State Links To London Olympics: Judo

Sportspress Northwest offers another in a series of biographical sketches of athletes with significant ties to Washington who will compete in the Olympics

Today’s focus: Judo.

No judoka with ties to Washington has won an Olympic medal. Washington will be represented by two in London.

2012 JUDO OLYMPIANS

MARTI MALLOY / Oak Harbor

BORN: June 23, 1986, Oak Harbor. RESIDENCE: San Jose. SPORT: Judo. EVENT: 57kg, 63kg. COUNTRY: USA. OLYMPICS (1st): 2012. HOW QUALIFIED: Via competition at the Olympic Trials. STATE CONNECTION: Oak Harbor native.

Marti “Martian” Malloy, a  judoka ranked No. 1 in her classification in the U.S. and No. 9 in the world, grew up on Whidbey Island and took up judo as a teenager. A 16, she won a gold medal in her first senior competition, the 2002 Rendez-Vouz Canada, where she defeated a tough field, including a 2000 Olympian and the previous year’s U.S. national champion. Malloy moved to San Jose, in 2005 to take advantage of the judo program at San Jose State University and pursue a degree in journalism. She came close to making the 2008 Olympic judo team.

CAREER — 2012: Won a silver medal at the European Cup in Prague, Czech Republic . . . 2011: Injured . . . 2010: Won silver in team competition at the Pan American Games . . . Won gold at the Belgian Ladies Open . . . Won a silver medal at the Venezuela World cup . . . (2009): Member of the Senior World Championship team . . . 2008: Won gold at the USA Judo Senior National Championships (57kg) . . . Won gold at the Olympic Zone Cup (63kg) . . . Took bronze at the U.S. Open (57kg) . . . 2007: Won gold at the USA Judo Senior National Championships (63kg) . . . Won gold at the Collegiate National Championships (63kg) . . . Won gold at the FEDOJUDO International Cup (63kg) . . . Took a silver at the Finnish Open (63kg) . . . Took silver at the Rendez-Vous Canada (63kg) . . . Earned bronze at the U.S. Open (63kg).

PERSONAL: Malloy grew up at the Naval Air Station on Whidbey Island  . . .  Father Marty was a member of the U.S. Navy, and the base ran free sports programs for families . . . Marti sparred with her siblings growing up, and fought other boys until the age of 12 . . . Graduate of the  San Jose State University judo program, where she trained under the eye of former U.S. Olympic judo coach Yosh Uchida . . . Graduated on the Dean’s List with a degree in advertising . . . When not training, she loves to watch scary movies.

TRAVIS STEVENS / Bellevue

BORN: Feb. 28, 1986, Bellevue. RESIDENCE: Wakefield, MA. SPORT: Judo. EVENT: 81kg, 63kg. COUNTRY: USA. OLYMPICS (2nd): 2008, 2012. HOW QUALIFIED: Via competition at the Olympic Trials. STATE CONNECTION: Bellevue native, Auburn-Riverside High, North Shore Community College.

OLYMPICS: Eliminated in the quarterfinal round in 2008; finished in a tie for ninth.

CAREER —  2011: Won a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara . . . 2010: Won a bronze medal at the Pan American Games in San Salvador . . . 2008: Won gold at the Pan American Games (gold medal) . . . (2007): Won a gold medal at the USA Judo Senior National Championships, a gold in the Finnish Open, a gold in the Rendez-Vous Canada, a silver at the U.S. Open and a bonze at the British . . . 2006: Won silver at the Pan American Junior Championships . . . (2004): Started competing on the national level and won a silver medal at the USA Junior Olympic National Championships and a bronze at the Junior U.S. Open.

PERSONAL: Trains at the USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center in Glenville, NY. . . . Graduated from Auburn-Riverside High . . . Attended college in San Jose . . . Intended to sign up for baseball and wrestling at an after-school sports program as a youth, but “checked the wrong box” and wound up in judo instead.

Olympic Qualifiers

Athletes with connections to the state who have qualified (or been selected) for the Summer Games.