Lima Grand Prix Day 2 Overview of American Players' Performance

On Day 2, Johan Silot got a very commendable silver medal for the USA. Jack Yonezuka made it to the repechage stage. Both Emiliano Saucedo Goldschmied and Karlee Carrouth fought well in their first round matches to proceed to the second round. 

Men’s -73kg Division
In Pool A, Emiliano Saucedo Goldschmied won his first-round match, against Aldair Barthe Chirrinos (PER) with sumi-otoshi for yuko and a sasae-tsurikomi-ashi for waza-ari. He lost his next match, against Rashid Mammadaliyev (AZE) after receiving three shidos for three different infractions (illegal grip breaking, non-combativity and grabbing the legs). In Pool D, Jack Yonezuka got a bye in his first round, and defeated Alfredo Valdivieso (ECU) through hansoku-make in Golden Score after the Ecuadorian got his third shido. He lost to Leondardo Valeriani (ITA) by a yuko, which the Italian scored in the first minute with kouchi-gari. As this was the quarterfinal, this allowed Yonezuka to fight in the repechage. There, he lost to Chusniddin Karimov (CZE) who threw him with a hikikomi-gaeshi off the ground, for ippon, in the first minute.

Women’s -63kg Division
In Pool B, Emily Daniela Jaspe got a bye in the first round, then faced Kaja Kazjer (SLO) in the second round. There, she lost in Golden Score when the Slovenian threw her for ippon with a drop knee seoi-nage done off the sleeve. In Pool C, Karlee Carrouth defeated Neza Mesicek (SLO) throwing her three times. The first was an unusual sacrifice technique for yuko. Then, kouchi-gari for waza-ari. Lastly, she pinned her opponent for waza-ari-awasete-ippon. It was a masterful performance. However, her next match was against Jessica Klimkait (CAN) who as a bridge too far. Ever wary of Klimkait’s seoi-nage, she succumbed to the Canadian’s kouchi-makikomi. 

Men’s -81kg Division

In Pool B, Johan Silot did very well, winning his first bout, against Javier Saavedra (PER) with three throws. The first was a very stylish standing seoi-nage done off the sleeve, for waza-ari. Then, he threw his opponent with sumi-otoshi for yuko. And finally, he scored ippon with a well-time tsubame-gaeshi. Against Manuel Parlati (ITA), Silot threw with just one technique: Drop sode, and won the match by ippon with it. His quarterfinal bout was against Medickson Del Orbe Cortorreal (DOM), who has proven to be a giant killer in the past. Silot took care of him with a hold-down midway through the match. Silot continued with his winning ways in the semifinal, throwing Omar Rajabli (AZE) with a very dynamic drop seoi-nage which saw him spring back up into the air. The score was only yuko because Rajabli managed to spin out of the throw. But it was enough to get Silot through to the final. Silot’s final match was against World Junior Bronze medalist Mihajlo Simin (SRB), who scored three times, all in the second half of the match. Shortly after the two-minute mark, he threw Silot with kouchi-gari for yuko and immediately went to work in newaza. He eventually secured a kata-gatame but after 10 seconds Silot managed to catch Simin’s legs, so it was toketa. Waza-ari was given. Simin was able to free his legs and osaekomi was called again and he held on for waza-ari-awasete-ippon. Although Silot had to be contented with a silver medal, it was the best result so far for the American team.


Interestingly, it was also Simin who had earlier defeated Dominic Rodriguez by ippon in the first round of Pool D, with a deceptive ouchi-gari done off an ippon-seoi-nage grip. So, as it turned out the same player defeated both Americans in this division. One in the first round and one in the final!

Women’s -70kg Division
In Pool A, Yasmin Alamin got a bye in the first round. In the second round, she lost to Irene Pedrotti (ITA) who threw her with drop morote-seoi-nage for waza-ari, then pinned her for waza-ari-awasete-ippon. In Pool D, Melissa Myers also got a bye in the first round. In the second round, she was thrown by Kaja Schuster (SLO) with a drop sode-tsurikomi-goshi for ippon.   

(Photos courtesy of IJF)