For Rousey, history in the making

Wakefield's own earns judo bronze

Ronda Rousey (front) battles Germany's Annett Boehm to win the bronze medal in judo's 70-kilogram class. (Olivier Morin/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

BEIJING -- For Wakefield's Ronda Rousey, it's time to become a normal person again.

Four years ago, at age 17, Rousey was the youngest judo competitor in the Athens Games, and became one of the sport's rising stars.

Yesterday, at the Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium, she made history again, capturing the bronze medal in women's 70-kilogram class to become the first American to earn a medal since women's judo was introduced as a medal sport in 1992.

"As of right now, I am a vegan," Rousey said yesterday. "I put that off until after the tournament; being an athlete I need protein. I'm going home to take my stepdad's Prius and I am going to drive a clean car for a change. I will get a surfboard and teach myself and do things normal people do. It's too late to go to the prom, but I'll find something to make it up."

Rousey beat Germany's Annett Boehm, a 2004 Olympic bronze medalist, winning with a 10-point yuko, or sleeve throw. After the win, Rousey dropped to the floor and kissed the mat.

But the native of Santa Monica, Calif., did not realize she accomplished a historic feat until she was asked about it in interviews.

"Well, no, because my mom's friend, Lynn Roethke, won a silver in '88 but I didn't realize that it didn't count," said Rousey, who plans to take next year off and attend Southern California, Pepperdine, or Loyola Marymount. "The thing is I can't really train the best [in school]. Training not as hard as possible and to keep competing, I don't believe in that."

Rousey, who won the silver medal in the 2007 worlds, qualified for the bronze medal round by defeating Hungary's Anett Meszaros at the 2:15 mark by throwing her for a match-ending ippon.

Rousey fell in her quarterfinal match to Edith Bosch of the Netherlands, who threw Rousey late in an overtime period.

It was a tough loss but Rousey said she got over it by drinking iced tea and recalling a conversation she had with her mother, AnnMaria, who was the first American to win the world championships, in 1984.

"My mom said . . . sometimes it's hard," said Rousey, who had the flag from her father's coffin with her for the medal ceremony. "My mom is a world champion. I was nervous. She said, 'I already won my medal. I only want you to know what it feels like and I want you to have that. And if you don't win tomorrow, I won't be disappointed in you; I just wish you could have that same feeling.'

"I can safely say that I have that now."