U.S. Hits it Big in Vegas with 16 Medals on Opening Day of Veterans Worlds

The United States welcomed the world to Las Vegas with a 16-medal performance on Monday’s opening day of the International Judo Federation’s Veterans World Championships. American judoka tallied five gold medals, one silver medal and 10 bronze medals in the M6 (ages 55-59), M7 (ages 60-64), M8 (ages 65-69) and M9 (ages 70+) divisions as the four-day event featuring more than 1,400 participants from 68 countries got underway at the Rio Hotel and Casino Conference Center.

Sandy North (Hollywood, Fla. / Budokan Judo School) captured his third Veterans Worlds gold medal and seventh medal overall with a top finish in the M9 60kg division. A world champion in 2022, North rebounded from a bronze-medal finish in last year’s Veterans Worlds to recapture his crown. The 69-year-old Floridian defeated Hans Nessensohn in Golden Score (sudden death overtime) in the final after Nessensohn incurred his third and disqualifying shido (penalty) in the extra time. North went 3-0 on the day after defeating Malik Yessenbayev (KAZ) by waza-ari (half-point) in the quarterfinal and Jose Araujo (BRA) by ippon (instant win) in the semifinal round.

Joining North on the top step of the podium on Monday were Gyula Kalman (Lewisville, Texas / Eastside Dojo), Timothy Wilson (Boise, Idaho / Idaho Martial Arts Institute), Brian Herskowitz (Los Angeles, Calif. / Hollywood Judo Dojo) and Douglas Tono (Skokie, Ill. / Tohkon Judo Academy).

Kalman went undefeated in four matches in the M6 81kg division, including three victories by ippon. In the final match against Christophe Le Gorbelec (FRA), Kalman threw Le Gorbelec for ippon in the third minute of the contest to claim the gold medal.

IJF

In an all-American final in the M6 +100kg division, Wilson threw Arthur Alkhasyan (Old Bridge, N.J. / Cranford JKC) for ippon 39 seconds into the match. Iulian Tataroiu (Miami, Fla. / A. Kolychkine Judo Foundation) captured a bronze medal in the division after going 2-1 on the day, including a victory by ippon in the bronze-medal match against Miled Trabelsi (FRA).

Herskowitz was victorious in the M8 60kg division, reaching the final after back-to-back wins by ippon over Michael Traus (GER) and Constantin Brinza (MDA). In a closely-contested final with Christian Jean Gilles (FRA), Herskowitz was awarded the victory after the match went into Golden Score.

Tono rounded out the U.S. gold medal rush by going 3-0 in the M8 66kg competition. He notched victories over Lubomir Sindelar (CZE) in the quarterfinals, Alberto Renedo (ARG) in the semifinals and Juan Luis Blanco Rodriguez (ESP) in the final.

Other bronze medalists on day one were William Perron (Burleson, Texas / Fort Worth Judo Club) in the M7 100kg division, Karl Frankovitch (Lewiston, N.Y. / Kin-Tora Judo Club) in the M7 +100kg division, Anthony Oliveri (Webster, N.Y.) in the M8 60kg division, Arling Mackey (Edmonds, Wash. / Budokan Judo Dojo-Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington) in the M8 73kg division, Ricardo Tuero (Miami, Fla. / Ricardo Tuero Judo Club, Inc.) in the M8 81kg division, Noriaki Bunasawa (Murrieta, Calif.) in the M9 60kg division, Gary Berliner (Cumming, Ga.) in the M9 73kg division, Bradley Karmann (Murrieta, Calif. / Riverside Youth Judo Club) in the M9 90kg division and James Dugal (Johns Creek, Ga. / Black Ice Judo) in the M9 100kg competition.

Team USA also had five athletes who fought for bronze, but finished fifth. Competition at the Veterans Worlds continues Tuesday with the M1 (ages 30-34) and M3 (ages 40-44) divisions.

Top eight and U.S. results from day one are as follows:

Men’s 6 55-59 60kg
1. Nyamdorj Khayankhyarvaa (MGL)
2. Baatarsuren Gendendorj (MGL)
3. Attila Gondocs (HUN)
4. Duc Dinh (San Diego, Calif.)
5. Steven Croteau (Fall River, Mass. / Celtic Judo Club)

Men’s 6 55-59 66kg
1. Kenichi Akira (JPN)
2. Axel Metzdorf (GER)
3. Mykola Dankanych (UKR)
3. Herve Dumas (FRA)
5. Mohamed Mostefai (FRA)
5. Justino Lopez (MEX)
7. Jeff DiMarco (CAN)
7. Wouter Stroobach (NED)
Also Competed: Alfred Jacobs (Portland, Ore. / Obukan Judo Dojo, Inc.), 0-2

Men’s 6 55-59 73kg
1. Pasi Lauren (FIN)
2. Gigla Alibegashvili (GEO)
3. Lukas Vesely (CZE)
3. Lode Laats (BEL)
5. Guntevdorj Myagmar (MGL)
5. Rafael Bustos Fierro (ARG)
7. Julian Prado (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
7. Artur Targosinski (CAN)
Also Competed: Luis Bonilla (Canton, Mass. / Ronin Judo Club of New England), 1-2
Ricardo Nieves (Alachua, Fla. / Gator Judo Club), 0-2

Men’s 6 55-59 81kg
1. Gyula Kalman (Lewisville, Texas / Eastside Dojo)
2. Christophe Le Gorbelec (FRA)
3. Jefferson Delgado (BRA)
3. Dariusz Pawlowski (POL)
5. Ernesto Guevara (USA)
5. Alam Saraiva (BRA)
7. Badri Basilashvili (GEO)
7. Ricardo Nodarse Alfaro (MEX)
Also Competed: Uwe Pfennig (Wesley Chapel, Fla. / Mambi Judo Club), 0-1
James Drew (Flagstaff, Ariz.), 0-1
Titus Selagea (Chicago, Ill. / Yu-Tora Judo), 0-1
Joe Fico (Tucson, Ariz. / Tucson Dojo), 0-2
Gary Butts (Fontana, Calif. / Mojica Judo Club), 1-2

Men’s 6 55-59 90kg
1. Kanat Mambetov (KAZ)
2. Olaf Rodewald (GER)
3. David Chevalier (PYF)
3. Olivier Bry (CAN)
5. Gabriel Perez (ARG)
5. Sergio Alba (ARG)
7. Oleg Chrnetskyi (UKR)
7. Gavin Archibald (GBR)
Also Competed: Marc Dickie (Palm Coast, Fla. / Kin-Tora Judo Club), 0-1
Geert Ureel (San Carlos, Calif. / Palo Alto Judo Club), 0-2
Hugh Hall (Piscataway, N.J. / Cranford JKC), 0-1
John Gregory Pickett (Annandale, Va. / Sport Judo), 0-1
Daniel Diloreanu (Las Vegas, Nev. / Shoshinkan Martial Arts), 0-2

Men’s 6 55-59 100kg
1. Iulian Rusu (AUT)
2. Grzegorz Kupczynski (POL)
3. Vitaly Aliluev (NZL)
3. Roman Tanca (ROU)
5. Christian Petry (FRA)
5. Luiz Tomihero (BRA)
7. Michael Dorsey (Riverside, Calif.)
7. Theirry Lefevre (FRA)
Also Competed: Alexandre Lopouchanski (Hollywood, Fla. / Budokan Judo School), 2-2
Michael Rosen (Hamburg, N.Y. / Kin-Tora Judo Club), 0-1

Men’s 6 55-59 +100kg
1. Timothy Wilson (Boise, Idaho / Idaho Martial Arts Institute)
2. Arthur Alkhasyan (Old Bridge, N.J. / Cranford JKC)
3. Fred Itiose (GBR)
3. Iulian Tataroiu (Miami, Fla. / A. Kolychkine Judo Foundation)
5. Stefan Bernhard Schulz (GER)
5. Miled Trabelsi (FRA)
7. Viorel Marinescu (MDA)
7. Ivan Mumm (Oakland, Calif. / Griffin Judo)

Men’s 7 60-64 66kg
1. Silvio Uehara (BRA)
2. Stanislaw Pazgan (POL)
3. Pascal France (FRA)
3. Andreas Pajer (GER)
5. Edward Orgee (GBR)
5. Ralph Taniguchi (Honolulu, Hawaii)
7. Michael Marcella (Spokane, Wash. / Pacific Judo Academy)
7. Talant Bekkulov (KGZ)

Men’s 7 60-64 73kg
1. Oleh Polupan (UKR)
2. Jean Steenackers (BEL)
3. Joao Velloza (BRA)
3. Harald Fungk (GER)
5. Jose Morales (ARG)
5. Nacer Nouasria (FRA)
7. Richard Johnson (Arvada, Colo. / Denver Judo)
7. Juan Jose Ramirez Romero (ESP)
Also Competed: Gustavo Sanchez (Beaufort, N.C. / Fresno Judo Club), 0-1
Ralph Lahoud (Fort Worth, Texas / Ruben Martin Judo Training Center), 0-2
Michael Alexander (Albuquerque, N.M. / Sandia Judo Club, Inc.), 0-1
Wayne Tsunoda (Charlotte, N.C. / Carolinas American Judo Association), 0-2
William Desmole (San Francisco, Calif. / San Francisco Judo Institute), 0-2
Kenneth Schroeder (Littleton, Colo. / Denver Judo), 1-2

Men’s 7 60-64 81kg
1. Mauricio Neder (BRA)
2. Gilbert Pantillon (SUI)
3. Torben Hersborg (DEN)
3. Paul Cummins (IRL)
5. Thierry Barbot (FRA)
5. Mark Glaser (Bellingham, Wash.)
7. Wayne Joseph Dickinson (Somerset, Mass. / Celtic Judo Club)
7. Kevin Butler (Pleasanton, Calif. / Tri-Valley Judo)
Also Competed: James Hoekstra (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri Judo), 0-1
Fred Gilbert (Arlington, Texas / Ruben Martin Judo Training Center), 0-2

Men’s 7 60-64 90kg
1. Bostan Janbyrbayev (KAZ)
2. Acacio Lorencao, Jr. (BRA)
3. Ernst Leidenfrost (AUT)
3. Oleksandr Rangaiev (UKR)
5. Brian Killeen (IRL)
5. Nazim Aliyev (AZE)
7. Buddy Meagley (Spokane Valley, Wash. / Pacific Judo Academy)
7. David Hessler (Cranford, N.J. / Cranford JKC)
Also Competed: Michael Martin (San Jose, Calif. / Silicon Valley Judo School), 0-1

Men’s 7 60-64 100kg
1. Jesper Gundlach (DEN)
2. Berend Jan Kroesen (NED)
3. William Perron (Burleson, Texas / Fort Worth Judo Club)
3. Jacek Gemza (POL)
5. David Almeida (BRA)
5. Kydyrbay Abishev (KAZ)
7. Rohel Pascual (PUR)
7. Charley Wheeler (Woodstock, Ga./ West Georgia Judo Club)
Also Competed: Chris VanLandingham (Broken Arrow, Okla. / Tulsa Judo and Jiu Jitsu), 0-2
Andre Robles (Burbank, Calif. / Los Angeles Tenri Judo Dojo), 0-2
Steven DeCarlo (Windham, N.H.), 0-2

Men’s 7 60-64 +100kg
1. Hendrik Koppe (NED)
2. Omar Parisi (ARG)
3. Karl Frankovitch (Lewiston, N.Y. / Kin-Tora Judo Club)
4. Ricardo Jose Boy (ANG)
5. Tom Carter (Spokane Valley, Wash. / Joseki Dojo)

Men’s 8 65-69 60kg
1. Brian Herskowitz (Los Angeles, Calif. / Hollywood Judo Dojo)
2. Christian Jean Gilles (FRA)
3. Constantin Brinza (MDA)
3. Anthony Oliveri (Webster, N.Y.)
5. Spencer Uno (Renton, Wash. / Seattle Dojo)
5. Michael Traus (GER)

Men’s 8 65-69 66kg
1. Douglas Tono (Skokie, Ill. / Tohkon Judo Academy)
2. Juan Luis Blanco Rodriguez (ESP)
3. Alberto Renedo (ARG)
3. Laurent Sikirdji (FRA)
5. Mohammed Fdal (Everett, Mass. / Tohoku Judo Club)
5. Lubomir Sindelar (CZE)
7. Donal Tammam (IRL)

Men’s 8 65-69 73kg
1. Mohamed Halabi (FRA)
2. Arling Mackey (Edmonds, Wash. / Budokan Judo Dojo-Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington)
3. Gigla Tsipiani (GEO)
3. Kevin Hamer (CAN)
5. Batsuuri Namjildorj (MGL)
5. Manuel Alonso Paniagua (ESP)

Men’s 8 65-69 81kg
1. Reinhold Kurz (AUT)
2. Marco Alencar (BRA)
3. Ricardo Tuero (Miami, Fla. / Ricardo Tuero Judo Club, Inc.)
3. Manfred Zoellner (GER)
5. Mario Montrasi (ARG)
5. Edwin Ebermann (GER)
7. Daniel Jose Amin (ARG)
7. Fabio Acerbi (ITA)
Also Competed: Dave Loyst (Dana Point, Calif.), 0-2
Eric Stunz (Meridian, Idaho / Idaho Martial Arts Instutute), 0-2

Men’s 8 65-69 90kg
1. Farhad Rajabli (AZE)
2. Alain Dayez (FRA)
3. Wolfgang Hinterleitner (GER)
3. Braulio Barboza (BRA)
5. Michel Dumortier (FRA)
5. Jean Pierre Thomas (FRA)
7. Philippe Jouny (FRA)
Also Competed: Lorenzo Schipp (Albuquerque, N.M. / New Mexico Judo Institute), 0-2

Men’s 8 65-69 100kg
1. Luis Torres Cobas (CUB)
2. Ronald Angus (CAN)
3. Dragan Bozovic (BIH)
4. David McGuire (GBR)
5. Gerardo Andrade (CAN)

Men’s 8 65-69 +100kg
1. Slavko Stanisic (SRB)
2. Mark McCallum (GBR)
3. Didier Allot (FRA)
3. Dermot Killeen (IRL)
5. Ganbold Jambal (MGL)
5. Viliam Kohut (SVK)
7. Giorgi Shinjikashvili (GEO)

Men’s 9 70+ 60kg
1. Sandy North (Hollywood, Fla. / Budokan Judo School)
2. Hans Nessensohn (SUI)
3. Julio Vicente Ramos (ESP)
3. Noriaki Bunasawa (Murrieta, Calif.)
5. Jose Araujo (BRA)
5. Malik Yessenbayev (KAZ)
7. Ryszard Wichan (POL)

Men’s 9 70+ 66kg
1. Jose Gomes (POR)
2. Willy Huber (GER)
3. Shinji Nagahiro (JPN)
3. Zandan Lkhagvatsedenish (MGL)
5. Ralph Ibanez (CAN)
5. Yasuhiro Sasaki (JPN)
7. Tom Pahlman (FIN)
7. Corneliu Mihalca (Norton, Ohio / MaxOut Sports Judo Club)

Men’s 9 70+ 73kg
1. Hubert Bottazzi (FRA)
2. Gunars Kirsons (LAT)
3. Wolfgang Loeffler (GER)
3. Gary Berliner (Cumming, Ga.)
5. Tsuneo Tashima (JPN)
5. Walter Sapp (DeLand, Fla. / Sasaki Judo)
7. Robert Rousseau (FRA)
7. Giovanni Lucantoni (ITA)
Also Competed: Felix Carrera (Somerset, N.J. / Ricardo Tuero Judo Club, Inc.), 0-2
Len Lothstein (Eads, Tenn.), 0-2

Men’s 9 70+ 81kg
1. Jos Wennekers (NED)
2. Habibullo Majidov (TJK)
3. Rio Onoshita (JPN)
3. Benaouda Bouamra (FRA)
5. Orynbek Seidagalamuly (KAZ)
5. Petr Kolar (CZE)
7. Steve Hwang (Santa Ana, Calif.)
7. George Stein (Atlanta, Ga. / Black Ice Judo)

Men’s 9 70+ 90kg
1. Theodor Keppel (GER)
2. Philippe Devineau (FRA)
3. Bradley Karmann (Murrieta, Calif. / Riverside Youth Judo Club)
4. Anatoliy Veklich (KAZ)
5. Si Barghelame (Woodinville, Wash. / Budokan Judo Dojo-Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington)

Men’s 9 70+ 100kg
1. Mihail Malear (MDA)
2. Giuliano Invernizzi (ITA)
3. James Dugal (Johns Creek, Ga. / Black Ice Judo)
4. Lothar Sterlinsky (GER)