On March 6th, 2011, The New York Athletic Club will host for the first New York Open Invitational Team Judo Championship sponsored by Film Annex and the NYAC. This year's top participating countries are Italy, France, Germany, and the United States. The winning team will be the recipient of $2,000. Each team will consist of five athletes in the following weight divisions: 66 kg, 73 Kg, 81 Kg, 90 Kg and over 90 Kg.

Some of the top competitors in the US Men's Team are working towards joining the Olympic team in 2012:

66kg:
Brad Bolen (may be injured)
US Ranking #1
World Ranking #20
2010 Results
World Team Member
Pan American Champion
Venezuela World Cup Silver Medalist
El Salvador World Cup 5th place
US Open Bronze Medalist
Dallas Open Champion
Panama Cup bronze medalist


Nick Kossor
US Ranking #1 (60kg)
World Ranking #43 (60kg)
2010 60kg Results
World Team member
National Champion
Venezuela World Cup bronze medalist
El Salvador World Cup bronze medalist


US World Cup 5th place
US Open bronze medalist
NY Open Champion


73kg:
Nick Delpopolo
US Ranking #1
World Ranking #12
2010 Results
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Bronze Medalist
Venezuela World Cup Champion
El Salvador World Cup Champion
US Open Champion
Samoa World Cup Silver Medalist
US World Cup Bronze Medalist
World Championships 9th place
Mongolia World Cup 7th place
World Tour Record holder for most medals in 73kg

Anthony Vennitti
US Ranking #10
World Ranking --
Dallas Open Champion
Summer Slam Champion
Morris Cup Silver medalist
Ocean State International bronze medalist

81kg:
Travis Stevens
US Ranking #1
World Ranking #15
2010 Results
Paris Grand Slam bronze medalist
China Grand Prix bronze medalist
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 5th place
World Masters 5th place
Portugal World Cup Silver medalist
El Salvador World Cup Silver medalist
Pan American Championships bronze medalist
World Championships 9th place
Belgian Open silver medalist


90kg:
Garry St. Leger
US Ranking #3
World Ranking #57
2010 Results
Pan American Championships bronze medalist
US World Cup bronze medalist
US Open Silver medalist
Pedro's Challenge Silver medalist
World Team member

Bobby Lee
US Ranking #4
World Ranking #102
2010 Results
El Salvador World Cup bronze medalist
US Open 7th place

Aaron Cohen
US Ranking #1
World Ranking#46
2010 Results
Venezuela World Cup bronze medalist
Senior National bronze medalist
Midwest Open Champion
North Glenn Invitational Champion
NY Open Champion
Samoa World Cup bronze medalist
El Salvador World Cup 5th place



+90kg:

Kyle Vashkulat
US Ranking #1 (100kg)
World Ranking #29 (100kg)
2010 100kg results
World Team Member
National Champion
El Salvador World Cup Champion
Venezuela World Cup Silver medalist
Pan American Championshps bronze medalist
US Open bronze medalist
NY Open Bronze medalist

Shintaro Higashi
US Ranking #2 (100kg)
World Ranking #50 (100kg)
2010 100kg results

World Team member
Venezuela World Cup Bronze Medalist
Samoa World Cup Bronze medalist
US Open Silver medalist
Panama Cup silver medalist
NY Open 5th place
US Nationals 5th place

Coaching The Mens US team will be 2 time Olympic Bronze Medalist and 2012 US Olympic Coach Jimmy Pedro. With much experience in team competition, Jimmy Pedro was part of the German Team Championship as a member of the TSV Abensburg team taking a Gold Medal.

Here are some of Jimmy Pedro's greatest honors:

NATIONAL HONORS
• 04, 03, 00 & 99 Real Judo Magazine “Player of the Year”
• 04 New York Athletic Club Hall of Fame
• 04 Brown University Hall of Fame
• 97 New York Athletic Club “Athlete of he Year”
• 97 Black Belt Hall of Fame
• 10x USJA Jr. National Champion
• 6x US National Champion (89, 91, 93, 94, 99, 03)
• 3x High School National Champion (86, 87, 88)
MAJOR INTERNATIONAL MEDALS
GOLD
• 04 & 00 German Team Championships (73kg Member of TSV Abensberg)
• 04 & 03 New York Open (73kg) – Manhattan, NY
• 04 Pan Am Championships (73kg) – Margarita Island, Venezuela
• 03 Korean Open (73kg) – Yongin University, Korea
• 03 Rendez Vous Canada (73kg) – Montreal, QC
• 03 Tre Torri (73kg) – Porto Sant’Elpidio, Italy
• 03 Puerto Rico Open (73kg) – Salinas, Puerto Rico
• 03 British Open (73kg) – London, England
• 00 Europa Cup Team Championships (73kg Member of TSV Abensberg)
• 99 World Championships (73kg) – Birmingham, England
• 99 Pan Am Games (73kg) – Winnipeg, Canada
• 98 US Open (73kg) – Colorado Springs, CO, USA
• 98 Pan Am Championships (73kg) – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
• 98 French Open (73kg) – Paris, France
• 98 Austrian Open (73kg) – Leonding, Austria
• 98 Shoriki Cup (73kg) – Tokyo, Japan
• 97 & 95 German Open (71kg) – Munich, Germany
• 97 Pan Am Championships (71kg) – Guadalajara, Mexico
• 95 US Open (71kg) – Macon, GA, USA
• 95 Pan Am Games (71kg) – Mar de Plata, Argentina
• 93 Pacific Rim Championships (65kg) – Auckland, New Zealand
• 92 Guido Sieni (65kg) – Sassari, Italy
• 92 Pan Am Championships (65kg) – Santiago, Chile
• 92 US Open (71kg) – Colorado Springs, CO, USA
• 90 & 89 US Open (65kg) – Colorado Springs, CO, USA
• 90 Tre Torri (65kg) – Porto Sant’Elpidio, Italy

SILVER
• 04 Hungarian Open (73kg) – Budapest, Hungary
• 04 German Open (73kg) – Hamburg, Germany
• 03 US Open (73kg) – Las Vegas, NV
• 93 Korean Open (65kg) – Seoul, Korea
• 93 French Open (63kg) – Paris, France
• 92 Hungarian Open (65kg) – Budapest, Hungary
• 90 Goodwill Games (65kg) – Seattle, WA, USA
BRONZE
• 04 Olympic Games (73kg) – Athens, Greece
• 99 Kano Cup (73kg) – Tokyo, Japan
• 98 German Open (73kg) – Munich, Germany
• 97 Austrian Open (71kg) – Leonding, Austria
• 96 French Open (71kg) – Paris, France
• 96 Olympic Games (73kg) – Atlanta, GA, USA
• 95 World Championships (71kg) – Makuhari, Japan
• 95 Pacific Rim Championships (71kg) – Sydney, Australia
• 94 Goodwill Games (71kg) – St. Petersburg, Russia
• 92 French Open (65kg) – Paris, France
• 92 German Open (65kg) – Munich, Germany
• 91 US Open (65kg) – Colorado Springs, CO, USA
• 91 Pan Am Games (65kg) – Havana, Cuba
• 91 World Championships (65kg) – Barcelona, Spain
• 91 Pacific Rim Championships (65kg) – Honolulu, HI, USA
• 90 Jr. World Championships (65kg) – Dijon, France
• 90 Tblissi International (65kg) – Tblissi, Georgia
• 88 Shoriki Cup (65kg) – Tokyo, Japan
FIFTH
• 00 Olympic Games (73kg) – Sydney, Australia
• 94 Kano Cup (71kg) – Tokyo, Japan
• 93 World Championships (65kg) – Hamilton, Canada