Senior World Championships Day 3 Results

(Colorado Springs, CO) – Four members of Team USA competed at the Senior World Championships on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, but each were eliminated in the opening round.

2024 Senior World Championships Results

Four-time Senior Pan Am bronze medalist Hannah Martin (Burnt Hills, NY / NYAC) fought through the first two and a half minutes of her round of 64 match in the 63 kg division against five-time Grand Slam medalist Gankhaich Bold (MGL) with each athlete drawing two penalties. With 90 seconds remaining, Bold threw Martin for a waza-ari (half point) score. Martin’s match was ended, however, when she was given a third penalty for non-combativity.

Sara Golden (Crystal Lake, IL / USA Judo National Resident Training Center Team) made her fourth Senior World Championships appearance in the 63 kg division at just 22 years old. Golden’s round of 64 set her up against Cristina Cabana Perez (ESP) – a bronze medalist at the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam. Golden fought into the third minute before being countered by Cabana Perez for ippon (instant win).

Just over a week after his graduation from Rutgers with a Bachelor’s degree in computer science and a 3.98 GPA, Nick Yonezuka (West Long Branch, NY / NYAC / Cranford JKC) entered his third Senior World Championships in the 81 kg division. Yonezuka and two-time Grand Slam medalist David Karapetyan (AIN) came up with two penalties each in the first two minutes, but it was Karapetyan who scored first with a throw for ippon early in the third minute of their round of 64 match.

Kell Berliner (Schenectady, NY / Jason Morris Judo Center) fought eight-time Grand Slam medalist Sharofiddin Boltaboev (UZB) in the round of 64, but was unable to score against Boltaboev who threw the American for ippon early in the third minute.

Competition continues on Wednesday with John Jayne (Chicago, IL) competing in the 90 kg category and Melissa Myers (Burnt Hills, NY / Jason Morris Judo Center) fighting at 70 kg.

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

Men’s 81 kg
1. Tato Grigalashvili (GEO)
2. Timur Arbuzov (AIN)
3. Somon Makhmadbekov (TJK)
3. Joonhwan Lee (KOR)
5. Dimitri Gochilaidze (GEO)
5. Sharofiddin Boltaboev (UZB)
7. Bernd Fasching (AUT)
7. David Karapetyan (AIN)

Also Competed: Nick Yonezuka (West Long Branch, NJ / NYAC / Cranford JKC), 0-1
Kell Berliner (Schenectady, NY / Jason Morris Judo Center), 0-1

Women’s 63 kg
1. Joanne Van Lieshout (NED)
2. Angelika Szymanska (POL)
3. Laura Fazliu (KOS)
3. Clarisse Agbegnenou (FRA)
5. Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard (CAN)
5. Andreja Leski (SLO)
7. Iva Oberan (CRO)
7. Katharina Haecker (AUS)

Also Competed: Hannah Martin (Burnt Hills, NY / NYAC), 0-1
Sara Golden (Crystal Lake, IL / USA Judo National Resident Training Center Team), 0-1