USA Judo: Travis Stevens and Marti Malloy Head to London

For most people the thought of Judo conjures images of Mike Myers in bad teeth doing it for comedic effect. For Travis Stevens of Bellevue and Marti Malloy of Oak Harbor, it conjures images of a possible gold medal.

Stevens participated in the 2008 Olympics where he didn't win a medal. It is his driving force after he was penalized twice and lost to the eventual gold medalist Ole Bischof from Germany. He would also unfortunately draw the eventual bronze medalist Tiago Camilo from Brazil.

For Tacoma judo star Travis Stevens, it's no pain, no gold | Jerry Brewer | The Seattle Times

"It was the biggest disappointment I've ever had," he said. "I went into the Games with an ego problem. I was humbled. It ate away at me for months and months. It still does today."

Malloy is a junior at San Jose State University where she hopes to graduate with a degree in journalism. She claimed her first gold medal in a senior international competition when she was 16. Malloy is the top-ranked 63kg player in the United States, but because that division didn't qualify for the Olympic Games, she chose to compete as a 57kg player at the Olympic Trials.