Abby Lloyd has done it again. The fifteen-year-old returned home victorious earlier this week after a winning weekend at the Junior US Open Judo Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. As usual, she didn’t waste any time in taking out her competition.
On Saturday, July 28, she competed in the under-17 category, capturing gold in the under-48-kilogram division. Her only opponent was 2010 Junior PanAm gold medallist and US National Champion, Ashlyn White.
“I knew she was experienced and that I would have to face her at least twice so I used the first match to feel her out,” said Abby. Although White was assigned a minor penalty for inactivity early on, the match lasted the full four-minute duration and Abby won by yuko.
“My game place for the second match was to take her to the ground and gain position in order to try and submit her,” stated Abby, who accomplished that goal, choking out the American a third of the way through the match.
The next day, she competed again, this time in the under-20 category. Her first match, against Car Delgado Herrera of Puerto Rico, went to judges’ decision, two to one in Abby’s favour. Her next match against Imaany Hansoe from Republic of Suriname, however, garnered a disqualification from competition judges.
“My second match didn’t last very long,” she said. “She was on the ground following a throw and I used a bear hug to slam her on her back which resulted in me being called for Hansoku-make.”
The call was controversial and even the coaches of her opponents questioned the decision, said her father Jeff Lloyd. “The American coaches and the Suriname coach who she was competing against, they defended her and said ‘no that’s not an illegal move, keep the match going,’” he said, “But [the judges] refused.”
Abby was allowed to continue in the competition and dominated her next two matches, beating Enya Hernandez of the USA with an arm bar and White with Ouchi Gari, a leg reap. In the end, Abby settled for silver in the under-20 category based on points.
“She finished up with a record of three and one but she was on her way to a four and zero record,” said Jeff. “When it was all said and done she settled for a silver in the under-20 but she’s content with it.”
In just over a month, Abby will be twisting arms and taking names all over again at another international event. Recently, she was one of two judokas in British Columbia chosen by Judo Canada to attend the 2012 Pan American Championships, held September 5 to 9 in Cali, Colombia. She will compete in the under-17 and under-20 categories alongside 25 other Canadian athletes and a host of others from around the world.
