Ann Shiraishi of the East Bay Judo Institute went to the Beijing Olympics as an alternate.

COLORADO SPRINGS — The U.S. sent five athletes to the top of the podium on Sept. 27 at the U.S. Open Championships, which were held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

Olympian Ryan Reser returned for his first competition since Beijing and had the opportunity to fight in the 73kg division in front of a hometown crowd filled with family and friends.

“I really just fought mainly because it was here in the Springs,” Reser said. “I’ve been training, but not really hard since the Olympics, so I just wanted to go out and have fun.”

Reser pinned his first opponent, Jose Sernaque (Ecuador) in the opening 30 seconds and racked up a series of scores against 2006 Junior World Team member A.J. Silverman in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, however, Reser struggled for the first time during the day when fighting 2008 Junior World Team member Nick Delpopolo. Although Reser led by a penalty, the match was set for overtime when he was given a stalling penalty of his own.

“I was having fun right up til that Golden Score,” Reser laughed at the end of the night.
Reser ultimately threw Delpopolo to end the Golden Score and advance to the finals against Ghazaros Grigoryan (Armenia), whom he put through a scoring clinic.

Up by a waza-ari (half-point) and two yukos (quarter-point each), Reser was determined to end the match with a throw for ippon (instant win) and did just that when he through the former European U-23 Championships medalist with a fireman’s carry with two seconds on the clock.

Twenty-year-old Hannah Martin (Glenville, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) made her first U.S. Open medal a gold one when she won the 57kg division.

After placing second in the 48kg division at the 2007 U.S. Open, Ann Shiraishi (San Francisco / East Bay Judo Institute) was back in the finals again — this time fighting against 14-year-old Katelyn Bouyssou (Hope, R.I. / NYAC / Mayo Quanchi Judo Club).

Although Shiraishi had never lost to Bouyssou, who just moved up from 44kg earlier this year, Bouyssou led when they fought at the Fall Classic in August until the final minute, when Shiraishi came from behind to tie the match and eventually earn an overtime win.

That evening, Shiraishi took Bouyssou to the ground twice, first attempting an unsuccessful pin and then hitting the mat again for a second pin, which she locked in for the full 25 seconds to win the gold.

The day’s youngest gold medalist, 16-year-old Kayla Chap-pell (Oklahoma City, Okla. / USA Stars) won the 52kg division when she threw 14-year-old Mindy Chow (Honolulu / Hawaii Tenri) for a koka in the first 30 seconds of overtime.
The gold medal is the first in a major senior tournament for Chappell and will move her into the number one U.S. ranking among senior 52kg players.

In a division that included both an Olympian and an alternate to the 2008 team, Jeff Fong (San Jose / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University) produced one of the day’s greatest upsets when he threw Mesrop Barbaryan (Armenia), a top-five finisher at two Super World Cups last year, for ippon in the 66kg semifinals.

Fong fought Canadian Jean-Philippe Gagnon in the final, but lost the match when Gagnon threw him for ippon in the opening minute. Fong took silver.