The United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) will host a judo training camp April 6-11 in conjunction with the Northglenn championships. The tournament will serve as the USABA Judo National Team’s qualifying trials and last competition opportunity for blind and visually impaired judo athletes to qualify for the International Blind Sports Federation’s World Games to be held July 28 through Aug. 8 in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Athletes competing at Northglenn include Scott Moore (Englewood, Colo.), a visually impaired judo athlete in the 73kg weight division who was the first American to win Olympic or Paralympic gold in judo. Aside from his gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games, Moore won the 1998 World Championships and Paralympic bronze in 1996 (Atlanta) and 2004 (Athens).

Future Paralympians also will take to the judo mats in Northglenn.

Myles Porter (Colorado Springs, Colo.), currently a full-time resident athlete at the United States Olympic Training Center and training with the US Judo Team in Colorado Springs, became the third visually impaired judo athlete ever to receive a national ranking after taking second place at the Dallas Open in 2006. Porter’s current ranking is 15th in the 100kg weight class, which he will look to improve upon at Northglenn.  Porter has aspirations of a Paralympic medal at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Grace Ohashi (Colorado Springs, Colo.), a 48kg judo athlete and the most recent visually impaired judo athlete to become a resident at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, will compete at Northglenn as well.  Ohashi, a duel citizen of Japan and the United States, recently moved stateside to further her judo training.  In the short time in the States, she has accumulated enough points to achieve a national ranking of fourth which makes Ohashi the fourth visually impaired judo athlete to receive a national ranking by USA Judo.  Ohashi also looks to be a strong contender for a medal in Beijing.

Athlete Greg DeWall (Chico, Calif.), who attends Chico State in California and fights in the +100kg weight division, has received an invitation to try out for the USABA National Judo Team. After becoming blind from a self-inflicted gunshot wound a decade ago, DeWall has battled his way to near national status on the judo mat.

Additional athletes with something to prove in multiple sports will strive for an opportunity to represent Team USA in the IBSA World Championships.

Jordan Mouton (Houston, Texas) has translated her judo skills to another mat – in the sport of wrestling. Mouton went 25-5 as a high school wrestler this season.  After placing first in the district and fourth in the region, Mouton qualified for the Texas High School Wrestling Championships where she placed sixth, becoming the first wrestler from Cyprus Creek High School to place in the state competition.  Mouton opted to graduate from high school this spring to move out to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and focus her training on the upcoming World Championships.  Mouton fights in the 57kg weight division.

Additional USABA athletes competing in Northglenn and fighting for a spot on the U.S. men’s team include: Emmanuel Brannon (Seminole, Fla., 66kg), Adnan Gutic (St. Charles, Mo., 73kg), Ronald Hawthorne (Kansas City, Kan., 60kg), Scott Jones (Little Rock, Ark., 81kg), Michael Larson (Los Angeles, Calif., +100kg) and Andre Watson (Philadelphia, Pa., 90kg). The other women competing for a spot on the team include: Christella Garcia (Chicago, Ill. 63kg), Lisamaria Martinez (Berkeley, Calif., 70kg), Christina Thomas (Los Angeles, Calif. 48kg) and Cynthia Simon (Wayne, N.J., 52kg).

The USABA Judo National Team is coached by Willy Cahill (San Bruno, Calif.), who has 55 years of experience and has led Olympic and Paralympic teams. Assistant Coaches include Raul Tamayo (Redwood City, Calif.), 25 years experience, and Marc Vink (Riverton, N.J.), 35 years of experience.