January 28, 2007 - London, England - Ronda Rousey (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / Pedro’s Judo Center / 63kg) took her fourth European title during the past year with a gold medal at the British Open in London on Saturday.

Rousey reeled through her first two matches with little problem, winning both by ippon (instant win) to advance to the semifinal against Sarah Clark (GBR).

The last time the two met, Rousey was a 17-year-old at the Athens Olympic Games. The youngest athlete in the judo competition, Rousey picked up a win over Clark en route to her ninth-place finish.

Although the two haven’t fought since, both rapidly ascended the world rankings. Rousey, now 19, is the fourth-ranked athlete in the world while Clark won last year’s European Championships to move up to sixth.

The match was one of the best battles in the women’s division all day as both players fought strategically and neither was able to produce a score sending the match into Golden Score (overtime).

The back-and-forth attacks continued for just over a minute before Rousey threw Clark with a drop o uchi (dropping leg throw) to win the match by a koka (smallest points).

“All three of my first matches were straight in a row. I think I was done by 9:30 or 10 this morning and then I didn’t fight the final til 3:30,” Rousey said. “They only seed the British players at this one, so I knew there was about a 50/50 chance I’d draw Sarah before the final, but actually it was better to have that match earlier in the day because then you get it over with instead of sitting around and waiting and worrying about it for hours and hours.”

Team FORCE Results:

Radu Brestyan (Wakefield, Mass. / Team FORCE) won his first three matches to advance to the semifinals, where he lost to the eventual winner Matthew Purssey (GBR). Radu came back to win the bronze (73kg), throwing Joost Vandermade (BEL) for ippon with a kata guruma (fireman’s carry) less than two minutes into the final.

Dan McCormick (Wakefield, Mass. / Team FORCE) finished with a bronze in the +100kg division, winning against Sharpe and Curry of GBR, but losing to Delahay (GBR) and fellow American Kirk Hoffmann.

Asma Sharif (Wakefield, Mass. / Team FORCE) went 1-2 in the 78 kg division, with her win coming over fellow American Lisa Uemura.

2004 Olympian Rick Hawn (Wakefield, Mass. / Team FORCE) went 2-2 on the day, but did not medal in the event (81kg).




Ronda Rousey at the top of the podium with her Gold medal


Radu Brestyan (second from the Right) with his Bronze medal


Dan McCormick (Right) with his Bronze medal