In the final qualifying event for the 2007 Pan American Games (July 19-22 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Team USA stepped up with impressive performances on the first day of competition, winning four bronze medals and qualifying seven divisions for the Games during the first day of competition on Thursday at the Pan American Championships in Montreal. 

Two-time Pan Am Champion Ronda Rousey (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) had the day’s most difficult match, facing Onix Cortes (CUB), her former rival in the 63kg division.  Rousey moved up to 70kg in February after winning the Vienna World Cup and Cortes, who beat Rousey in the semifinal of the 2006 Junior World Championships, soon followed suit. 

Although many expected the duo to go 1-2 at the Pan Ams, the division change meant both came in unseeded and fought each other first round.

Like their last match-up in Santo Domingo, this one wasn’t without controversy as a scoreboard error appeared to give Rousey the win when Cortes was given a penalty for false attack with one second left in the match.  According to the scoreboard, the penalty was Cortes’ third of the match, combining for a waza-ari (half-point) score for Rousey and while Rousey had committed two penalties of her own, combining for a yuko (quarter-point) score, and gotten thrown for two more yukos, the waza-ari would have outweighed all three and given her the match. 

Unfortunately, the referees realized that the scoreboard listed two many penalties for Cortes and after one was removed, the Cuban won the match.

Rousey then dropped down to the repechage where she had a walkover after 2005 Champion Diana Chala (ECU) withdrew prior to her match with Cuba.  In the next round, Rousey pinned Veronica Mendoza (ESA) to advance to the bronze medal match against Catherine Roberge (CAN), a four-time World Cup medalist.  Roberge and Rousey each committed two penalties, but Rousey threw Roberge twice for yuko scores to win the match and win the Bronze Medal. 

Team FORCE member Rick Hawn competed on the U.S. Men's Team at the Pan American Team Competition.  The U.S. Men's Team included Nick Kossor (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center / 66kg), Travis Stevens (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center / 81kg), Rick Hawn (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE / 90kg) and Kirk Hoffman (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / +100kg).  Although it was a five-person event, the United States did not have a 100kg competitor.

Team FORCE member Asma Sharif competed on the U.S. Women's Team at the Pan American Team Competition.  The U.S. women’s team included Franchesca Durand (Coral Springs, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami / 52kg), Kristen Allan (Springfield, Va. / Sport Judo / 63kg), Marina Lambert (Chesapeake, Va. / Washington Judo / 78kg) and Asma Sharif (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE / +78kg)

Women’s 70kg

1. Yuri Alvear (COL)

2. Mayra Aguiar (BRA)

3. Ronda Rousey (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE)

3. Onix Cortes (CUB)

5. Catherine Roberge (CAN)