Judoka Martin Boonzaayer back in the Games

Terry Madden is 6-foot-4, 310 pounds, and not accustomed to being flopped around like a human throw pillow. But with just a few precise maneuvers, 6-1, 250-pound Martin Boonzaayer had the massive Madden on his back, grimacing in discomfort on the padded surface of the Southside Dojo on Portage Road during a recent workout.

"He is so skilled, however I move, my weight and strength are pretty much nullified," said Kalamazoo native Madden, who is Boonzaayer's local training partner. "I liken it to a Little Leaguer facing Randy Johnson."

Boonzaayer, an alumnus of Kalamazoo Christian High School and Western Michigan University, won the U.S. Olympic judo trials in June and will represent the heavyweight division at the Olympics in Athens beginning Aug. 13 at the Ano Liossa Olympic Hall. It's his second consecutive Olympics trip.

While an accomplished wrestler who placed ninth at the World Championships in 1999, Boonzaayer, 31, lost his 2000 preliminary match in the Sydney Games against Cuba's Angel Vladimir Sancez in 32 seconds. He dominated early, but his nerves and waiting for nearly a week as the lighter weights competed before he took the mat may have cost him a chance to advance.

"By the time I was up, I was emotionally burned out," he said. "I saw an opportunity to finish the match then and there. That was a mistake. He reversed (the move) on me ... I was embarrassed for a while."

Boonzaayer said he takes each match seriously, but he's lightened up considerably.

"Now that I'm at peace with (the defeat), I seem to perform better," he said. "If I get riled up, I make mistakes. If I'm calm, I tend to do a lot better.

"(The Olympics) is not brand new anymore. I know what to expect. It's an honor to represent my country, but it's not as emotional (as 2000)."

Boonzaayer, who now lives in Hoffman Estates just outside of Chicago, weighs five pounds less than in 2000 and said he has spent less time in the weight room and more on the mat. In early July, he worked out in Barcelona, Spain, with more than 600 wrestlers from around the world, including the entire U.S. National team.

Madden, who also sparred with Boonzaayer days before the Barcelona camp, said he was significantly faster since returning. It's that improved speed Boonzaayer hopes will help him advance.

"He is not someone that sits down," said his father, Karel Boonzaayer, who attended the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia. "If something isn't right, he fixes it."

To call Boonzaayer an underdog, in what will be his last Olympics, is fair. No American medaled in 2000 and no American has ever won Olympic gold in judo. He may be the best in the U.S., but worldwide, he's not ranked.

Even at the trials he was ranked third and had to pull off a minor upset to reach Athens. In addition, his 250 pounds pales in comparison to the average heavyweight of almost 300 pounds.

"I've been doing it my whole career," Boonzaayer said of wrestling larger, more heralded athletes. "I'm very familiar with that position.

"On my best, I can go up against anyone. There's no reason I can't be on the (medals) podium at the end of the day."