Yang's Bronze Leads U.S. Juniors at World Championships

2024 Cadet World Champion Jonathan Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / USA Judo National Resident Team) captured a medal in his second Junior World Championships, winning a bronze medal in the men's 60 kg division on Sunday, October 5, in Lima, Peru. An impressive 463 athletes representing 65 nations competed in the three-day individual competition, Oct. 5-7, at the Coliseo Eduardo Dibos.

2025 Junior World Championships Full Results

The 18-year-old Yang went 4-1 on the day, highlighted by a marathon victory over teammate Christopher Velazco (Coral Springs, Fla. / New York Athletic Club / Ki-itsu-sai National Training Center) in the repechage round. Their match stretched over 10 minutes into Golden Score (sudden death overtime) before Yang threw Velazco for a waza-ari, securing a spot in the medal round.

Building on that effort, Yang summoned the strength to endure another lengthy contest in his bronze-medal match against Zacharie Dijol (FRA). He scored the winning waza-ari 5 minutes and 18 seconds into Golden Score to claim his bronze medal. Velazco, meanwhile, placed seventh in his final Junior World Championships.

Also earning a top-7 finish was Daniel Liubimovski (Staten Island, N.Y. / NYAC / Colton Brown Training Center) who competed in the men's 100 kg division on Tuesday's final day. He defeated Yauheni Morau (BLR) by yuko in the round of 16, but lost by waza-ari in the quarterfinals to Mukhammadali Zoirov (UZB) and later by yuko to Anton Fedin (IJF) in the repechage. Zoirov advanced to win a bronze medal in the division.

Other U.S. juniors recording match wins in Lima were Harlee Hiller (Evansville, Ill. / Cohen Brothers Judo), Malia Manibog (San Gabriel, Calif. / San Gabriel Judo), Iya Sadanchikova (Santa Clara, Calif. / San Jose State University Judo), Daniel Shulgin (Philadelphia, Pa. / Yawara Force Judo/Sambo Club), Emily Jaspe (Hialeah, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) and Oleksandr Nyzhnyk (Los Gatos, Calif. / Nakano Judo Academy / USA Judo National Resident Team).

Hiller defeated Khadizha Gadashova (AZE) by yuko and Wendy Golu (COL) by waza-ari, before losing to Monica Martinez De Rituerto Morillas (ESP) by ippon in the round of 16 in the women's 52 kg division.

Manibog and Sadanchikova both won their opening matches in the women's 48 kg round of 32. Manibog won by yuko over Helen Habib (GER), while Sadanchikova defeated Rael Imase (KEN) by ippon. In the round of 16, Manibog lost by ippon to eventual bronze medalist Laziza Haydarova (UZB), while Sadanchikova lost on penalties to Vera Wandel (NED). 

In the men's 81 kg action, Shulgin won his round of 32 match against Samuel Daniel Olaiya (TPE) by ippon, before losing by ippon to Dusan Grahovac (SRB) in the round of 16.

Jaspe scored a waza-ari to earn victory over Vilda Backlund (SWE) in the women's 63 kg round of 32, then lost by yuko in the round of 16 to Nigina Saparboeva (UZB).

Nyzhnyk recorded an impressive win via ippon over Carstens Beyers (AUS) in the men's 90 kg round of 32, before losing by yuko to Joao Segatelle (BRA) in the round of 16. Segatelle would go on to win the silver medal.

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

Men’s 60 kg
1. Retsu Matsunaga (JPN)
2. Yusei Adachi (JPN)
3. Jonathan Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / USA Judo National Resident Team)
4. Samariddin Kuchkarov (UZB)
5. Zacharie Dijol (FRA)
5. Ruslan Poltoratskii (BRN)
7. Christopher Velazco (Coral Springs, Fla. / New York Athletic Club / Ki-itsu-sai National Training Center)
7. Diego Garcia Ramirez (DOM)

Women’s 48 kg
1. Sachiyo Yoshino (JPN)
2. Aitana Diaz Hernandez (ESP)
3. Laziza Haydarova (UZB)
3. Morgane Annis (FRA)
5. Laura Vasquez (ECU)
5. Vera Wandel (NED)
7. Laura Bogdan (ROU)
7. Zilan Ertem (TUR)
Also Competed: Malia Manibog (San Gabriel, Calif. / San Gabriel Judo), 1-1; Iya Sadanchikova (Santa Clara, Calif. / San Jose State University Judo), 1-1

Men’s 66 kg
1. Tornike Gigauri (GEO)
2. Abdullakh Parchiev (IJF)
3. Shuntaro Fukuchi (JPN)
3. Mahammad Musayev (AZE)
5. Bruno Nobrega (BRA0
5. Nizami Imranov (AZE)
7. Dishodbek Hamroyev (UZB)
7. Alexis Renard (FRA)
Also Competed: Lenny Sheynfeld (Staten Island, N.Y. / NYAC / Pedro's Judo Center), 0-1

Women’s 52 kg
1. Nicole Marques (BRA)
2. Leomaris Ruiz (VEN)
3. Hako Fukunaga (JPN)
3. Tabea Nika Mecklenburg (GER)
5. Nungshithoi Chanu Leishangthem (IND)
5. Monica Martinez De Rituerto Morillas (ESP)
7. Gaia Stella (ITA)
7. Klara Erten (GER)
Also Competed: Harlee Hiller (Evansville, Ill. / Cohen Brothers Judo), 2-1; Mackenzie McPherson (Miramar, Fla. / Budokan Judo Club in South Florida), 0-1

Men’s 73 kg
1. Muhiddin Asadulloev (TJK)
2. Ryusei Arakawa (JPN)
3. Irakli Goginashvili (GBR)
3. Keito Kihara (JPN)
5. Narek Vardanian (SWE)
5. Renat Croitoru (MDA)
7. Abdeslam Belbelhout (ALG)
7. Benjamin Levy (GBR)
Also Competed: Kai Wallace (Murrieta, Calif. / Los Angeles Tenri Judo Dojo), 0-1

Women's 57 kg
1. Mio Shirakane (JPN)
2. Dana Abdirova (KAZ)
3. Asuka Ueno (JPN)
3. Gyovanna Andrade (BRA)
5. Bianca Reis (BRA)
5. Jevgenija Gajic (SLO)
7. Michela Terranova (ITA)
7. Carla Van Zyl (CAN)

Men’s 81 kg
1. Haru Akita (JPN)
2. Akhmed Turluev (IJF)
3. Mihajlo Simin (SRB)
3. Samariddin Muxibiddinov (UZB)
5. Dusan Grahovac (SRB)
5. Joshua De Lange (NED)
7. Sandro Akhlouri (GEO)
7. Saad Dikajev (EST)
Also Competed: Daniel Shulgin (Philadelphia, Pa. / Yawara Force Judo/Sambo Club), 1-1

Women's 63 kg
1. So Morichika (JPN)
2. Viktoriia Martynenko (IJF)
3. Savita Russo (ITA)
3. Linthoi Chanambam (IND)
5. Nigina Saparboeva (UZB)
5. Joni Geilen (NED)
7. Neza Mesicek (SLO)
7. Ilariia Tsurkan (SLO)
Also Competed: Emily Jaspe (Hialeah, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 1-1

Men’s 90 kg
1. Jesse Barbosa (BRA)
2. Joao Segatelle (BRA)
3. Paul Friedrichs (GER)
3. Alisher Samanov (UZB)
5. Luka Javakhishvili (GEO)
5. Vadim Ghuimbovschi (MDA)
7. Oleksii Boldyriev (POL)
7. Aleksei Bulgakov (IJF)
Also Competed: Oleksandr Nyzhnyk (Los Gatos, Calif. / Nakano Judo Academy / USA Judo National Resident Team), 1-1

Women's 70 kg
1. April Lynn Fohouo (SUI)
2. Aleksandra Andric (SRB)
3. Teophila Darbes-Takam (FRA)
3. Jana Cvjetko (CRO)
5. Ingrid Nilsson (SWE)
5. Ecem Baysug (TUR)
7. Alina Moldokulova (KGZ)
7. Eva Ognivova (IJF)
Also Competed: Chloe Williams (Stafford, Va. / High Noon Judo), 0-1

Men’s 100 kg
1. Milan Bulaja (SRB)
2. Shokei Hirano (JPN)
3. Lazar Zdrale (SRB)
3. Mukhammadali Zoirov (UZB)
5. Anton Fedin (IJF)
5. Askar Birzhanov (KAZ)
7. Daniel Liubimovski (Staten Island, N.Y. / NYAC / Colton Brown Training Center)
7. Nodari Alapishvili (GEO)

Women’s 78 kg
1. Maria Hanstede (NED)
2. Mathilda Sophie Niemeyer (GER)
3. Alexandra Riabchenko (IJF)
3. Dandara Camillo (BRA)
5. Jovana Stjepanovic (SRB)
5. Lila Mazzarino (FRA)
7. Cinzia Caponetto (ITA)
7. Johanna Elisabeth Klinger (BIH)
Also Competed: Jayda Fulp (Fort Worth, Texas / Chandler Judo Academy), 0-1

Women’s +78 kg
1. Celia Cancan (FRA)
2. Umida Nigmatova (UZB)
3. Leonie Minkada-Caquineau (FRA)
3. Yuli Alma Mishiner (ISR)
5. Safa Soliman (EGY)
5. Emma-Melis Aktas (EST)
7. Hikaru Yamaguchi (JPN)
7. Dayanara Curbelo Travieso (CUB)
Also Competed: Rhadi Ferguson, Jr. (Tampa, Fla. / High Noon Judo), 0-1

Men’s +100 kg
1. Bislan Katamardov (IJF)
2. Gai Hatakeyama (JPN)
3. Matheo Akiana Mongo (FRA)
3. Mortaza Suha (GER)
5. Marek-Adrian Masak (EST)
5. Fazliddin Rafikov (UZB)
7. Ibrahim Tataroglu (TUR)
7. Giorgi Baduashvili (GEO)
Also Competed: Rufus Ferguson II (Tampa, Fla. / High Noon Judo), 0-1; Kanta Ueyama (Burbank, Calif. / Los Angeles Tenri Judo Dojo), 0-1