PROFILPELAJAR.COM

Melissa Mojica
Personal information
Full name	Melissa Mojica Rosario
Born	December 29, 1983 (age 41); Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico
Occupation	Judoka
Years active	2005–2016
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	265 lb (120 kg)
Sport
Country	Puerto Rico
Sport	Judo
Weight class	+78 kg
Achievements and titles
Olympic Games	R16 (2012, 2016)
World Champ.	7th (2021)
Pan American Champ.	(2008)
Medal record
Women's judo
Representing Puerto Rico
Pan American Games
Pan American Championships
IJF Grand Slam
IJF Grand Prix
Central American and Caribbean Games
Profile at external databases
IJF	959
JudoInside.com	42640
	Updated on November 27, 2022

Melissa Mojica Rosario (born December 29, 1983) is a Puerto Rican judoka.^[2]

Early and personal life

She was born in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico,^[3] on December 29, 1983. She is 120.2 kilograms (265 lb).^[1] Her parents are Carmelo Mojica and Julia Rosario, and she has two sisters: Melani and Julisa.^[4] Mojica went to the Medardo Carazo High School and studied Biology at University of Turabo.^[4]

Judo career

Mojica won the bronze medal in both, the open^[5] and the over 78 kg division of the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games.^[6] She won the gold medal in the 2008 Pan American Judo Championships in Miami.^[7]

She won the gold medal in the over 78 kg and the open category, as well the silver in the team competition at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games, held in her home country, Puerto Rico.^[3]

At the 2011 Pan American Games she lost the final to the Cuban Idalys Ortiz to win the silver medal at the +78 kg category in the regional games held in Guadalajara, Mexico.^[8]

Mojica won in May 2012, the silver medal at the Moscow Grand Slam, after being defeated by the Brazilian Maria Suelen Altheman who won her category gold medal.^[9] At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she defeated the Saudi teenager Wojdan Shaherkani, who competed with a special hijab, in only 82 seconds.^[10] After the combat Mojica claimed that she does not care about religious issues, but every woman should have the opportunity to compete at the Olympics.^[11] She then lost to Russian Elena Ivashchenko by Ippon in the second round, ending her participation in the +78 kg category at London, United Kingdom.^[12]

Achievements

Year	Tournament	Place	Weight class
2005	Pan American Judo Championships	2nd	Openweight
2006	Pan American Judo Championships	3rd	Heavyweight (+78 kg)
2006	Pan American Judo Championships	3rd	Openweight
2007	Pan American Judo Championships	2nd	Heavyweight (+78 kg)
2007	Pan American Judo Championships	5th	Openweight
2007	Pan American Games	5th	Heavyweight (+78 kg)
2007	World Judo Championships	AC	Heavyweight (+78 kg)
2008	Pan American Judo Championships	3rd	Heavyweight (+78 kg)
2008	Pan American Judo Championships	1st	Openweight
2009	World Judo Championships	AC	Heavyweight (+78 kg)
2010	Pan American Judo Championships	3rd	Heavyweight (+78 kg)
2010	Pan American Judo Championships	3rd	Openweight
2011	Pan American Judo Championships	3rd	Heavyweight (+78 kg)

References

^ ^a ^b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 20, 2016. Retrieved August 13, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Melissa Mojica". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on December 4, 2016.
^ ^a ^b Holsum (2010). "Melissa Mojica Rosario, Judo" (in Spanish). Retrieved August 21, 2012.
^ ^a ^b "Melissa Mojica". COPUR. 2012. Archived from the original on August 15, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
^ "Cartagena: Dominicana y Venezuela sacan oro". Terra (in Spanish). Cartagena, Colombia. AP. July 29, 2006. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
^ colombia.com (July 26, 2006). "Judo: Cuba ganó cuatro medallas de oro y se afianza" (in Spanish). EFE. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
^ "Sendas preseas de oro en Miami". El Nuevo Dia (in Spanish). May 11, 2008. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
^ "Sendas Cuba alza el oro y Puerto Rico la plata en los 78 kilos femenino de judo". Terra (in Spanish). EFE. November 26, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
^ Rosário, Myrian (May 28, 2012). "Maria Suelen Altheman comemora título e revanche contra Porto-Riquenha no Grand Slam de Moscou". Judo Paulista (in Portuguese). MR Comunicação. Archived from the original on December 31, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
^ "London 2012: Saudi Arabia's 1st female judo athlete loses bout in 82 seconds". Toronto Star. Associated Press. August 3, 2012.
^ Waldie, Paul (August 3, 2012). "Saudi judoka makes historic Olympic appearance". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
^ "Resultados de la final de la categoría de +78 kg mujeres de judo". Terra (in Spanish). AFP. August 3, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2012.