(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – The U.S. squad opened the first Olympic qualifying tournament of 2023 with five athletes placing in the top 16 in their respective divisions at the Portugal Grand Prix and earning valuable points towards the 2024 Paris Games.

2023 Portugal Grand Prix Results

Maria Laborde (Kenosha, Wis. / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) continued her climb of the world rankings where she moved up to No. 19 in the 48 kg event after finishing 1-1 on Friday in Almada. Laborde, a two-time Senior World bronze medalist for Cuba who began representing Team USA in 2022, won her opening match by penalties against Leyla Aliyeva (AZE). In the next round, however, Galiya Tynbayeva (KAZ) threw Laborde for a waza-ari (half-point) early in the match. Laborde forced Tynbayeva into two penalties, but wasn’t able to score and Tynbayeva both took the match and went on to win her first career Grand Prix silver medal.

On Saturday, 18-year-old Dominic Rodriguez (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) entered the 60-person 73 kg division and took a first-round win over Lucas Bernardo (POR) who he threw for a waza-ari just over a minute into the match. The reigning Senior Pan Am Champion went down to the wire in the next round against Ido Levin (ISR), but threw Levin for ippon (instant win) with 14 seconds on the clock. In the round of 16, neither Rodriguez or Hassan Doukkali (MAR) scored during the four-minute regulation period, sending the match to Golden Score (sudden death overtime) with Doukkali holding two penalties going into overtime. Doukkali threw Rodriguez in the first minute of overtime to take the match.

On Sunday, Team USA saw three athletes earn top-16 finishes, including two in the 90 kg event.

Senior World Team members John Jayne (Chicago, Ill.) and Alex Knauf (Yorkville, Ill. / NYAC / Cohen Brothers Judo) each earned byes into the round of 32 and took 1-1 finishes overall.

Jayne met Ali Hazem (EGY) in the second round after the Egyptian upset 2022 Junior World Champion Jakhongir Mamatrakhimov (UZB) in the opener. Hazem took three penalties in his match against Jayne, giving the American the win. Jayne would end up on the other end of the penalty equation in the next round, though, when he fell, three penalties to one, to 2022 European Championships silver medalist Darko Brasnjovic (SRB).

Competing at his second Grand Prix tournament, 2022 Junior World Team member Knauf had two penalties to the one held by Riccardo Serao (POR) at the end of regulation. Knauf scored first, throwing Serao for a waza-ari to take the match. Knauf drew two-time Senior World medalist Axel Clerget (FRA) in the next round. Clerget controlled the match, throwing Knauf for ippon and went on to win bronze.

In the 78 kg event, 2017 Senior World Team member Nicole Stout (Schenectady, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center), scored her first Grand Prix match win when she threw Beatriz Moreira (POR) first for a waza-ari and then for ippon in the round of 32. In the 16, Stout came up against Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko (UKR), the 18-year-old standout who won bronze at the 2022 Senior Worlds. Lytvynenko threw Stout for ippon and went on to claim her first Grand Prix medal with a silver.

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

Men’s 60 kg
1. Yamato Fukuda (JPN)
2. Francisco Garrigos (ESP)
3. Cedric Revol (FRA)
3. Luka Mkheidze (FRA)
5. Giorgi Sardalashvili (GEO)
5. Harim Lee (KOR)
7. Seungbeom Jeon (KOR)
7. Artem Lesiuk (UKR)

Women’s 48 kg
1. Abiba Abuzhakynova (KAZ)
2. Galiya Tynbayeva (KAZ)
3. Shira Rishony (ISR)
3. Mireia Lapuerta Comas (ESP)
5. Katharina Tanzer (AUT)
5. Catarina Costa (POR)
7. Laura Martinez Abelenda (ESP)
7. Andrea Stojadinov (SRB)

Also Competed: Maria Laborde (Kenosha, Wis. / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 1-1

Men’s 66 kg
1. Mukhriddin Tilovov (UZB)
2. Baul An (KOR)
3. Radu Izvoreanu (MDA)
3. Daikii Bouba (FRA)
5. Serdar Rahimov (TKM)
5. Jaehong An (AZE)
7. Yashar Najafov (AZE)
7. Eric Takabatake (BRA)

Women’s 52 kg
1. Chelsie Giles (GBR)
2. Estrella Lopez Sheriff (ESP)
3. Julie Weill Dit Morey (FRA)
3. Naomi Van Krevel (NED)
5. Fabiola Diaz (VEN)
5. Ana Perez Box (ESP)
7. Sita Kadamboeva (UZB)
7. Nandin-Erdene Myagmarsuren (MGL)

Men’s 73 kg
1. Obidkhon Nomonov (UZB)
2. Zhansay Smagulov (KAZ)
3. Heoncheol Kang (KOR)
3. Jose Antonio Aranda Olalla (ESP)
5. Adil Osmanov (MDA)
5. Nurlan Osmanov (AZE)
7. Jeroen Casse (BEL)
7. Hasan Doukkali (MAR)

Also Competed: Dominic Rodriguez (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 2-1

Women’s 57 kg
1. Mimi Huh (KOR)
2. Rafaela Silva (BRA)
3. Nekoda Smythe-Davis (GBR)
3. Thauany David Capanni Dias (ITA)
5. Nilufar Ermaganbetova (UZB)
5. Marica Perisic (SRB)
7. Flaka Loxha (KOS)
7. Jessica Pereira (BRA)

Men’s 81 kg
1. Joonhwan Lee (KOR)
2. Eljan Hajiyev (AZE)
3. Mihail Latisev (MDA)
3. Frank De Wit (NED)
5. Sagi Muki (UKR)
5. Hievorh Manukian (UKR)
7. Lachlan Moorhead (GBR)
7. Zaur Dvalshvili (GEO)

Also Competed: Kell Berliner (Schenectady, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center), 1-1

Women’s 63 kg
1. Barbara Timo (POR)
2. Gabriella Moraes (BRA)
3. Cristina Cabana Perez (ESP)
3. Iva Oberan (CRO)
5. Amina Belkadi (ALG)
5. Anriquelis Barrios (VEN)
7. Sarai Padilla Guerrero (ESP)
7. Florentina Ivanescu (ROU)

Men’s 90 kg
1. Ivaylo Ivanov (BUL)
2. Krisztian Toth (HUN)
3. Axel Clerget (FRA)
3. Roland Goz (HUN)
5. Darko Brasnjovic (SRB)
5. Didar Khamza (KAZ)
7. Dzhakhongir Madzhidov (TJK)
7. Karel Foubert (BEL)

Also Competed: John Jayne (Chicago, Ill.), 1-1
Alex Knauf (Yorkville, Ill. / NYAC / Cohen Brothers Judo), 1-1

Women’s 70 kg
1. Aoife Coughlan (AUS)
2. Elvismar Rodriguez (VEN)
3. Ida Eriksson (SWE)
3. Szabina Cercsak (HUN)
5. Nataliia Chystiakova (UKR)
5. Heeju Han (KOR)
7. Elena Dengg (AUT)
7. Margit De Voogd (NED)

Men’s 100 kg
1. Ilia Sulamanidze (GEO)
2. Dota Arai (JPN)
3. Zsombor Veg (HUN)
3. Lukas Krpalek (CZE)
5. Anton Savytskiy (UKR)
5. Bojan Dosen (SRB)
7. Miklos Cirjenics (HUN)
7. Erekle Bazierishvili (GEO)

Also Competed: Nate Keeve (San Rafael, Calif. / NYAC), 0-1

Women’s 78 kg
1. Patricia Sampaio (POR)
2. Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko (UKR)
3. Loriana Kuka (KOS)
3. Emma Reid (GBR)
5. Jeongyun Lee (KOR)
5. Hyunji Yoon (KOR)
7. Patricija Brolih (SLO)
7. Marie Branser (GUI)

Also Competed: Nicole Stout (Schenectady, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center), 1-1

Men’s +100 kg
1. Minjong Kim (KOR)
2. Saba Inaneishvili (GEO)
3. Rafael Silva (BRA)
3. Tsetsentsengel Odkhuu (MGL)
5. Joao Cesarino (BRA)
5. Jur Spijkers (NED)
7. Yakiv Khammo (UKR)
7. Jaegu Youn (KOR)

Also Competed: Christian Konoval (Rockport, Texas / NYAC / Becerra Judo), 0-1

Women’s +78 kg
1. Hayun Kim (KOR)
2. Rochele Nunes (POR)
3. Karen Stevenson (NED)
3. Milica Zabic (SRB)
5. Kamila Berlikash (KAZ)
5. Erica Simonetti (ITA)
7. Kinga Wolszczak (POL)
7. Valentine Marchand (FRA)

Team USA Earns Five Top-16 Finishes at the Portugal Grand Prix

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