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One thing to clarify about judo: The only place you're likely to see a "judo chop" is in an Austin Powers movie. In actual competitive judo, the objective is to throw the opponent. Or maintain a legal hold for many seconds. Or get your opponent in an armbar, maybe even a stranglehold, until the opponent taps out.

The U.S. isn't a traditional judo power, aside from Jimmy Pedro's world championship and two Olympic medals, but that might be changing this season. Ryan Reser won silver medals in consecutive World Cup events last month.

Ronda Rousey, the youngest U.S. judo Olympian in 2004 and a world junior champion that year, has ended a U.S. title drought dating back to her elementary school days. Rousey won five matches, four by ippon (instant win, often a throw), to win her weight class at the Birmingham (England) World Cup. The 19-year-old's gold medal is the first for a U.S. woman in an A-level European event in almost a decade, USA Judo reports.

For her efforts, Rousey is USATODAY.com's U.S. Olympic Athlete of the Week.

More info on Rhonda's Win:

Rousey Wins Gold at Birmingham World Cup:

Ronda Rousey (Buffalo, Grove, Ill./NYAC/Cohen's Judo/63kg) became the first U.S. woman to win a European A-Level tournament in nearly a decade when she won gold at the Birmingham World Cup in Great Britain on Saturday.

Rousey went undefeated in five matches to claim her second senior European gold medal, following a win at the B-Level Belgian Open in Arlon in February.

The 19-year-old ousted her first two opponents by ippon (instant win, similar to a knockout in boxing).

In the quarter-finals, Rousey had another meeting with Christina Marzok, the German she defeated in the semi-finals in Belgium. Rousey scored throughout the match with two kokas (smallest points) and a yuko (quarter-point) before ultimately winning by waza-ari (half-point).

Next up for the Athens Olympian was Sara Alvarez (ESP), a three-time World Championship medalist who won her first senior European event when Rousey was just 7-years-old and has claimed nine A-Level titles since then. Rousey defeated Alvarez in two and a half minutes with her third ippon of the day to advance to gold medal match.

In the final, Rousey threw Fanny Riaboff (FRA), a 2005 World Cup Champion at 57kg, for ippon with o uchi gari (major inner reaping, circling leg throw) to become the first U.S. woman to win an A-Level event since three-time Olympian Sandra Bacher won the Budapest Bank Cup in 1997.

Rousey's win also makes her one of only two U.S. athletes to achieve A-Level status in 2006 and is expected to move up to a top-six World Ranking next week.

Also competing Saturday, Sayaka Matsumoto (El Cerrito, Calif./NYAC/East Bay Judo Institute) drew World bronze medalist Alina Dumitru (ROM) in the first round, losing the match by a pair of waza-aris. Dumitru, who would later win the event, pulled Matsumoto through to the repechage where she lost by yuko to Virginie Marie (FRA).

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