By Nicole Jumantas--USA Judo

(Coral Springs, Fla.) – The Fall Classic National Championships on Sept. 1, 2007 served as a preview of things to come during the next year as new players staked their claim in divisions and others repeated their previous successes.

One of the day’s top stories was 46-year-old Rene Capo (Naperville, Ill. / Cohen’s Judo), a two-time Olympian (1988 and 1996), who upset both the #1-ranked player in the division and the current National Champion to win the 100kg title.

Photo courtesy of realjudo.net ~Rene Capo

In a double elimination tournament that almost always translates into longer days and more matches for everyone, Capo had what may have been the longest, needing a total of nine matches and eight wins to earn gold.

“If I would’ve known it was going to be nine matches I probably wouldn’t have came,” Capo joked after the awards ceremony. “I haven’t really competed since last year’s U.S. Open, so I’m just getting back into it again, but I keep doing it because I still love competing.”

After early wins against Joseph Aceto (San Jose, Calif. / After-School All-Stars) and Damian O’Hara (Little Egg Harbor Township, N.J. / Cranford Judo), Capo was thrown for ippon (instant win) by 2007 Senior National Champion Shintaro Higashi (Scarsdale, N.Y. / Kokushi Budo Institute of New York).

In the loser’s pool, Capo defeated Victor Jean-Baptiste (Brooklyn, N.Y.), 2007 Senior Nationals medalist Kyle Vashkulat (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) and World Team member Adler Volmar (Coral Springs, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami) all to earn the right to move back up to fight Higashi twice more.

In the first match, Higashi threw Capo on the corner of the mat, but Capo countered for a score of his own before throwing Higashi for ippon with just over a minute left to win the match. Their third match went to Golden Score (overtime) at the conclusion of the regulation period before Capo threw Higashi.

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