Junior World Championships Day 1 Results

(Colorado Springs, CO) – The Junior World Championships began on Wednesday in Odivelas, Portugal with Japan sweeping the gold medals in all four events.

2023 Junior World Championships Live Streatm and Results

A gold medalist at the senior Portugal Grand Prix in January, Yamato Fukuda (JPN) won gold in the 60 kg division at his first Junior Worlds. Team USA’s Christopher Velazco (Coral Springs, FL / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) earned a bye into the round of 32 at his second Cadet Worlds where he fought Luis Barroso Lopez (ESP), a bronze medalist at the senior Madrid European Open in June. With neither athlete scoring during the four-minute regulation period, Velazco entered Golden Score (sudden death overtime) with two penalties. He was given a third just over a minute into overtime and Lopez was awarded the match.

Fighting at his second and final Junior Worlds, Josh Yang (Los Angeles, CA / LA Judo Club) came into the tournament on the heels of a bronze medal finish at the Junior Pan Am-Oceania Championships last month, but struggled to score in his round of 64 match in the 60 kg division against Joaquim Rovira (POR). With Rovira down by a pair of penalties in the final minute, Yang threw his opponent for a waza-ari (half-point) score, but the call was waved off. Rovira took the next score, throwing Yang for a waza-ari with 15 seconds on the clock.

The women’s 48 kg title was claimed in dominant fashion by 2022 Cadet World Champion Kano Miyaki (JPN) who won gold at the Tokyo Grand Slam in her only major international appearance at either the junior or senior level.

Two-time Junior Pan Am-Oceania Championships silver medalist Harlee Hiller (Evanston, IL / Cohen Brothers Judo) opened her first Junior Worlds with a first-round match in the 48 kg division against 2022 Cadet World bronze medalist Nandin-Erdene Myagmarsure (MGL). Hiller, who finished in the top 16 at this year’s Cadet Worlds, stayed with the Mongolian until the final five seconds of regulation when she was thrown for a waza-ari.

Two-time Junior World Team member Jayne Loo (Mercer Island, WA / Budokan Judo Dojo-Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington) came into this year’s 48 kg event as a bronze medalist at last month’s Junior Pan Am-Oceania Championships, but lost her opening round to 2023 Cadet World Champion Aitana Diaz Hernandez (ESP) who threw Loo for waza-ari scores in the second and third minute.

A fifth-place finisher at the 2022 Portugal Grand Prix, Yamato Fukuda (JPN) won the 66 kg title with six straight victories to claim gold.

Fighting at his second and final Junior Worlds, Amin Bakhtiyor (Fairfax, VA / Pedro’s Judo Center) also medaled at the Pan Am-Oceania Championships, taking silver in the 66 kg division. Bakhtiyor drew Erbol Abasbekov (KGZ) in the first round and was thrown by the 2023 Kuwait City Asian Open silver medalist for a waza-ari score in the final minute.

Rin Kamiya (JPN) came into the Junior Worlds having only competed in one IJF event prior to this week – the Paris Junior European Cup where the 52 kg fighter won gold. On Wednesday, she took five of her six wins by ippon, besting the 2022 Junior World Champion and 2022 Hungary Grand Slam silver medalist Giulia Carna (ITA) in the finals.

Kaycie Tanimoto (Fort Worth, TX / Chandler Judo Academy) also competed in the 52 kg division, but the fifth-place finisher at the 2023 Pan Am-Oceania Championships was thrown for a pair of waza-aris by Elene Tsiklauri (GEO).

Top eight and U.S. results are as follows:

Men’s 60 kg
1. Yamato Fukuda (JPN)
2. Nizami Imranov (AZE)
3. Youssry Samy (EGY)
3. Talgat Orynbassar (KAZ)
5. Zamohshari Bekmurodov (UZB)
5. Kako Chapurishvili (GEO)
7. Ashik Andreyan (ARM)
7. Aman Bakytzhan (KAZ)

Also Competed: Christopher Velazco (Coral Springs, FL / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 0-1
Joshua Yang (Los Angeles, CA / LA Judo Club), 0-1

Women’s 48 kg
1. Kano Miyaki (JPN)
2. Eila Ersin (TUR)
3. Asia Avanzato (ITA)
3. Kristina Dudina (AIN)
5. Giulia Ghiglione (ITA)
5. Konul Aliyeva (AZE)
7. Nandin-Erdene Myagmarsuren (MGL)
7. Anneliese Fielder (AUS)

Also Competed: Harlee Hiller (Evanston, IL / Cohen Brothers Judo), 0-1
Jayne Loo (Mercer Island, WA / Budokan Judo Dojo-Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington), 0-1

Men’s 66 kg
1. Yamato Fukuda (JPN)
2. Eran Fiks (ISR)
3. Rhanarys Rakhmetkali (KAZ)
3. Keita Hadano (JPN)
5. Viljar Lipard (EST)
5. Tengo Zirakashvili (GEO)
7. Nursultan Zaizagaliyev (KAZ)
7. Ibrahim Demirel (TUR)

Also Competed: Amin Bakhtiyor (Fairfax, VA / Pedro’s Judo Center), 0-1

Women’s 52 kg
1. Rin Kamiya (JPN)
2. Giulia Carna (ITA)
3. Micaela Sciacovelli (ITA)
3. Lea Beres (FRA)
5. Luciana Catana (ROU)
5. Carina Klaus-Sternwieser (AUT)
7. Luca Veg (HUN)
7. Ruth Lavy (ISR)

Also Competed: Kaycie Tanimoto (Fort Worth, TX / Chandler Judo Academy), 0-1