Nina Cutro-Kelly Wins Silver Medal at Birmingham World Cup

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO (September 22, 2008) In the first major international tournament since the Olympic Games, Nina Cutro-Kelly (San Antonio, Texas / Universal Judo) won the first A-Level medal of her career with a silver at the Birmingham World Cup in Great Britain on Saturday.

Cutro-Kelly’s first two wins avenged losses to players she fought last year at the 2007 Finnish Open.

In the first round, Cutro-Kelly led by a koka (smallest points) when Emma Fletcher (GBR) sustained a knee injury that forced her to withdraw from the match.

The win moved Cutro-Kelly into the semifinal when she and Raimonda Gedutyte (LTU) fought into overtime before Cutro-Kelly pinned Gedutyte.

Although Cutro-Kelly sustained an injury during her final match against Jana Stucke (GER), she continued fighting until Stucke armbarred her for the win.

The silver medal moves Cutro-Kelly into the #1 ranking in the 78kg division in the United States and makes her one of only three players in the United States to be currently ranked as an A-Level athlete.