Judo talent Ronda Rousey wins junior world title

Ronda Rousey of Santa Monica, Calif., became just the second American to win the Junior World Championships with her victory over Jing Jing Mao of China in the women’s 63 kilogram category in Budapest Hungary. “This is just unbelievable,” said Rousey of her win. “Coming off the Olympics, I was a little disappointed, but I put that behind me and focused all my energy on today and it all paid off. I’m just so happy right now.”

This victory, Rousey’s first major win in international competition since finishing ninth at the Olympics in Athens, solidifies the seventeen-year-old high school junior’s place as one of the most dominant and promising athletes in international women’s judo.

Rousey, the only member of the American team to advance past the preliminaries, breezed through Thursday’s early rounds before facing Russia’s Irina Gromova today in the semifinal. This proved to be her toughest match and the only won that went the full four minutes.

The finals match was the first meeting between Rousey and Mao and Ronda lost little time, throwing Mao for Ippon (the judo equivalent of a knockout) in just four seconds.

The reigning Senior and Junior Pan American Champion, Rousey was the youngest member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team for judo. This past July, she also received the aptly named Texaco Rising Star Award after winning the 2004 Titan Games.

Rousey is already considered a major contender for next year’s World Championships in Egypt and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The Junior World Championships is an elite international tournament that brings together the world’s best athletes under 20 years of age. Because of her age, Rousey will have the opportunity to return and defend her junior world title in two years if she so chooses.

Nine other americans have won medals at the Junior Worlds. They are:
Mike Kessler, Bronze, 1976
Joe Wanag, Bronze, 1983
Jason Morris, Bronze, 1986
Jimmy Pedro, Bronze, 1990
Liliko Ogasawara, Bronze, 1990
Marcus Dawson, Bronze, 1992
Hillary Wolf, Gold, 1994
Jamie Henry, Bronze, 1994
Sayaka Matsumoto, Silver, 2000