Jimmy Pedro

Last updated
Jimmy Pedro
Personal information
Nickname
Peanuts
Nationality Flag of the United States.svg American
BornJames A. Pedro
(1970-10-30) October 30, 1970 (age 55)
Danvers, Massachusetts, U.S.
Home town Methuen, Massachusetts, U.S.
Alma mater Brown University
OccupationJudo Instructor
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Spouse
Marie Pedro
Website www.jimmypedrojudo.com
Sport
Country United States
Sport Judo
Rank      7th dan black belt
Club NYAC
Coached byJim Pedro
Now coachingPedro’s Judo Center in Wakefield, Massachusetts
Achievements and titles
Olympic Games Bronze medal.svg (1996, 2004)
World Champ. Gold medal world centered-2.svg (1999)
Pan American Champ. Gold medal america.svg (1992, 1997, 1998,
2004)
Medal record
Men's judo
Representing Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Olympic Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1996 Atlanta ‍–‍71 kg
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2004 Athens ‍–‍73 kg
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1999 Birmingham ‍–‍73 kg
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1991 Barcelona ‍–‍65 kg
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1995 Chiba ‍–‍71 kg
Pan American Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1995 Mara del Plata ‍–‍71 kg
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1999 Winnipeg ‍–‍73 kg
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1991 Havana ‍–‍65 kg
Pan American Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1992 Ontario ‍–‍65 kg
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1997 Guadalajara ‍–‍71 kg
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1998 Santo Domingo ‍–‍73 kg
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2004 Isla Margarita ‍–‍73 kg
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1988 Buenos Aires ‍–‍60 kg
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1990 Caracas ‍–‍65 kg
World Juniors Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1990 Dijon ‍–‍65 kg
Pan American Junior Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1989 Quito ‍–‍65 kg
Profile at external databases
IJF 590
JudoInside.com 3588
Updated on 30 May 2023

James A. Pedro (born October 30, 1970) is an American retired World Champion and Olympic judoka, [1] as well as a current judo coach. [2] Pedro currently holds a 7th degree black belt in judo. He is the coach of Kayla Harrison, the first and currently only American to win an Olympic gold medal in judo. [3]

Contents

Early life and education

Pedro was born on October 30, 1970, in Danvers, Massachusetts. He was trained by his father James Pedro Sr., a 1976 Olympic Alternate. [3] Pedro is currently a 7th degree Black Belt in judo, and also has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Business Economics and Organizational Behavior & Management from Brown University, whom he also wrestled for. His favorite judo technique is Sode Tsuri Komi Goshi, and his most effective is Juji Gatame. [4]

Achievements

Pedro was the World Champion at 73 kg in 1999 after defeating Vitaly Makarov of Russia in the final, and also won bronze medals in the 1991 and 1995 World Championships. Pedro represented the United States in the 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympic Games, winning bronze in 1996 and 2004. His entry in the "Legends" section of a major judo magazine's web site lists 29 gold medals in international competition. [4]

National honors

Gold major international medals

Silver major international medals

Bronze major international medals

5th place in major international events

Post-competition career

Pedro retired from competitive judo after the 2004 Olympics. He has worked for Monster.com, promoted a brand of tatami training mats used for judo and jujutsu practice and competition, and been the subject of a biographical movie. A newaza (ground techniques) specialist, Jimmy currently owns and operates Pedro's Judo Center in Wakefield, Massachusetts, and teaches clinics and seminars throughout the country. Pedro also coached the U.S. Olympic Judo team at the 2012 Olympics in London. He is the national sales executive for FUJI Mats + Facility Design. [4] He is Kayla Harrison's coach. Harrison was the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in judo. [3] Fury on the mat is a biographical movie about Jimmy Pedro. Pedro currently owns and operates the renowned Mat and Outfitting company, www.FujiMats.com and sister company www.fujisports.com

Personal life

Pedro is married and the father of four children.

Notable students

References

  1. ↑ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Jimmy Pedro". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2016-12-04.
  2. ↑ Cerullo, Mac (31 July 2016). "BUILDING CHAMPIONS: Going into second Olympics as U.S. Judo's head coach, Methuen's Jimmy Pedro has high hopes for Rio" . Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Bill Burt (14 August 2016). "Jimmy Pedro and his dad: Guardians at USA Judo gate". Newburyportnews.com. Retrieved 2016-08-18.
  4. 1 2 3 "Jimmy Pedro page". Usadojo.com. Archived from the original on 6 May 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.

Published works

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