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Judo 2000

Nicknames: Sandy

Birthdate: May 28, 1968

Birthplace: Long Island, N.Y.

Hometown: San Jose, Calif.

Residence: San Jose, Calif.

Education: San Jose State University

Occupation: Teacher, Special Education at Juvenile Hall in San Jose, California

Height: 5-5

Weight Category: 70 kg

Email: None at present

Hobbies: Freestyle Wrestling, Hanging out with friends

Other Sports and Main Accomplishments:
Wrestling: 1999 World Champion:68 kg.
Wrestling: 1998 World Championships, Bronze:68 kg
Wrestling: 1997 World Championships, Silver:70 kg
Wrestling: 1995, 1996, 1999 and 2000 National Champion in Wrestling
Started Judo: in Seattle, 1982

Current Rank: Yodan (4th degree black belt)

Judo Club and Location: San Jose State University, San Jose, California

Coach's Name: Yosh Uchida

Major Injuries that affected competition: Dec. 1988- L Knee ACL/MCL Reconstructive Surgery

Most Amusing Sporting episode:

Superstition, Rituals before competition: I get ready for a match by having my coach hitting my back and slapping myself in the face
Most memorable sporting achievement: Winning 1999 Women's World Freestyle Wrestling Championships

Other sports played at an internationally level: Freestyle Wrestling

Relatives who have competed internationally:

Relatives who are famous: Linda Yamamoto, Cousin, Popular Japanese Singer

Chose Judo because: I had no clue what judo was until my cousin took my younger brother to judo. After watching my brother's first practice I was hooked and I started judo at the next practice.

Most Influential person in sporting career: Dan Hatano because he was my teammate and my coach. He always worked hard through all adversity never complaining. He was humble in victory and gracious in defeat. He was a great role model to everyone who trained with and under him.

Person most looked up to: I look up to my dad because of his work ethic, patience, and good heart. All my life he has always worked hard to support my family, and now that he is retired he not only helps my family but he also devotes his time to helping others.

Ambitions during and after sporting career: I want to win the Olympics. After my sporting career, I want to teach children and help influence their lives.

Olympic Teams: 1992, 1996

World Teams: 1993, 1997 (withdrew because of injury), 1999

Special Awards:

Scholar Athlete 1989-1993, San Jose State University

1997 Female Wrestler of the year, USA Wrestling

Honors:
1997 Judo, Female player of the year

1997 Judo National Championships Outstanding Female competitor
1992 USA Judo Outstanding Female Competitor

The Medal Chart:

Gold:

2000 National Championships
1999 National Championships
1998 National Championships
1997 National Championships
1997 Hungarian Open
1996 U.S. International Championships
1996 National Championships
1996 Tre Torri International, Corridonia, Italy
1993 U.S. National Championships
1992 U.S. National Championships
Silver:

1999 Pan American Judo Union Championships
1999 Canadian Rendez Vous
1999 Maruchan U.S. International
1998 PJU Championships
1997 Austrian Open
1995 U.S. International Championships
1995 U.S. Olympic Festival
1994 U.S. National Championships
1994 U.S. International Championships
1994 U.S. Olympic Festival
1993 Pacific Rim Judo Championships
Bronze:

1999 Pan American Games
1998 Austrian Open
1997 World Masters, (German Open), Munich, Germany
1995 U.S. National Championships
1994 Austrian Open
1993 U.S. Olympic Festival
1992 U.S. International Championships
1992 Pan American Union Judo Championships
Fifth:

2000 British Open
1999 World Masters (German Open)
1993 World Judo Championships

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Wrestling star Sandy Bacher battles in her third Olympic Games in judo

9/21/00
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling

One of the greatest women’s wrestlers in the United States competed in the
Olympic Games today, but alas, it was in judo. Sandy Bacher, a 1999 Women’s
World Wrestling Champion, was in her third Olympics as a judo player. She
has been competing, and winning, in both sports at the same time for the
last six years.

Had the IOC allowed women’s wrestling in the 2000 Olympics, Sandy might have
been competing in Sydney in both sports. That would have been big news in
the media, for sure. Instead, she is just one of 23 judo players in the 70
kg division this year.

Sandy has had to balance her judo and wrestling lives carefully in recent
years. However, her choices were easy this year. With only judo in the
Olympics, all of her decisions were based upon preparing for judo. Sandy,
the 2000 U.S. Nationals wrestling champion at 68 kg, didn’t challenge for
the spot on Women’s World team because of her judo duties. Kristie Marano
dropped to the weight class and won the gold medal for USA Wrestling. Now we
have two World Champions in wrestling at the same weight class.

Sandy has been telling the media all week that once women’s wrestling is a
medal sport in the Olympic Games, she will concentrate more on wrestling and
try to make the 2004 Olympics in wrestling. Three Olympics in judo is
enough. However, like thousands of other women wrestlers around the world,
she is still waiting and wondering. The women wrestlers have heard this talk
that it will be in before, many expecting that 1996 would be the time. Until
it’s in an official press release from the IOC, the athletes are still
skeptical.

Her first fight was against Cath Arlove of Australia. Ironically, Sandy has
battled her in both judo and wrestling. When Sandy won a bronze medal at the
1998 World Wrestling Championships, one of the opponents she beat was Cath
Arlove. Obviously, Sandy isn’t the only athlete here in the judo draw that
could have been an Olympian in wrestling as well.

Sandy won that fight, scoring the best throw, then pinning Arlove for 25
seconds at the end of the fight, worth an ippon (instant victory). Her next
two bouts were very challenging. In the quarterfinals, Bacher lost a battle
with Sibelis Veranes of Cuba, the 1999 World Champion. Veranes scored the
bout’s only throw, a yuko, with 2:35 left. Veranes would go on and win the
Olympic gold medal later in the evening.

In her first repechage match (what wrestling people would call the
wrestle-backs), Bacher was defeated by Yvonne Vansart of Germany, who scored
the only two throws of the bout. The second loss eliminated Sandy from the
tournament.

It was one of Sandy’s best Olympic performances, even though the statistics
will show a 1-2 record. Said judo coach Eddie Liddie: “Sandy fought her tail
off. I’m proud of her. She makes no excuses. She’s fighting tough. In the
matches, she was just missing. She’s my girl. I’m very proud of her.”

After her final bout, Sandy spent a long time in the mixed zone being
interviewed by her local newspaper in San Jose. She was upbeat and friendly,
in spite of falling short of her dreams. Said Sandy: “I fought well. I have
no excuses. (Coach) Eddie Liddie is great. He put together the best game
plan he could for me. He helped me beat the Australian and I was happy about
that. It would have been an upset if I won here. The last Olympics, I didn’t
feel right. This time, I came out ready to fight.”

Sandra Bacher is a world-class judo player. Her strong effort today, in
spite of falling short of the medal rounds, proved that she belongs here.

However, it is a little sad that she was unable to compete here in her best
sport, which is wrestling, no doubt. Sandra Bacher has won a World gold
medal, a World silver medal and a World bronze medal in wrestling. Even
though she has been a judo expert her whole life, she has a knack for
wrestling that makes her a true star. Yet, she and so many other deserving
women wrestlers around the world are not competing in Sydney because the IOC
has dragged its feet adding women’s wrestling to the program.

Watching the women judo players here, there is no doubt that the women
wrestlers in the world have progressed to this level of competition.
Wrestlers belong on this Olympic stage, alongside the judo players, the
taekwondo athletes, the weight lifters and all the others.

Had women’s wrestling been in these Games, Sandra Bacher might be going home
with an Olympic medal. She will try to make the next Olympics in wrestling,
if given the chance by the IOC. She’ll be well into her 30’s by then, and
most probably past her prime as an athlete. There is no guarantee that she
will be able to make the 2004 team if wrestling gets Olympic status. This
may have been Sandy’s time in wrestling. Instead, she has another Olympic
judo memory, and the nagging wonder if she’ll get her deserved shot in
wrestling.