easy tonight because this one's gonna hurt for a while. Because I don't know if I'll be back here. You never know, but I can just say that I really gave it my all in everything that I did."
The U.S. Judo Team continues its Paris 2024 competition on Monday with Jack Yonezuka (West Long Branch, N.J. / NYAC / Cranford JKC) in the men's -73kg competition. John Jayne (Chicago, Ill.) will close out the team's appearances on Wednesday in the men's -90kg division.
