Olympic judo 2016 results: American Travis Stevens brings home the silver

American judoka Travis Stevens narrowly missed making history Tuesday, taking home the silver medal. No American man has ever brought home the gold medal in this event. Stevens becomes the first American man to medal in judo since 2004.

Kayla Harrison remains the only American to win gold in judo, which she accomplished in London during the 2012 Olympic games.

“It was a little bit of both (good and bad emotions at the podium),” Stevens said after the final. “It’s hard to not just break down in tears after everything I’ve been through in life, and everything I’ve been through just in the last year, almost not even making into the Games, almost retiring after all the injuries. It means more than the world to me, and I wouldn’t change my team for anyone else rather I won a silver, a gold or a bronze.”

The biggest title of his judo career came exactly one year after a severe injury almost forced doctors to cut his leg off. Stevens decided to compete at the World Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan, despite a bad right knee injury which later got infected. The ordeal ended up being worse than he could have ever imagined.

“That was definitely a low point in my life, when were at the World Championship and my leg was swollen to twice its size and none of the doctors could figure it out,” said Stevens, who had skin, blood and muscle infections. “We made weight, we fought, came back to the States to find out that if I had made back a day or two later, they would have had cut my leg off.

“So I was hospitalized, went into surgery, went to home care for about two months after that, and wasn’t even sure if I was gonna come back to judo after that. It was definitely a scary moment, and you tend to question what this moment in time is worth, and I can tell you it was worth every sacrifice I have made.”

Stevens is a three-time Olympian, having represented the United States in the games in London and Beijing. In both instances, he faced off against Germany’s Ole Bischof and never made it farther than the semifinal. He placed fifth in the London Olympics.

He is ranked No. 5 in the world and was the United States’ best hope for a judo medal. Stevens holds black belts in both judo and jiu-jitsu. He is a three-time national champion and a two-time Pan American champion.

In the Round of 32, Stevens defeated Sweden’s Robin Pacek with a final score of 1s1 to 0s1. Stevens progressed to the elimination round of 16, defeating Uzbekistan’s Shakhzodbek Sabirov 101s1 to 0s2, and he beat Bulgaria’s Ivanov Ivaylo 100 to 0s1 to advance to the semifinals.

In the semis, Stevens took down Georgia’s Avtandili Tchrikishvili, 100s2 to 0s1, to earn a spot in the gold medal match.

For a shot at the gold, Stevens faced off against Russia’s Khasan Khalmurzaev, ranked No. 1 in the world. Khasan won the gold with a final score of 100-0.

“Judo is a different sport than most,” said Stevens, who did part of his training in Russia. “We train together worldwide. The Russian team has been really kind to me over the years. They invited me out to their national training camps, I stayed there for two weeks here and there, so I have a bond with everybody I compete with. We bleed together, sweat together, train together, go through all the tribulations it takes to be an Olympian as athletes. So whather he wins or I win, I’m happy for him.”

A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, having competed in Brazil multiple times before, Stevens is interesting in coming back to the BJJ mats in the future. As for his career as a judoka in the 81kg, the American has ended it in great fashion. “I love Rio. I love the city,” Stevens said. “I started my career here (at the 2007 Pan-American Games), and now the 81kg division is now being hung up here, so it was a perfect way to end it.”