USA Judo News France and Israel Cl...

France and Israel Claim Gold at the 2018 New York Open Team Judo Tournament

March 29, 2018, 1:21 p.m. (ET)

Press Release from the New York Open held March 24 & 25, 2018:

On Saturday, March 24, 2018, at the end a day filled with intense judo action, two teams stood atop the New York Open Judo Team Tournament podium at the prestigious New York Athletic Club: France and Israel. Team France secured gold in the men’s category, and Team Israel won gold for the women, though each team’s path to victory was a very different narrative.

Team France sent their strongest team in recent years with three 2016 Rio Olympians in a team of five athletes. They met and exceeded expectations by overpowering the field behind Ibrahima Keita’s MVP performance. Keita received the Travis Stevens Outstanding Player Award.

Team Israel brought a team of young, rising stars, but from their first match of the tournament, it was clear that they had an energy that would not be easily stopped. The Israeli women defeated strong teams from both the United States and France on the way to securing their second consecutive gold medal at the tournament. Tamar Malca was just one of the Israeli athletes who shined as she was honored with the Kayla Harrison Outstanding Player Award.

Men’s Results:
1^st – France
2^nd – Poland
3^rd – Canada

Women’s Results:
1^st – Israel
2^nd – France
3^rd – USA

Travis Stevens Men’s Outstanding Player Award: Ibrahima Keita (90 kg), Team France

Kayla Harrison Women’s Outstanding Player Award: Tamar Malca (48 kg), Team Israel

Lifetime achievement Award: Jim Pedro Sr.