(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – USA Judo is pleased to announce that five athletes will receive monthly direct athlete support stipends in 2011 and even more will be eligible for funding throughout the year.

Reigning World Champion Kayla Harrison (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) will receive $700 per month. Five-time World Cup medalists Travis Stevens and Nick Delpopolo, both of the NYAC and USA Judo National Team FORCE programs in Wakefield, Mass., will each receive $600 per month. Six-time World Cup medalist Michael Eldred (Fruitland, Idaho / Western Idaho Judo Institute) and four-time World Cup medalist Marti Malloy (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University) will each receive $500 per month.

“We’re happy to be able to work with the U.S. Olympic Committee to provide funding for our athletes to use for rent, car payments or anything else that helps with their day-to-day finances,” said USA Judo Director of Athlete Performance Eddie Liddie (Colorado Springs, Colo.), himself a 1984 Olympic medalist. “This funding allows our athletes to focus on training without having to worry about the stress of juggling travelling, training and a full-time job. When I was training, most of the support we got was restricted and, while of course we also will be assisting these athletes with funding specifically for international competitions, it’s important to remember that they have non-judo expenses as well.”

In addition to the direct athlete support, each of these athletes will receive monthly performance incentives that are based on how many international points they earn in Olympic qualifying events on the USA Judo Senior National Roster.

All USA Judo senior elite athletes who have obtained a minimum of 35 international points on the USA Judo Senior Elite National Roster will have the opportunity to earn monthly stipends for reaching the following international point levels in 2011:


International Point Totals


Monthly Stipend

35


$500

45


$1,000

60


$1,500

70 or more


$2,000
Through this program, Harrison will receive an additional $2,000 per month. Delpopolo and Malloy will each receive $1,000 per month while Stevens and Eldred will each receive $500 per month.