Mutia and Garcia Win IBSA World Championship Bronze

(Colorado Springs, CO) – Paralympians Liana Mutia (Philadelphia, PA / El Idrissi Judo Academy) and Christella Garcia (Sacramento, CA / Team Sacramento Judo) each came one step closer to a return trip to the world’s greatest stage on Thursday with bronze medal wins at the IBSA World Games in Birmingham, Great Britain.

Both athletes earned their podium finishes in the J1 category for totally blind athletes with Mutia competing at 57 kg and Garcia fighting in the +70 kg category.

The medal would be the second straight World bronze for Mutia – a Tokyo Paralympian whose bronze in 2022 was the first podium finish for a U.S. woman at the event in 11 years.

Ranked fifth in the world, Mutia opened with a quick win in the round of 16, throwing World No. 7 Vanessa Wagner (GER), a bronze medalist at the 2022 IBSA European Championships, with her signature drop seoi nage throw off the grip to advance to the quarter-finals  

Mutia came up against Yiji Shie (CHN) in the next round and fought into the third minute before she got caught on the ground and choked for ippon (instant win). Although this is the second international competition for Shie, she remains undefeated in international competition, winning her first Grand Prix earlier this year in Alexandria and taking gold on Thursday.

In the repechage, Mutia made quick work of Flora Buranyi (HUN), throwing the 2023 IBSA European Championships bronze medalist for a waza-ari (half-point) and moving straight into a pin to finish the win.

Fighting for bronze, Mutia took on Priscilla Gagne (CAN) – the 2021 Paralympic and 2022 IBSA World silver medalist. Although Gagne defeated Mutia at last year’s Worlds, Mutia took the win in their match in December at the IBSA Pan American Championships. Neither athlete had scored going into the third minute, but Mutia had two penalties with she threw Gagne for a waza-ari score. Gagne was unable to get on the board and Mutia took the win and the bronze.

This medal is the second this season for Mutia who also won bronze at the IBSA Almada Grand Prix in Portugal.

Garcia won bronze at her second Paralympic Games in 2016, but this would be her first World Championship competition since 2015 for the 44-year-old who is on track to become the oldest female to represent Team USA in judo at either the Olympic or Paralympic Games.

Despite not competing at the 2022 IBSA Worlds, Garcia entered this year’s event ranked sixth in the world after a gold medal win at the IBSA Grand Prix in Almada and bronze medal finish at the Grand Prix in Alexandria, Egypt as well as a silver medal at the 2022 IBSA Pan Ams – her first return to competition since Rio.

Determined to pick up where she left off, seven years ago, Garcia opened with a win over World No. 5 Khatira Ismayeva (AZE) – a bronze medalist at the 2022 IBSA Antalya Grand Prix. Ismayeva scored an early waza-ari, but Garcia came back a minute into the match, throwing Ismayeva for a waza-ari and pinning her for ippon to make the semifinals and secure the opportunity for a medal.

In the next round, Garcia was thrown by World No. 1 Anastasiia Harnyk (UKR) for ippon. Harnyk, the reigning World Champion, would go on to successfully defend her title and remain undefeated this quad.

Garcia would go on to defeat 2023 IBSA Asian Champion Feruza Ergasheva (UZB) in the bronze medal final, throwing Ergasheva for ippon in the opening minute to earn her third podium finish of the year.

Beijing Paralympian Andre Watson (Alda, PA / El Idrissi Judo Academy) also earned key points in his quest to qualify for a second Paralympic Games after more than a decade away from the sport, finishing seventh in Birmingham in the J1 90 kg category.

Watson made his return to international competition last year, placing ninth at the 2022 IBSA Worlds in November and going on to win silver at the IBSA Pan Ams in December.

Watson lost his opening match to Oleg Cretul (MDA) who threw the American for ippon in the second round. In the repechage, however, Watson scored first, throwing 2023 Asian Championships bronze medalist Thurgun Abdiev (UZB) for a waza-ari. Abdiev wasn’t done yet, throwing Watson for a matching score later in the match. Watson battled through, however, pinning Abdiev late in the third minute.

In the next round however, Watson was thrown first for a waza-ari and then for ippon by World No. 6 Yasin Cimciler (TUR).

Tokyo Paralympian Ben Goodrich (St. Paul, MN) competed in the J2 division for partially sighted athletes. Fighting at 90 kg, Goodrich was thrown for ippon by World No. 4 Evan Molloy (GBR).

Two-time Paralympian Katie Davis (Sacramento, CA / Team Sacramento Judo) was thrown for a waza-ari and pinned for ippon by Tokyo Paralympic bronze medalist Meg Emmerich (BRA) who went on to win her third straight World Championship bronze.

London Paralympian Ron Hawthorne (Kansas City, KS / Waka Mu Sha / Black Ice Judo) drew Kemran Nurillaev (UZB) – a two-time medalist on the able-bodied Grand Slam circuit in the opening match of his J2 60 kg event. Nurillaev, who has been undefeated since beginning to compete on the IBSA circuit, choked Hawthorne early in the match and went on to win gold. In the repechage, Hawthorne lost to Ishak Ouldkouider (ALG) – a two-time IBSA Grand Prix Champion in the last two seasons who went on to win bronze.

Robert Anderson (Bolingbrook, IL / Menomonee Judo Club) fell in the opening round of the J2 +90 kg division when he was thrown for ippon by Talgat Azhgaliyev (KAZ).

Top eight and U.S. results are as follows:

J1 Men’s 60 kg
1. Miguel Vieira (POR)
2. Shiwen Zhu (CHN)
3. Seyed Meysam Banitaba Khorram Abadi (IRI)
3. Kapil Parmar (IND)
5. Henry Borges (URU)
5. Yonaldy Gonzalez Miyares (CUB)
7. Beyverson De Souza (BRA)
7. David Emanual Gomez (ARG)

J1 Men’s 73 kg
1. Florin Alexandru Bologa (ROU)
2. Yergali Shamey (KAZ)
3. Dong Dong Camanni (ITA)
3. Lennart Sass (GER)
5. Eduardo Gauto (ARG)
5. Djibrilo Iafa (POR)
7. Mamatibraim Suranov (KGZ)
7. Zhiwei Zhou (CHN)

J1 Men’s 90 kg
1. Moussa Gholami (IRI)
2. Arthur Cavalcante da Silva (BRA)
3. Oleg Cretul (MDA)
3. Yurong Wu (CHN)
5. Bauyrzhan Arstanbekov (KAZ)
5. Yasin Cimciler (TUR)
7. Valerio Romano Teodori (ITA)
7. Andre Watson (Alda, PA / El Idrissi Judo Academy)

J1 Men’s +90 kg
1. Wilians Araujo (BRA)
2. Ilham Zakiyev (AZE)
3. Ion Basoc (MDA)
3. Onur Tastan (TUR)
5. Jason Grandry (FRA)
5. Jilong Qi (CHN)
7. Abderrahmane Chetouane (ALG)
7. Romuald Raboteur (FRA)

J2 Men’s 60 kg
1. Kemran Nurillaev (UZB)
2. Nukri Migrijanashvili (GEO)
3. Ishak Ouldkouider (ALG)
3. Anuar Sariyev (KAZ)
5. Min Jae Lee (KOR)
5 Sherzod Namozov (UZB)
7. Luis Daniel Gavilan Lorenzo (ESP)
7. Makoto Hirose (JPN)

Also Competed: Ron Hawthorne (Kansas City, KS / Waka Mu Sha / Black Ice Judo), 0-2

J2 Men’s 73 kg
1. Vahid Jeddi (IRI)
2. Feruz Sayidov (UZB)
3. Olzhas Orazalyuly (KAZ)
3. Nathan Petit (FRA)
5. Osvaldas Bareikis (LTU)
5. Rufat Mahomedov (UKR)
7. Recep Ciftci (TUR)
7. Giorgi Kaldani (GEO)

J2 Men’s 90 kg
1. Helios Latchoumanaya (FRA)
2. Zhanbota Amanzhol (KAZ)
3. Marcelo Casanova (BRA)
3. Lasha Kizilashvili (GEO)
5. Simone Cannizzaro (ITA)
5. Oleksandr Nazarenko (UKR)
7. Daniel Rafael Goral (GER)
7. Evan Molloy (GBR)

Also Competed: Ben Goodrich (St. Paul, MN), 0-1

J2 +90 kg
1. Vahid Nouri (IRI)
2. Ibrahim Bolukbasi (TUR)
3. Revaz Chikoidze (GEO)
3. Aloviddin Jurakulov (UZB)
5. Yordani Fernandez Sastre (CUB)
5. Christopher Skelley (GBR)
7. Talgat Azhgaliyev (KAZ)
7. Yerlan Konkiyev (KAZ)

Also Competed: Robert Anderson (Bolingbrook, IL / Menomonee Judo Club), 0-1

J1 Women’s 48 kg
1. Nataliya Nikolaychyk (UKR)
2. Ecem Tasin Cavdar (TUR)
3. Khaiitkhon Khusan Kyzy (KGZ)
3. Rocio Ledesma Dure (ARG)
5. Derong Chen (CHN)
5. Rosicleide De Andrade (BRA)
7. Emmanouela Masourou (GRE)
7. Maria Fernanda Zapata Manjarres (COL)

J1 Women’s 57 kg
1. Yijie Shi (CHN)
2. Dondu Yesilyurt (TUR)
3. Anzhela Havrysiuk (UKR)
3. Liana Mutia (Philadelphia, PA / El Idrissi Judo Academy)
5. Priscilla Gagne (CAN)
5. Paula Karina Gomez Martinez (ARG)
7. Flora Buranyi (HUN)
7. Larissa Silva (BRA)

J1 Women’s 70 kg
1. Li Liu (CHN)
2. Merve Uslu (TUR)
3. Nadia Agostina Boggiano (ARG)
3. Brenda Souza De Freitas (BRA)
5. Matilde Lauria (ITA)
5. Theodora Paschalidou (GRE)
7. Maha Ali (EGY)
7. Renuka Narayan Salave (IND)

J1 Women’s +70 kg
1. Anastasiia Harnyk (UKR)
2. Nazan Akin Gunes (TUR)
3. Christella Garcia (Sacramento, CA / Team Sacramento Judo)
3. Erika Zoaga (BRA)
5. Feruza Ergasheva (UZB)
5. Khatira Ismiyeva (AZE)
7. Yan Meng (CHN)
7. Mukesh Rani (IND)

J2 Women’s 48 kg
1. Akmaral Nauatbek (KAZ)
2. Yuliia Ivanytska (UKR)
3. Sandrine Aurieres Martinet (FRA)
3. Shahana Hajiyeva (AZE)
5. Carmen Brussig (SUI)
5. Cahide Eke (TUR)
7. Lobar Khurramova (UZB)
7. Yi Liu (CHN)

J2 Women’s 57 kg
1. Zeynep Celik (TUR)
2. Kumushkhon Khodjaeva (UZB)
3. Junko Hirose (JPN)
3. Inna Sych (UKR)
5. Ramona Brussig (GER)
5. Dayana Fedossova (KAZ)
7. Marta Arce Payno (ESP)
7. Laura Candela Gonzalez (ARG)

J2 Women’s 70 kg
1. Yue Wang (CHN)
2. Khanim Huseynova (AZE)
3. Kazusa Ogawa (JPN)

J2 Women’s +70 kg
1. Carolina Costa (ITA)
2. Rebeca Silva (BRA)
3. Meg Emmerich (BRA)
3. Sheyla Samarian Hernandez Estupinan (CUB)
5. Dursadaf Karimova (AZE)
5. Hongyu Wang (CHN)
7. Prescillia Leze (FRA)
7. Kirsten Taylor (GBR)

Also Competed: Katie Davis (Sacramento, CA / Team Sacramento Judo), 0-1