Jack Yonezuka Wins First Senior Grand Prix Medal in Austria

(Colorado Springs, CO) – Two-time Junior World medalist Jack Yonezuka (West Long Branch, NJ / NYAC / Cranford JKC) won his first medal on the Senior World Tour, taking bronze at the Upper Austria Grand Prix in Linz on Saturday.

2024 Upper Austria Grand Prix Results

Yonezuka went 4-1, taking each of his four wins with pins as he became the first U.S. man to win a medal at a Grand Prix in two years.

The win also allowed the 20-year-old to climb to No. 15 on the filtered Olympic Ranking List with the top 17 in each weight category as of June 25 earning berths to the Paris Games.

After a bye into the round of 32, Yonezuka pinned six-time Continental Open medalist Luca Otmane (FRA) in the third minute. Otmane escaped after 13 seconds, but Yonezuka got the waza-ari (half-point) score he needed to take the match.

In the round of 16, Yonezuka and Karim Abdulaev (UAE) went to Golden Score (sudden death overtime) before Yonezuka took the match to the ground for another pin.

The tables were turned in the quarter-finals, however, when Hassan Doukkali (MAR) pinned Yonezuka in the third minute.

Yonezuka made quick work of 2023 Junior Pan Am bronze medalist Vinicius Ardina (BRA) in the repechage, pinning the Brazilian in the opening minute.

Fighting for bronze, Yonezuka took control of 2023 European U23 Champion Koen Heg (NED) during the first exchange and pinning Heg for ippon (instant win) in less than a minute.

The medal marks the sixth international podium finish during the last year for Yonezuka who improved on his seventh place finish at this event last year as he seeks to follow in the footsteps of his father and coach, Nick Yonezuka (West Long Branch, NJ) who qualified for the 1980 Olympic Games at just 16 years old.

Four members of Team USA earned top-16 finishes in Linz during the three-day tournament.

On Friday, two-time Olympian Angelica Delgado (Miami, FL / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) put herself a step closer to a third Olympic qualification with a top-16 result in the 52 kg division.

After a bye into the round of 32, Delgado went into Golden Score against threw three-time European Open medalist Lea Metrot (FRA) before throwing Metrot with an uchimata (inner thigh throw) for ippon.

In the next round, however, Delgado went to Golden Score against 2022 Cadet World bronze medalist Aydan Valiyeva (AZE) where she dropped the match on penalties.

On Saturday, Cole Chandler (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri) continued his comeback, finishing with a 2-1 record in the 73 kg category.

The 26 year old last competed on the World Tour in 2019, but returned to the international circuit with a gold medal at the Dakar African Open in November. The two-time Senior National Champion at 66 kg threw three-time Continental Open medalist Tomas Sosa (ARG) for ippon in the round of 64 to get the day started and edged Zelemkhan Batchaev (BEL) in the next round by three penalties to two.

In his third match of the day, however, Chandler was thrown for two waza-ari scores by 2023 Tel Aviv Grand Slam bronze medalist Mark Hristov (BUL).

Three-time Senior World Team member Sara Golden (Crystal Lake, IL / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) earned a 1-1 finish to advance to the round of 16, pinning 2022 Cadet World silver medalist Franziska Schloegel (AUT) in the third minute of the round of 32.

In the next round, Golden lost to 2023 Junior Pan Am Champion Nauana Silva (BRA), three penalties to two.

On Sunday, John Jayne (Chicago, IL) defeated Radomir Musil (CZE) on penalties in the round of 32 – just a month after Musil’s bronze medal win at the Gyor European Open. He was thrown for ippon in the round of 16, however, by Tokyo Olympian Li Kochman (ISR) who went on to win bronze.

Three-time Senior World Team member Mariah Holguin (San Antonio, TX / Universal Judo) also scored valuable Olympic qualifying points with a top-32 result in the 57 kg division on Friday.

Holguin and Julia Sommer (AUT) went nearly the full duration of the four-minute round of 64, but Holguin pulled off a throw for a waza-ari score at the buzzer.

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

Men’s 60 kg
1. Francisco Garrigos (ESP)
2. Cedric Revol (FRA)
3. Dilshot Khalmatov (UKR)
3. Tornike Tsjakadoea (NED)
5. Kanat Seilkhan (KAZ)
5. Ashley McKenzie (JAM)
7. Yuta Higuchi (JPN)
7. Vache Adamyan (AUT)

Also Competed: Chris Velazco (Coral Springs, FL / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 0-1

Women 48 kg
1. Mitsuki Kondo (JPN)
2. Wakana Inagaki (JPN)
3. Amber Gersjes (NED)
3. Hyekyeong Lee (KOR)
5. Asia Avanzato (ITA)
5. Mary Dee Vargas Ley (CHI)
7. Erika Lasso (COL)
7. Amanda Lima (BRA)

Also Competed: Anne Suzuki (San Jose, CA / San Jose State University Judo), 0-1

Men 66 kg
1. Keita Hadano (JPN)
2. Baruch Shmailov (ISR)
3. Bogdan Iadov (UKR)
3. Ismail Misirov (AIN)
5. Alberto Gaitero Martin (ESP)
5. Mykyta Holoborodko (UKR)
7. Serdar Rahimov (TKM)
7. Martin Setz (GER)

Women 52 kg
1. Larissa Pimenta (BRA)
2. Binta Ndiaye (SUI)
3. Naomi Van Krevel (NED)
3. Maria Siderot (POR)
5. Alyssia Poulange (FRA)
5. Jessica Pereira (BRA)
7. Ana Viktorija Puljiz (CRO)
7. Aydan Valiyeva (AZE)

Also Competed: Angelica Delgado (Miami, FL / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 1-1
Jenna Schurr (Torrance, CA), 0-1

Men’s 73 kg
1. Adil Osmanov (MDA)
2. Rashid Mammadaliyev (AZE)
3. Ioan Dzitac (ROU)
3. Jack Yonezuka (West Long Branch, NJ / NYAC / Cranford JKC)
5. Hassan Doukkali (MAR)
5. Koen Heg (NED)
7. Mark Hristov (BUL)
7. Vinicius Ardina (BRA)

Also Competed: Cole Chandler (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri), 2-1

Women 57 kg
1. Marica Perisic (SRB)
2. Julie Beurskens (NED)
3. Mina Libeer (BEL)
3. Kaja Kajzer (SLO)
5. Kanna Setoguchi (JPN)
5. Pihla Salonen (FIN)
7. Hasret Bozkurt (TUR)
7. Ozlem Yildiz (TUR)

Also Competed: Mariah Holguin (San Antonio, Texas / Universal Judo), 1-1

Men’s 81 kg
1. Antonio Esposito (ITA)
2. Pawel Drzymal (POL)
3. Joji Togo (JPN)
3. Joao Fernando (POR)
5. Bernd Fasching (AUT)
5. Mykhailo Svidrak (UKR)
7. Jarne Duyck (BEL)
7. Alfonso Urquiza Solana (ESP)

Also Competed: Dominic Rodriguez (Lehigh Acres, FL / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 0-1

Women’s 63 kg
1. Joanne Van Lieshout (NED)
2. Agatha Schmidt (GER)
3. Minami Aono (JPN)
3. Katharina Haecker (AUS)
5. Geke Van den Berg (NED)
5. Iva Oberan (CRO)
7. Gaetane Deberdt (FRA)
7. Nauana Silva (BRA)

Also Competed: Sara Golden (Crystal Lake, IL / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 1-1
Hannah Martin (Burnt Hills, NY / New York Athletic Club), 0-1

Men’s 90 kg
1. Ivan Felipe Silva Morales (CUB)
2. Tristani Mosakhlishvili (ESP)
3. Giorgi Jabniashvili (GEO)
3. Li Kochman (ISR)
5. Krisztian Toth (HUN)
5. Robert Florentino (DOM)
7. David Klammert (CZE)
7. Rafael Macedo (BRA)

Also Competed: John Jayne (Chicago, IL), 1-1

Women’s 70 kg
1. Maria Perez (PUR)
2. Irene Pedrotti (ITA)
3. Aleksandra Samardzic (BIH)
3. Michaela Polleres (AUT)
5. Eliza Wroblewska (POL)
5. Moka Kuwagata (JPN)
7. Alina Lengweiler (SUI)
7. Aoife Coughlan (AUS)

Men’s 100 kg
1. Leonardo Goncalves (BRA)
2. Jorge Fonseca (POR)
3. Rafael Buzacarini (BRA)
3. Laurin Bohler (AUT)
5. Bojan Dosen (SRB)
5. Mathias Madsen (DEN)
7. Louis Mai (GER)
7. Simeon Catharina (NED)

Also Competed: Nate Keeve (San Rafael, CA / New York Athletic Club), 0-1

Women’s 78 kg
1. Anna Monta Olek (GER)
2. Yuliia Kurchenko (UKR)
3. Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko (UKR)
3. Karla Prodan (CRO)
5. Vicky Verschaere (BEL)
5. Rinoko Wada (JPN)
7. Shu Huei Hsu Wang (TPE)
7. Mao Izumi (JPN)

Men’s +100 kg
1. Lukas Krpalek (CZE)
2. Andy Granda (CUB)
3. Guram Tushishvili (GEO)
3. Losseni Kone (GER)
5. Evgeny Shmachilin (ISR)
5. Dzhamal Gamzatkhanov (AZE)
7. Azamat Chotchaev (BRN)
7. Yevheniy Balyevskyy (UKR)

Women’s +78 kg
1. Beatriz Souza (BRA)
2. Marit Kamps (NED)
3. Idalys Ortiz (CUB)
3. Milica Zabic (SRB)
5. Hilal Ozturk (TUR)
5. Larisa Ceric (BIH)
7. Karen Stevenson (NED)
7. Renee Lucht (GER)