The USA’s Travis Stevens, probably the hardest working judoka around, has taken home a silver medal in the 2016 Olympic games.
Travis Stevens when asked why he focuses on the Ground Game (Newaza), he answered:
“Because nobody else is doing it.”
He showed great Newaza and was able to win 3 matches with ground techniques: 2 by pins and 1 by bow and arrow choke.
In his third Olympics, Travis Stevens achieved what no other male American did, get a silver. The fifth seeded Stevens, won his first three matches during the preliminary rounds of the men’s 81kg tournament. During two of these matches the Judo and BJJ black belt was able to defeat his opponents with his superior ground game: Uzbekistan’s Shaxzod Sobirov and Bulgaria’s Ivaylo Ivanov.
In the semi final Stevens faced world No. 1 Avtandil Tchrikishvili of Georgia and choked him out by bow and arrow.
In the finals, he faced Khasan Khalmurzaev of Russia who threw Stevens with uchimata to score ippon.
The U.S. has never won a gold medal in men’s judo. The last American male to win a medal was Jimmy Pedro, the current USA Judo coach, at the 2004 Games.
Stevens was initially disappointed of coming up short so close to his goal of an Olympic medal. He waited one day to share his toughest on his instagram:
A life time of Blood, Sweat, and Tears, I can’t say thank you enough to everyone who tuned in to watch me compete and accomplish my childhood dream! With everything that myself, the staff at USA Judo, and the Team of individuals working with me daily have been through I can’t thank all of you enough. If it wasn’t for the support of my country, my family, and friends this dream never would have came through. This medal is as good as Gold to me!!!!!
Stevens started his 2016 Olympic Journey Against Sweden’s Robin Pacek, going straight through the first round.
His next opponent was Sabirov Shakzodbek of Uzbekistan in Quarter Finals:
He went up against Georgia’s Tchrikshbili in the Semi Finals:
And in the finals battled Russia’s Khasan Khalmurzaev:
Watch Stevens receive his Silver Medal:
