Valerie Gotay

Valerie Lafon-Gotay (born November 5, 1973 in San Diego, California) is a former judoka from the United States.

Valerie Gotay
Medal record
Representing  United States
Women's judo
Pan American Games
2007 Rio de Janeiro - 57 kg
Pan American Judo Championships
2005 Caguas - 57 kg
2007 Montreal - 57 kg
2008 Miami - 57 kg
2006 Buenos Aires - 57 kg

Biography

Gotay was born in San Diego. Her grandfather Piere Lafon and father Gerald Lafon[1] are former judoplayers so she had good background for judo from youth. She began competing at age of 14.

At 18 years old, Gotay was supposed to compete in the 1992 Olympic Games in extra-lightweight category. Unfortunately, after working hard to lose some kilos to make her weight category, she became extremely sick with uncontrollable and violent muscle contractions which forced her to withdraw from the competition.

She decided to stop competing after Barcelona.

Gotay later married and has two children Breanna (1996) and Isabella (2001).

In 2004, she came out of retirement. "I missed the training," Gotay said. "I'm a pretty intense person. I love training. I missed training for something, having a goal and working toward it. I came back not even knowing I was coming back."[2]

She was invited to compete in the British Open and in 2007 was part of the United States team at the Pan American Games.[3]

Judo

At 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing she was eliminated in second round by Isabel Fernández from Spain. Gotay went to Beijing with big (medal) ambitions but it was not very good tournament for her. She had already problems in first round with Gulzat Uralbayeva from Kazakhstan. Three minutes before end she got second chance because Kazakh judoka made a technique which was counted only as wazari (it had to be ippon). After this moment, young Kazakh judoka became very passive. Gotay advantaged it and won by ippon one minute before end.[4]

Achievements
YearTournamentPlaceWeight class
1992Olympic Games DNSExtra-Lightweight (- 48 kg)
1996Olympic Games DNS-
2000Olympic Games DNS-
2004Olympic Games DNS-
2008Olympic Games 15thLightweight (- 57 kg)
YearTournamentPlaceWeight class
2007Pan American Games 2ndLightweight (- 57 kg)
YearTournamentPlaceWeight class
2005Pan American Judo Championships 1stLightweight (- 57 kg)
2006Pan American Judo Championships 3rdLightweight (- 57 kg)
2007Pan American Judo Championships 1stLightweight (- 57 kg)
2008Pan American Judo Championships 1stLightweight (- 57 kg)
gollark: ++exec```shellecho hi | cowsay```
gollark: ``` _________________________________________ / However, on religious issures there can \| be little or no compromise. There is no || position on which people are so || immovable as their religious beliefs. || There is no more powerful ally one can || claim in a debate than Jesus Christ, or || God, or Allah, or whatever one calls || this supreme being. But like any || powerful weapon, the use of God's name || on one's behalf should be used || sparingly. The religious factions that || are growing throughout our land are not || using their religious clout with || wisdom. They are trying to force || government leaders into following their || position 100 percent. If you disagree || with these religious groups on a || particular moral issue, they complain, || they threaten you with a loss of money || or votes or both. I'm frankly sick and || tired of the political preachers across || this country telling me as a citizen || that if I want to be a moral person, I || must believe in "A," "B," "C," and "D." || Just who do they think they are? And || from where do they presume to claim the || right to dictate their moral beliefs to || me? And I am even more angry as a || legislator who must endure the threats || of every religious group who thinks it || has some God-granted right to control || my vote on every roll call in the || Senate. I am warning them today: I will || fight them every step of the way if || they try to dictate their moral || convictions to all Americans in the || name of "conservatism." - Senator Barry || Goldwater, from the Congressional |\ Record, September 16, 1981 / ----------------------------------------- \ ^__^ \ (oo)\_______ (__)\ )\/\ ||----w | || ||```I need a cowsay command.
gollark: ++fortune
gollark: Hask is all haskell types, right?
gollark: No, seriously, what's an endofunctor.

References
  1. http://blog.betterjudo.com/about/
  2. http://www.nctimes.com/sports/article_c83cc639-d47a-58f0-b0d2-21c7f323fb61.html
  3. http://www.momsteam.com/sports/martial-arts/the-sport/valerie-gotay-olympic-judo-athlete-and-mom
  4. Valerie Gotay at Sports Reference
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