Top-7 Finishes by Ferguson and Genereux Cap Cadet Worlds
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by Bill Kellick
Career-best and top-7 performances by Rhadi Ferguson, Jr. (Tampa, Fla. / High Noon Judo) and Aubrey Genereux (Port St. Lucie, Fla. / Ki-itsu-sai National Training Center) highlighted Team USA's final two days of competition at the 2026 Cadet World Judo Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Thursday's opening day of competition featured Sebastian Teran (Pompano Beach, Fla. / Ki-itsu-sai National Training Center) capturing the second Cadet World title for the United States and the country's third medal overall.
Ferguson, competing in her second Cadet World Championships, placed seventh in the women's +70 kg competition on Saturday, facing three top-10 ranked competitors. She defeated World No. 9 Yana Dovhun (UKR) in the round of 16, scoring a waza-ari (half point) in the match's second minute, which stood as the only score of the four-minute contest (watch match video). In the quarterfinals against World No. 2 and eventual gold medalist Anna Zheleva (RUS), Zheleva took the match to the mat early in the second minute and was able to secure the pin on Ferguson for the victory. Now relegated to the repechage for a chance to advance to the bronze medal contest, Ferguson matched up with World No. 3 Ya-Wei I Ssu Tan Ta (TPE) but was thrown for ippon (instant win) at the end of the first minute.
Competing in her third Cadet Worlds, Genereux won two consecutive matches to reach the quarterfinals of the women's 57 kg division on Friday. She defeated Fatima Ramirez (PAR) with a throw for waza-ari in the third minute (watch match video), then upset World No. 5 Lisa Caravello (AUS) by scoring a yuko (partial point) in the final minute (watch match video). Genereux would lose to Helea Bailleul (FRA) by ippon in the quarterfinals, and by ippon to World No. 3 Zuhra Alimova (UZB) in the repechage.
Top eight and U.S. results from Days 2 and 3 are as follows:
Women’s 52 kg
1. Fatima Supygaliyeva (KAZ)
2. Kseniia Kyrylchuk (UKR)
3. Sofia Gaspar (POR)
3. Rio Shirakane (JPN)
5. Yali Yahav (ISR)
5. Matilda Mariello (ITA)
7. Renata Vasquez (ECU)
7. Rika Hirose (AUS)
Also Competed: Mackenzie McPherson (Miramar, Fla. / Budokan Judo Club in South Florida), 0-1; Madison Nguyen (Sunland, Calif. / Los Angeles Tenri Judo Dojo), 0-1.
Men’s 66 kg
1. Anes Mati (CAN)
2. Giorgi Kapanadze (GEO)
3. Tom Simkhaev (ISR)
3. Yerik Ussenov (KAZ)
5. Giorgi Avaliani (GEO)
5. Kantemir Khuranov (RUS)
7. Vladimir Todorov (BUL)
7. Ilkin Garayev (AZE)
Also Competed: Daniel Lima (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-itsu-sai National Training Center), 0-1.
Women’s 57 kg
1. Jagoda Ciupek (POL)
2. Inzhu Zhumazhan (KAZ)
3. Nicole Daria Manaila (CAN)
3. Yura Obikane (JPN)
5. Helea Bailleul (FRA)
5. Zuhra Alimova (UZB)
7. Yerkenaz Sembek (KAZ)
7. Aubrey Genereux (Port St. Lucie, Fla. / Ki-itsu-sai National Training Center)
Also Competed: Anna Babenko (Shrewsbury, Mass. / Mayo Quanchi Judo and Wrestling), 0-1.
Men’s 73 kg
1. Genki Fujinaka (JPN)
2. Giorgi Mtchedlishvili (GEO)
3. Bekali Yerken (KAZ)
3. Bekhruzbek Usmonov (UZB)
5. Dmytro Matuznyi (GER)
5. Sadig Mammadov (AZE)
7. Natas Aleksejunas (LTU)
7. Rashed Faras (KUW)
Also Competed: Sascha Lievano (Berkeley, Calif. / Griffin Performance Judo), 2-1; Mihail Belyakov (Staten Island, N.Y. / Cranford JKC), 0-1.
Women’s 63 kg
1. Jolina Reinhold (GER)
2. Bleona Rama (AUT)
3. Ilariia Tsurkan (SLO)
3. Aki Asada (JPN)
5. Iza Szofia Bartyik (HUN)
5. Polina Viziriakina (RUS)
7. Parizoda Yuldasheva (UZB)
7. Gulsanam Khazratova (UZB)
Also Competed: Logyn Lynn Puahala (Aiea, Hawaii / Hawaii Kaikaku Judo Club), 0-1.
Men’s 81 kg
1. Daniial Biibolatov (RUS)
2. Aykhan Hasanli (AZE)
3. Aleks Krivec (SLO)
3. Rustam Kashipov (RUS)
5. Koki Umeno (JPN)
5. Ivan Nikolchev (BUL)
7. Yago Mello (BRA)
7. Davit Julhakyan (ARM)
Also Competed: Shota Kundukhashvili (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Caucasus Judo), 1-1.
Women’s 70 kg
1. Clarisse Vallim (BRA)
2. Valerie Tombou (BEL)
3. Momoka Takeda (JPN)
3. Diana Samoiliuk (UKR)
5. Elene Kurdgelia (GEO)
5. Viktorija Ragauskaite (LTU)
7. Norah Gosset (FRA)
7. Ariadna Yarey Chavez Medina (MEX)
Also Competed: Chrystal Monthe Noussi (Fort Worth, Texas / Fort Worth Judo Club), 1-1.
Men’s 90 kg
1. Artem Nikulin (RUS)
2. Jurabek Eshpulatov (UZB)
3. Aslan Tuaev (RUS)
3. Matthew Molchanov (CAN)
5. Omar Akhundov (AZE)
5. Nuraddin Aliyev (AZE)
7. Emelyan Sokolov (CAN)
7. Tajus Babaicenko (LTU)
Also Competed: Taras Petrovskiy (Bothell, Wash. / Washington Judo Academy), 0-1; Nicholas Zadvinskiy (Staten Island, N.Y. / Cranford JKC), 0-1.
Women’s +70 kg
1. Anna Zhelva (RUS)
2. Hatice Tuana Balci (TUR)
3. Astan Sacko (FRA)
3. Kanon Okada (JPN)
5. Maelyne Wandji (FRA)
5. Ya-Wei I Ssu Tan Ta (TPE)
7. Emiliya Aliyeva (CAN)
7. Rhadi Ferguson, Jr. (Tampa, Fla. / High Noon Judo)
Men’s +90 kg
1. Adilzhan Zhaudinov (KAZ)
2. Abdulmanaf Ramazanov (RUS)
3. Tsvetomir Valkov (BUL)
3. Marko Vujica (CRO)
5. Azriel Dekenne Diffo (FRA)
5. Alibek Durdiev (UZB)
7. Martin Zamaniego (ECU)
7. Jose Paulo Pereira 9BRA)
