COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (January 29, 2004) - USA Judo announced today it's nominees for male and female Athletes of the Year and Coach, Developmental Coach, and Volunteer Coach of the Year.  All nominees will be honored by the United States Olympics Committee as athletes and coaches of the year for the sport of Judo and will also be evaluated against other sport's nominees for the honor of overall Athletes and Coaches of the Year.  The nominees are:

Male Athlete of the Year: Mr. Jimmy Pedro, Lawrence, Massachusetts

Female Athlete of the Year: Ms. Ronda Rousey, Santa Monica, California

Coach of the Year: Dr. David Matsumoto, Richmond, California

Developmental Coach of the Year: Mr. Jhonny Prado, Coral Springs, Florida

Volunteer Coach of the Year: Mr. Nick Goodley, Jonesboro, Georgia

Details of each nomination are given below:

Male Athlete of the Year:

Jimmy Pedro is a 3 time Olympian, 1992, 1996, and 2000.  He won the bronze medal in Atlanta and finished 5th in Sydney after which he retired.  He is the 1999 World Judo Champion (2nd Male and 3rd American ever to win the World Championships).  Jimmy came out of retirement in March and within 10 weeks went from unranked to #1 in the nation.  In the Korean Open in December he faced in the semifinal, the Korean man who defeated him in the first round of the Sydney Olympics and in the final he faced the Korean man who is the current world champion.  Jimmy defeated them both, on their home turf, and answered the question of whether, at 33 years old, he could still compete at the top international level.  In 2003 Jimmy's accomplishments were: won his 6th National Championship, won the gold medal at the New York Open, British Open, Zone Cup Pan American Olympic Qualifying Event in Mexico, Puerto Rico Open, Italian Tre Torri Championships, Cananda Rendez Vous Championship, and Korea Open.  Jimmy won Silver at the Benito Juarez Tournament in Mexico and the US Open in Las Vegas.  Jimmy was named Judo athlete of the year in 1990, 1995, 1996, and 2000.

Female of Athletes of the Year:

Ronda Rousey, at sixteen years old, spent the first two thirds of 2003 recovering from knee surgery.  Since that time she has taken over the No. 1 spot in the women's 63kg Olympic weight category from 39-year-old veteran and 1992 Olympian Grace Jividen.  She finished 2nd in USOC athlete of the month voting for October.  Rousey is the youngest athlete ever to be ranked #1 at this weight class and is guaranteed a spot in the 2004 Olympic Trials.  She is also ranked #1 in the Junior Ranks (under 20), and barring injury will compete in the Junior World Judo Championships next fall.  In 2003, Ronda's accomplishments were Gold at the Golden State (California) Open, Fall Classic National Championships in Indiana, and Canadian Rendez Vous International.  Silver at the US Open in Las Vegas, and Fifth (lost for bronze) at the Korea Open.

Coach of the Year:

Dr. Matsumoto is head coach at the East Bay Judo Institute in El Cerrito, California.  In 2003 students from the East Bay Judo Institute won 32 medals in Senior and Junior National and International Competition including 18 National or International Championships at the Junior, High School, and adult levels.  One student was a member of USA Judo's Team that attended the World Judo Championships in Osaka, Japan and is ranked #1 in the USA.  The Institute is open six days a week and has approximately 80 students.  Professionally, he is a Professor of Psychology at San Francisco State.  In addition to direct coaching, Dr. Matsumoto is the Director of Development for the US Judo Federation and Official Researcher for the International Judo Federation.  He is an International A-level referee and served as Chief Referee for the 2003 National Junior Olympics.  Other accomplishments in 2003 include Co-author of a book describing 50 years of organized Judo in the US, International advisor to the Tokyo School of Judo Therapy, co-author of the 3rd International Judo Federation World Judo Conference and Judo Symposium (Osaka, Japan), and director of the 2nd US Judo Federation Conference (San Francisco).

Developmental Coach of the Year:

Jhonny Prado is head coach of the Ki-Itsu-Sai Judo Club, an excellent Junior program in the Miami, Florida area.  Mr. Prado led the Ki-Itsu-Sai Judo Club and its athletes to the top medal count (58 medals) in the 2003 Junior Judo season in the USA which consists of 3 national championships.  The U.S. Judo Federation (USJF) Junior National (Boca Raton, Florida), U. S. Judo Association (USJA) Junior National (Louisville, Kentucky), USA Judo Jr. Olympics (Albuquerque, New Mexico), and one international event, the USA Judo Jr. US Open (Boca Raton, Florida).  Athletes who win the three Junior Nationals are considered to be "triple crown" winners and Mr. Prado developed three triple crown winners, the most of any club in the U.S.A. Two of the triple crown winners also won the Junior US Open, a feat matched by no other club.  Jhonny began his Judo career in Peru, was a member of Peru's National Team and competed in the Pan American Championships.  Ten years ago, he became a U.S. citizen.  He owns and operates a Marble and Granite construction company, "Jhonny Prado Tile"  which employs approximately 65 persons.  Jhonny and his assistant coaches teach Judo every evening Monday through Friday and are dedicated to the youth of their community.

Volunteer Coach of the Year:

Mr. Nick Goodley is head coach at the Waka Mu Sha Judo Program, as part of the Metro Atlanta Boys and Girls Club.  Mr. Goodley volunteers countless hours per year as a Judo Coach and Program Director for the Boys and Girls Club, a designated Community Olympic Development Program.  In 2003, his students won 24 medals, including 10 State Championships, 8 national Championships, and one "Triple Crown," a sweep of all 3 Junior National Tournaments.  He serves Judo as a coach, a national-level referee, and provides positive experiences for underprivileged children.  In 2003 he was the recipient of the Jeremy's Hero Award (named after Jeremy Glick, a judo player who contributed to the downing of Flight 93 on September 11, 2001), and the Hank Aaron Award.  He is a member of 100 black man of Atlanta, providing scholarships to underprivileged youth.  Mr. Goodley is honored for his commitment to his students, hi leadership, his determination with young people and his success with children both on and off the mat.  His program helps break the cycle of student failure, accelerates learning and builds self esttem.

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DR. DAVID MATSUMOTO