JOHN DAVID MERCER/USA TODAY SPORTS
The USA’s Travis Stevens, probably the hardest working judoka around, has taken home a silver medal in the 2016 Olympic games.
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.
Semi finals submission win:
Vs Bulgaria’s Ivaylo Ivanov:
Travis Stevens aka ‘The Judo Silencer’ is a judoka from the United States who competed in 2008 Olympics. He participated in the 2012 Summer Olympics, losing against the previous winner of the 2008 Summer Olympics, Ole Bischof, in the semi-finals by judges’ decision and was then beaten in the bronze medal match by Canada’s Antoine Valois-Fortier. Travis has defeated Judo legend and Ne Waza king Flavio Canto. Travis also holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under John Danaher. Danaher rewarded Stevens his black belt on November 19, 2013.
Travis Stevens went through all the BJJ Belts under John Danaher in an incredible 18 Months! . He held the rank of Brown for a year and competed at Copa Podio, and BJJ expo tournament. White-blue in weeks, then blue-purple in a month then purple-brown in a few months!
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.
Finals: Lost to Khasan Khalmurzaev of Russia by ippon.
Semi Finals: Defeated Avtandil Tchrikishvili of Georgia by choke.
Quarter finals: Defeated Ivaylo Ivanov of Bulgaria by pin.
1/8 finals: Defeated Shaxzod Sobirov of Uzbekistan by ippon.
1/16 finals: Defeated Robin Pacek of Sweden by yuko.
