Kyle Vashkulat

Sport: Judo

Nation: United States of America

DOB: July 24, 1990

Hometown: Glenville, NY

Career Highlights: At 21 years old, Vashkulat heads to London as both the youngest member of the U.S. national team and the youngest American judoka ever to compete in the -100kg weight division. Bork in Kiev, Ukraine, Vashkulat qualified for the 2012 Games with a fifth-place finish at the Pan American championships in April, receiving an invitation through the Pan American Judo Confederation quota. Vashkulat, who more recently came in fifth at the PJC World Cup, was ranked 29th in the world by the IJF as of May 19. One of Vashkulat’s biggest career highlights came at the 2010 USA Judo senior national championships, where he took home the gold. Vashkulat, though, has won just four of 10 matches this year and could struggle to keep up with some of the more experienced competitors in his weight class. He’ll be joined by fellow Americans Kayla Harrison, Marti Malloy, Nick Delpopolo and Travis Stevens on the U.S. national team.

Olympic History: None