Former Howard student-athlete Rhadi Ferguson will represent the United States
in Judo at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Ferguson secured his spot in the
Men’s 100kg (220 lbs) division Saturday during the Olympic Team Trials
in Judo held at the San Jose State Events Center, San Jose, CA.
Rhadi Ferguson
Ferguson, a three-time national champion, entered the trials as the #1 seed
in his division. He defeated Mike Barnes, San Jose, CA, in two consecutive
matches to make his first Olympic Team.
The USA Team will have 12 members (seven men; five women) with the possibility
of two additional women’s representatives in the event that qualified
countries elect not to attend the Olympics and the USA receives an invitation
to attend.
Ferguson is no stranger to the Olympic Games. He attended the Games of the
XXVII Olympiad in Sydney, Australia as an alternate in the 100kg weight class.
The Rockville, Maryland native was a tri-athlete (football, wrestling, and
track) at Howard, graduating with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1997.
He has a Master’s Degree in Teaching from Howard and is currently enrolled
in a Ph.D. program at Capella University, Minneapolis, MN.
