(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Six of the 13 USA Judo athletes who competed at the Tunis African Open in Tunisia brought home medals over the weekend in the team’s penultimate competition before the Pan American Championships next month in Lima, Peru.
2022 Tunis African Open Results
Team USA opened with five medals in the lightweight events on Saturday.
In her first competition representing Team USA, Maria Laborde (Kenosha, Wis. / Ruben Martin Judo Training Center) won gold in dominant fashion, defeating each of her three opponents by ippon (instant win) scores. Laborde, who won bronze at the 2014 Senior World Championships in her last individual international event for Cuba, scored first-minute wins over Aziza Chakir (MAR) and Imene Rezzoug (ALG) to advance to the finals. Fighting for gold, Laborde scored a waza-ari (half-point) on Faustine Bernard (FRA) and ended with an ippon to take the title.
A two-time Junior World Team member, Giovanna Prado (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) won bronze in the 48kg for her third career medal at a Continental Open event. After a win over Amira Ben Ayed (TUN) by a waza-ari in the quarter-finals, Prado dropped her next match by ippon to Bernard. She came back in the bronze medal final to best Chakir by an ippon in the last minute.
Seventeen-year-old Dominic Rodriguez (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-San National Training Center) won silver at 73kg in his debut on the Continental Open circuit. The 2021 Cadet Pan American Champion punched his ticket for the 2022 Senior Pan Am Team with a 3-1 finish in Tunisia. Rodriguez defeated Amin Mohamed (TUN) and Oussama Djeddi (ALG) by ippon scores to advance to the semis where he scored a waza-ari before Aleddine Ben Chalbi (TUN) racked up his third penalty to end the match. In the finals, Rodriguez fell to two-time Olympian Kilian Le Blouch (FRA) by ippon.
David Terao (Arlington, Va.) won bronze at 60kg in his international debut, ending the day with a 3-1 record. Terao defeated Alaeddine Ben Mehrez (TUN) by ippon in the first round and put himself in medal contention with a waza-ari win over Meshal Alali (KUW) in the second. Terao earned a comeback win by ippon against Younes Saddiki (MAR) in the quarters, but lost his semifinal bout by a waza-ari to Younes Ben Laribi (ALG). Terao ended the day with a final win, defeating Abdelatif Elmahdi Boubetra (ALG) by ippon.
Two-time Junior World Team member Jacob More (Alva, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) also fought for a medal in the 60kg event where he finished fifth overall with a 2-2 record.
Sara Golden (Crystal Lake, Ill. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) came into Tunisia knowing she needed a top-five finish to qualify for her second Senior Pan Am Team and pulled out her second podium at a Continental Open with a bronze medal in the 63kg event. Golden clinched the spot with her first win by ippon over Mouna Mannaii (TUN). After a loss in the semifinals to eventual gold medalist Meriem Bjaoui (TUN) by ippon, Golden defeated Nadia Matchiko Guimendego (CAF) by ippon.
A 2021 Senior World Team member, Mariah Holguin (San Antonio, Texas / Universal Judo) missed the podium with a loss in the bronze medal final, but secured a position on the 2022 Senior Pan Am Team in the 57kg event alongside 19-year-old Tasha Cancela (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) who finished seventh after a loss to Holguin in the repechage.
On Sunday, 2017 Senior World Team member Nicole Stout (Schenectady, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center) won her ninth career Continental Open medal with a bronze in the 70kg event to qualify for her third Senior Pan Am Team. Although Stout lost her quarter-final bout to Fatma Haddadi (TUN) by ippon, she rebounded to win her next two bouts against Douniazed Boughanbouz (ALG) and Sofia Belattar (MAR) each by ippon.
Top eight and U.S. results are as follows:
Men’s 60kg
1. Fraj Dhouibi (TUN)
2. Younes Ben Laribi (ALG)
3. David Terao (Arlington, Va.)
3. Younes Saddiki (MAR)
5. Jacob More (Alva, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
5. Abelatif El-Mahdi Boubetra (ALG)
7. Issam Bassou (MAR)
7. Moussa Diop (SEN)
Also Competed: Zachary Judy (Ballston Spa, N.Y.), 1-1
Men’s 66kg
1. Rachid Cherrad (ALG)
2. Wail Ezzine (ALG)
3. Guram Dzavashvili (UAE)
3. Ramazan Kodzhakov (BRN)
5. Juan Hernandez (COL)
5. Boubekeur Rebahi (ALG)
7. Isaiah Ramirez (Barstow, Calif. / Barstow PAL Judo Club)
7. Jason Patrick Zacko Ngawili (CAF)
Men’s 73kg
1. Kilian Le Blouch (FRA)
2. Dominic Rodriguez (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-San National Training Center)
3. Massaoud Redouane Dris (ALG)
3. Aden-Alexandre Houssein (DJI)
5. Aleddine Ben Chalbi (TUN)
5. Oussama Djeddi (ALG)
7. Gorgui Sarr (SEN)
7. Muhammadrahim Sarakhonov (TJK)
Men’s 81kg
1. Askerbii Gerbekov (BRN)
2. Djamel Eddine Souilah (ALG)
3. Achraf Moutii (MAR)
3. Aghiles-Imad Benazoug (ALG)
5. Adberrahmane Laouar (ALG)
5. Ahmed Rebahi (ALG)
7. Wajdi Hajji (TUN)
7. Hamza Kabdani (MAR)
Also Competed: Kell Berliner (Schenectady, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center), 0-1
Men’s 90kg
1. Abdelaziz Ben Ammar (TUN)
2. Yassine Kouraichi (TUN)
3. Abderahmane Diao (SEN)
5. Hamza Abdallaoui (MAR)
5. Oussma Kabri (ALG)
7. Noah Walliss (NZL)
7. Khalil Mchichi Guzannai (TUN)
Also Competed: Davit Aghasaryan (Sunland, Calif.), 0-1
Men’s 100kg
1. Aurelien Diesse (FRA)
2. Tanou Keita (FRA)
3. Koussay Ben Ghares (TUN)
3. Redha Lamri (ALG)
5. Isaac Bezzina (MLT)
5. El Mehdi Hedjala (ALG)
7. Amir Kouraychi (TUN)
7. Hamad Alrashed (KUW)
Men’s +100kg
1. Magomedomar Magomedomarov (UAE)
2. Mohamed Sofiane Belrekaa (ALG)
3. Mbagnick Ndiaye (SEN)
3. Anis Ben Khaled (TUN)
5. Ahmed Djeradi (ALG)
5. Zouhair Esseryry (MAR)
7. Kody Andrews (NZL)
7. Whaib Hdiouech (TUN)
Women’s 48kg
1. Maria Laborde (Kenosha, Wis. / Ruben Martin Judo Training Center)
2. Faustine Bernard (FRA)
3. Oumaima Bedioui (TUN)
3. Giovanna Prado (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
5. Imene Rezzoug (ALG)
5. Aziza Chakir (MAR)
7. Katryna Esposito (MLT)
7. Amira Ben Ayed (TUN)
Women’s 52kg
1. Julie Weill Dit Morey (FRA)
2. Soumiya Iraoui (MAR)
3. Faiza Aissahine (ALG)
3. Mariem Jmour (TUN)
5. Roumaissa Tibi (TUN)
5. Donia Wueslati (TUN)
Women’s 57kg
1. Yamina Halata (ALG)
2. Nesrine Boudjemil (ALG)
3. Fatiha Moussa (FRA)
3. Qona Christie (NZL)
5. Nouha Hajri (TUN)
5. Mariah Holguin (San Antonio, Texas / Universal Judo)
7. Tasha Cancela (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
7. Yousra El Bouhairi (MAR)
Women’s 63kg
1. Meriem Bjaoui (TUN)
2. Amina Belkadi (ALG)
3. Sara Golden (Crystal Lake, Ill. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
3. Anna Siga Faye (SEN)
5. Mouna Mannaii (TUN)
5. Nadia Matchiko Guimendego (CAN)
7. Kenza Nait Ammar (ALG)
7. Maram Jmour (TUN)
Women’s 70kg
1. Nihel Landolsi (TUN)
2. Khadija Sonko (SEN)
3. Nicole Stout (Schenectady, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center)
3. Dyhia Benchallal (ALG)
5. Fatma Haddadi (TUN)
5. Sofia Belattar (MAR)
7. Douniazed Boughanbouz (ALG)
Women’s 78kg
1. Moira De Villiers (NZL)
2. Hafsa Yatim (MAR)
3. Luiza Ichallal (ALG)
3. Arij Akkab (TUN)
5. Hayley Mackey (NZL)
5. Rahma Bahrini (TUN)
Women’s +78kg
1. Nihel Cheikh Rouhou (TUN)
2. Sarra Mzoughui (TUN)
3. Zeineb Troudi (TUN)
3. Meroua Mammeri (ALG)
5. Sydnee Andrews (NZL)
5. Nahla Jendoubi (TUN)
