2012 Olympic Judo Bronze Medalist Marti Malloy Celebrates Homecoming

2012 Olympics bronze medalist Marti Malloy greets SJSU Judo Head Coach Yosh Uchida (Christina Olivas photo).

By Pat Lopes Harris, Media Relations Director

SJSU judo bronze medalist Marti Malloy, ’12 Advertising, flew straight from London to the Bay Area last night just in time for dinner following the 22nd Annual Yosh Uchida Golf Classic at the Silver Creek Valley Country Club. “I would like to thank every single person who helped me along the way,” she said before several hundred judo supporters. “Judo is an individual sport, but this medal is ours.” Malloy presented a special coaches’ medal to fellow Spartan Yosh Uchida, 92, saying, “There is no one more deserving of this than you, Mr. Uchida.” Widely credited with elevating judo to an Olympic sport, Uchida still attends nearly every SJSU judo practice as he has done for the past 66 years. Malloy visited each table at the event for photos, reuniting with teammates, SJSU judo Olympians from years past, and assistant coaches including Shintaro Nakano. “Shintaro Sensei, I felt you standing on the podium with me,” Malloy said. She is SJSU judo’s first female Olympic medal winner, and only the second U.S. female Olympic medal winner in the sport. Later in the evening, Sean Clerkin of Pasadena-based architecture firm Clerkin & Clerkin, shared plans for a new dojo (judo practice hall) that will be part of the Spartan Complex Renovation and Seismic Upgrade. The complex, which houses most of SJSU’s kinesiology programs, includes Yoshihiro Uchida Hall. SJSU plans to break ground on the $56 million project in spring 2013.