Jared Causse Finishes in Top 16 at First Junior Worlds

(Colorado Springs, CO) – Fighting at his first Junior World Championships, Jared Causse (Westminster, CA / Los Angeles Tenri Judo Dojo) finished in the top 16 in the 100 kg competition in Odivelas, Portugal on Saturday.

Causse, the reigning Junior Olympic and Junior U.S. Open Champion, entered his first major international event unranked and fought two-time Junior European Cup medalist Guilherme Silva (POR) in the opening round. Silva threw Causse for a waza-ari score (half point), but Silva was given a hansokumake penalty for using his head during the throw, giving Causse the victory.

In the next round, Causse was awarded a waza-ari during the first minute of his match against Jorge Alvarez Rodriguez (ESP), but the call was waved off. Rodriguez threw the American for a waza-ari score in the second minute and ippon (instant win) in the third.

Causse was one of four first-time Junior World Team members who represented the United States in Portugal on Saturday.

A silver medalist at the 2021 Cadet Pan Am Championships, 18-year-old Canna Rupp (Midwest City, OK / USA Stars) fought at her first Junior Worlds in the 78 kg division. Rupp was thrown for a waza-ari and pinned for ippon in the opening minute by 2022 Athens Junior European Cup bronze medalist Maria-Nicoleta Vulpasin (GRE).

Eighteen-year-old Alex Semenenko (Staten Island, NY / Generation Judo Club) qualified for his first Junior World Team after representing Team USA at the 2019 Cadet Worlds. A sophomore wrestler at Brown University, Semenenko won gold at the Skopje Junior European Cup in August, but was thrown for ippon in the 100 kg division by Denis Batchaev (AIN) in the opening match and did not advance to the medal rounds.

A gold medalist at the Junior Olympics, 20-year-old Jessica Alaynick (Scotia, NY / Jason Morris Judo Center) was pinned in the +78 kg division by Kanwarpreet Kaur (IND) for ippon.

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

Men’s 100 kg
1. Dota Arai (JPN)
2. Rustam Shorakhmatov (UZB)
3. Andzhei Pavliukov (AIN)
3. Oes Schell (NED)
5. Parviz Abdurakhmonov (TJK)
5. Jean Carletti (ITA)
7. Jorge Alvarez Rodriguez (ESP)
7. Benjamin Mataseje (SVK)

Also Competed: Jared Causse (Westminster, CA / Los Angeles Tenri Judo Dojo), 1-1

Women’s 78 kg
1. Minju Kim (KOR)
2. Like Derks (NED)
3. Brenda Olaya (COL)
3. Ilana Bouvier (FRA)
5. Khuslen Otgonbayar (MGL)
5. Eva Ronja Buddenkotte (GER)
7. Zanet Michaelidou (CYP)
7. Berber Ludema (NED)

Also Competed: Canna Rupp (Midwest City, OK / USA Stars), 0-1

Men’s +100 kg
1. Shalva Gureshidze (GEO)
2. Ibrahim Tataroglu (TUR)
3. Munir Ertug (TUR)      
3. Giannis Antoniou (CYP)
5. Ramazan Ahmadov (AZE)
5. Grzegorz Teresinski (POL)
7. Emirkhan Zholdoshkaziev (KGZ)
7. John Mess Bessong Jr. (CAN)  

Also Competed: Alex Semenenko (Staten Island, NY / Generation Judo Club), 0-1

Women’s +78 kg
1. Mao Arai (JPN)
2. Miki Mukunoki (JPN)
3. Hyeonji Lee (KOR)
3. Katia Alves (BRA)
5. Yuli Alma Mishiner (ISR)
5. Tiziana Marini (ITA)
7. Paulien Sweers (NED)
7. Enya Pires (BRA)

Also Competed: Jessica Alaynick (Scotia, NY / Jason Morris Judo Center), 0-1