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2025 Junior World Championship Team Named

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by Bill Kellick

The U.S. has two athletes in the top-10 Junior rankings at 60kg in World #2 Christopher Velazco (blue) and World #6 Jonathan Yang (white). (Photo by Roy Nanjo) (Photo by Roy Nanjo)

(Colorado Springs, CO) – USA Judo has named its team for the upcoming Junior World Championships to be held in Lima, Peru, October 5-8. The U.S. team of 18 athletes under the age of 21 will compete against more than 385 athletes from 60 nations during the three-day individual competition.

Team USA features six returning members from the 2024 Junior World Team as well as five athletes who fought at the Cadet Worlds in August.

The U.S. squad also boasts seven athletes ranked among the top 20 juniors in the world:

  • Christopher Velazco (Coral Springs, Fla. / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), World No. 2 at 60 kg and 2025 Junior Pan American and Oceania Championship silver medalist
  • Emily Jaspe (Hialeah, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), World No. 3 at 63 kg and 2024 Junior Pan American and Oceania Championship gold medalist
  • Daniel Liubimovski (Staten Island, N.Y. / NYAC / Colton Brown Training Center), World No. 4 at 100 kg and 2025 Junior Pan American and Oceania Championship bronze medalist
  • Jonathan Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / USA Judo National Resident Team), World No. 6 at 60 kg and 2024 Cadet World Champion
  • Oleksandr Nyzhnyk (Los Gatos, Calif. / Nakano Judo Academy / USA Judo National Resident Team), World No. 11 at 90 kg and 2025 Junior Pan American and Oceania Championship silver medalist
  • Lenny Sheynfeld (Staten Island, N.Y. / NYAC / Pedro's Judo Center), World No. 17 at 66 kg and 2025 Junior Pan American and Oceania Championship silver medalist
  • Malia Manibog (San Gabriel, Calif. / San Gabriel Judo), World No. 19 at 48 kg and 2025 Junior Pan American and Oceania Championship bronze medalist

Complete USA Junior World Roster:

Women’s 48 kg
Malia Manibog (San Gabriel, Calif. / San Gabriel Judo)
Iya Sadanchikova (Santa Clara, Calif. / San Jose State University Judo)

Women’s 52 kg
Harlee Hiller (Evansville, Ill. / Cohen Brothers Judo)
Mackenzie McPherson (Miramar, Fla. / Budokan Judo Club in South Florida)

Women’s 57 kg
Elsa Clark (Potomac, Md. / Sport Judo)

Women’s 63 kg
Emily Jaspe (Hialeah, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)

Women’s 70 kg
Chloe Williams (Stafford, Va. / High Noon Judo)

Women's 78 kg
Jayda Fulp (Fort Worth, Texas / Chandler Judo Academy)

Women's +78 kg
Rhadi Ferguson, Jr. (Tampa, Fla. / High Noon Judo)

Men’s 60 kg
Christopher Velazco (Coral Springs, Fla. / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
Jonathan Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / USA Judo National Resident Team)

Men’s 66 kg
Lenny Sheynfeld (Staten Island, N.Y. / NYAC / Pedro's Judo Center)

Men’s 73 kg
Kai Wallace (Murrietta, Calif. / Los Angeles Tenri Judo Dojo)

Men’s 81 kg
Daniel Shulgin (Philadelphia, Pa. / Yawara Force Judo/Sambo Club)

Men’s 90 kg
Oleksandr Nyzhnyk (Los Gatos, Calif. / Nakano Judo Academy / USA Judo National Resident Team)

Men’s 100 kg
Daniel Liubimovski (Staten Island, N.Y. / NYAC / Colton Brown Training Center)

Men’s +100 kg
Rufus Ferguson II (Tampa, Fla. / High Noon Judo)
Kanta Ueyama (Burbank, Calif. / Los Angeles Tenri Judo Dojo)

Competition schedule is as follows:

Sunday, Oct. 5
Men’s 60 kg and 66 kg
Women’s 48 kg, 52 kg and 57 kg

Monday, Oct. 6
Men’s 73 kg and 81 kg
Women’s 63 kg and 70 kg

Tuesday, Oct. 7
Men’s 90 kg, 100 kg and +100 kg
Women’s 78 kg and +78 kg