Pan American Open in Lima successful event for Brazil

Also on Sunday Brazil showed its strength at the Pan American Open in Lima in Peru. Another four titles were added making a total of nine gold medals and 18 medals in total.

The total could have been more but it was Maria Perez who bested Maria Portela in the final U70kg. The category U78kg had just five judoka and Samantha Soares defeated Lucia Cantero of Argentina in the final. In a pool of three Rochele Nunes (BRA) won gold, Maria Suelen Altheman (BRA) took silver. The men’s division was more interesting but even here just 13 judoka U81kg, and that wasn’t even so bad. Dominik Druzeta captured the gold for Croatia. His second medal in his Pan American Tour as he took bronze Santiago last week. On Sunday he won his three contests with Tomas Martinatto (ARG) as opponent in the final who got caught in 40 seconds.

Canadian Louis Krieber-Gagnon loves the silver so much that he took another one. Maybe he waits for the Panamerican Championships to grab gold. In Lima he lost his final against Gustavo Assis of Brazil. Krieber won silver in Taipei last year, at the Canadian Champions and last week in Santiago. "I made a mistake partway through my final match and my opponent was able to score a big ippon. Before that, it had been going pretty well. I made a mistake and two seconds later, the bout was over,” summarized Deschênes. “It’s disappointing because I needed a first place finish in at least one of the South American competitions to meet carding criteria for next year, but I finished second at all three tournaments.” Brazil’s national silver medallist Assis took gold this time, his second World Cup level victory as last year he celebrated gold in Tallinn (EST).

Thomas Briceno of Chile finished first after he bested Marc Deschenes of Canada. Comparable scenario for Deschenes who won silver in Montreal this year, Buenos Aires, Santiago and he completed the Pan American triple silver in Lima, twice he lost to Briceno in the final, who won bronze in Santiago last week when Luciano Correa won gold U100kg. Brazilian heavyweight Ruan Isquierdo added a second victory. He won gold in Santiago and now in Lima. He is in a good shape as he was also in the final in Katowice on European ground.

Over three Pan American Opens, none of the athletes won three times, but Gimena Laffeuillade won two events and silver, also Briceno won three medals and two gold medals, one bronze.