Malloy wins gold at Pan Am Championships | Judo

Published 1:51 pm Monday, May 2, 2016

Marti Malloy, a 2004 Oak Harbor High School graduate, added another page to her scrapbook by winning a gold medal in judo at the Pan American Championships April 29 in Havana.

The win was Malloy’s third straight at the event and lifted her to No. 3 in the world rankings at 57Kg.

“I’m very pleased with my performance,” Malloy said. “It carried huge Olympic points.”

Malloy, who won a bronze at the 2012 Olympic Games, locked up another Olympic berth and will represent the United States in Rio de Janeiro Aug. 5-21. The top 16 in the world rankings receive Olympic bids.

At the Pan Am Championships, Malloy opened the tournament with a pin in under 30 seconds against an opponent from Ecuador. It took her less than 30 seconds to win round two as well, topping a Canadian with an arm bar.

She won the finals over the No. 1 ranked Canadian fighter.

“The final fight was important for me because the last time I fought the Canadian in the quarterfinals of the World Championships in Aug. 2015, I lost in overtime. It was nice to see the adjustments I have been making work for me.”

At the World Championships last August, she suffered a concussion in the bronze medal match with France’s top athlete and finished fifth.

“I redeemed that loss by beating the French girl at the Paris Grand Slam in February, taking a bronze. I also won the Cuba Grand Prix in January.”

Next up is the World Master in Guadalajara May 27, where only the top 16 in each weight class are invited to attend.

“I will also do a warm up competition in June at the Budapest Grand Prix,” Malloy said, followed by training camps in Boston and France over the next few months.