Three athletes from Island Top Team in Nanaimo won gold medals at the IBJJF American National Gi and No Gi event in Las Vegas June 30 to Saturday July 2. (Rob Biernacki)

By Dan Marshall

Taking hold

Island Top Team athletes make the podium at Brazilian jiu-jitsu event in Las Vegas

Jul 5, 2022 | 6:55 PM

NANAIMO — All four Island Top Team competitors who competed at the IBJJF American National Gi and No Goi event took home medals.

Stephanie Schmidt won a pair of medals at the Las Vegas based competition.

She earned gold in No Gi and silver in Gi In her blue belt masters lightweight division.

ITT head instructor and competitor Rob Biernacki said Schmidt’s performance was a historic one for the club.

“She became the first female Top Team athlete to win either a gold or a silver medal at an IBJJF international event, so that also was very meaningful to me, as we are big supporters of women in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I would love to see more women training.”

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Ivan Olsen took bronze in the Gi blue belt masters middleweight division and suffered an injury which nearly took him out of the No Gi.

Biernacki said Olsen put on a heroic performance winning gold in the masters blue belt lightweight No Gi division.

“Ivan decided to compete despite a rib injury that severely limited his movement. He came from behind with 20 seconds remaining in the final to score a sweep that won him the match.”

Biernacki himself also won a gold medal in the black belt masters middleweight division.

The other athlete in the group, Cory Burton, took bronze in the purple belt masters middleweight division but wasn’t able to compete in the No Gi portion of the event due to injury.

Having every athlete from Island Top Team earn a medal was an important milestone for the club.

“This was the first time ever at an international event all our athletes made the podium,” Biernacki said.

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