Team USA Wins Four Cadet European Cup Medals in Portugal

Team USA medalists Chris Velazco (60kg gold), Emily Jaspe (63kg gold), Shavon Gonzalez (70kg silver) and Aiden Cohen (81kg bronze). 

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Team USA’s U17 athletes earned four medals and three World No. 1 rankings over the weekend at the Coimbra Cadet European Cup in Portugal.

Fighting with nine athletes total, the Americans won two gold medals as well as a silver and a bronze, trailing only Italy in the gold medal account as the Italians won six gold medals and 19 overall medals with a 48-athlete squad.

Christopher Velazco (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Site / 60kg) and Emily Jaspe (Hialeah, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Site / 63kg) led the way for Team USA with gold medal wins. Shavon Gonzalez (West Palm Beach, Fla. / 70kg) earned silver and Aiden Cohen (Vernon Hills, Ill. / Cohen Brothers Judo / 81kg) claimed bronze.

Jaspe and Velazco climbed from No. 2 and No. 3 to No. 1 in the cadet world rankings for their respective divisions while Gonzalez retained the No. 1 she held going into the weekend. Making his debut on the European circuit, Cohen moved from No. 4 to No. 3 in the world.

Velazco got things started for the team on Saturday, winning five straight matches to take the gold medal in the 60kg division without giving up a score to any opponent.

The three-time Cadet Pan American Champion came in as the top seed and earned a bye into the second round where he threw Tomas Matos Da Fonseca (POR) for ippon (instant win) in the first minute. In the next match, Daniel Robles Rodan (ESP) racked up two penalties and was given a third as the regulation period ended before the match could go into Golden Score. In the quarter-finals, Velazco footswept Rui Anjos (POR) in the second minute for a waza-ari (half-point) score. With 24 seconds in the match, Anjos was given a third penalty to end the match. Velazco guaranteed himself his first Cadet European Cup medal with his next win, throwing Antonio Esposito (ITA) for a waza-ari in the semifinals and holding the Italian scoreless for the remainder of the match. In the finals, Velazco faced Nazar Viskov (UKR) – a bronze medalist at both the 2021 Cadet European Championships and his last two Cadet European Cup events. As the clock wound down, Viskov had two penalties to Velazco’s one when the American threw him for a waza-ari to take the win in the final eight seconds.

On Sunday, Jaspe, Gonzalez and Cohen each reached the podium.

Jaspe won her second medal in as many events on the Cadet European Cup tour, finishing 4-0 to take gold after her silver medal win in February at the Fuengirola Cadet European Cup. The reigning Cadet Pan American Champion won her first match against Alisia Tombolini (ITA) by penalties and defeated Olivia Delahunty (GBR) by ippon in the quarter-finals. In the semis, Jaspe was thrown for an early waza-ari score by Stefania Pede (ITA), a bronze medalist on the circuit earlier this year. Jaspe tied the score in the final minute with a waza-ari of her own and took the match when Pede was given her third and final penalty with four seconds on the clock. In the final match, Jaspe took three-time Cadet European Cup medalist Serena Maddaloni (ITA) to Golden Score, finishing the win nearly two and a half minutes into the overtime period when Maddaloni was given a third penalty.

Gonzalez, a 2021 Cadet Pan Am Champion, entered the event as No. 1 in the world after her gold medal finish in Fuengirola. Gonzalez opened strongly, throwing Daphne De Bock (BEL) for a waza-ari score and controlling the rest of the match to advance to the semifinals where she was down by a waza-ari, but came back to throw 2021 Porec Cadet European Cup silver medalist Eleonora Giusti (ITA) for ippon in the third minute. In the finals, however, 2021 Cadet European Championships bronze medalist Ingrid Nilsson (SWE) took the match by three penalties to claim gold while Gonzalez finished the day with a silver medal.

Making his debut on the Cadet European Cup circuit, Cohen rebounded from a first-round loss by penalties to eventual silver medalist Francesco Sansonetti (ITA) to win three straight wins to take bronze. In the repechage, Cohen threw Bruno Calvo Sanchez (ESP) for a waza-ari score and dispatched Francisco Pereira (POR) with a throw for ippon in the first eight seconds. Fighting for bronze, Cohen threw Pepijn Kraak (NED) for a pair of waza-ari scores to reach the podium.

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

Men’s 50kg
1. Adis Orozmamatov (KGZ)
2. Emiliano Latianzi (ITA)
3. Quentin Marteau (FRA)
3. Tiago Talon (FRA)
5. Samuele Canova (ITA)
5. Alexander Marlov (SWE)
7. Francesco Crociani (ITA)
7. Andreas Declercq (BEL)

Men’s 55kg
1. Davide Errichiello (ITA)
2. Dorian Arnaud (FRA)
3. Amsar Dzhamaldinov (BEL)
3. Giulio Muzzi (ITA)
5. Timeo Tournier (AUS)
5. Ilias Jacobs (BEL)
7. Nathan Lenaerts (BEL)
7. Warre Jacobs (BEL)

Men’s 60kg
1. Christopher Velazco (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
2. Nazar Viskov (UKR)
3. Anderson Dibaris Coton Vazquez (ESP)
3. Antonio Esposito (ITA)
5. Rui Anjos (POR)
7. Charlie Ayre (GBR)
7. David Silva (POR)

Also Competed: Alexander Prado (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 1-1

Jared Navarro (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Chief Pride Judo), 0-1

Men’s 66kg
1. Federico Ninfo (ITA)
2. Goncalo Lourenco (POR)
3. Henrique Maria Ferreira (POR)
3. Federico Bosis (ITA)
5. Irakli Goginashvili (GBR)
5. Kohsei Toyoshima (AUS)
7. Rodrigo Janeiro (POR)
7. Tymofii Sabadash (UKR)

Also Competed: Anthony Farnot (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 1-1

Kevin Do Carmo (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 1-1

Men’s 73kg
1. Joshua De Lange (NED)
2. Lucio Tavoletta (ITA)
3. Luke Davies (GBR)
3. Yan Felletti (ITA)
5. Lasha Tsatsalashvili (CAN)
5. Anatolii Tegipko (UKR)
7. Inaki Baztan Merchan (ESP)
7. Alexandre Laclie (FRA)

Men’s 81kg
1. Ghenadi Chyzhevskiy (MDA)
2. Francesco Sansonetti (ITA)
3. Tommaso Perfetti (ITA)
3. Aiden Cohen (Vernon Hills, Ill. / Cohen Brothers Judo)
5. Edoardo Villano (ITA)
5. Pepijn Kraak (NED)
7. Francisco Pereira (POR)
7. Alessandro Bruno D’Urbano (ITA)

Men’s 90kg
1. Nikita Yudanov (UKR)
2. Goncalvo Loureiro (POR)
3. Nuno Andre Esteves (POR)
3. Jakob Vares (EST)
5. Alfred Velut (SWE)
5. Maxence Berthelemy (FRA)
7. Manuel Monge (POR)
7. Joaquim Alves (POR)

Men’s +90kg
1. Kris Oliver Siewe Djiekam (FRA)
2. Fedir Yaroshenko (UKR)
3. Mohammed Bu Khamsin (KSA)
3. Rodrigo Garcia Rojas (ESP)
5. Juan Jose Ruiz Diaz (ESP)
5. Filippo Armano (ITA)
7. Davide Graziosi (ITA)

Women’s 40kg
1. Celia Van Beneden (BEL)
2. Beatriz Carinhas (POR)

Women’s 44kg
1. Rebecca Valeriani (ITA)
2. Marta Beorlegui Oses (ESP)
3. Matilde Goncalves (POR)
3. Valeria Toribio Montero (ESP)
5. Giusy Amalfitano (ITA)
5. Angelina McCristall (CAN)

Women’s 48kg
1. Tara Babuleath (SWE)
2. Sofia Mazzola (ITA)
3. Alessandra Rocco (ITA)
3. Camille Sternon (BEL)
5. Ilaria Finestrone (ITA)
5. Sara Caballero (FRA)
7. Alice Bersellini (ITA)
7. Elena Storione (ITA)

Women’s 52kg
1. Michela Terranova (ITA)
2. Gaia Massimetti (ITA)
3. Faustine Wallon (FRA)
3. Charlotten Jenman (GBR)
5. Emma Pillot (FRA)
5. Anna Tieliegina (UKR)
7. Yael Schipper (NED)
7. Madeleine Birri (GBR)

Also Competed: Aura Sanchez Salazar (Fredericksburg, Va. / Wall 2 Wall Martial Arts), 0-1

Women’s 57kg
1. Gaia Stella (ITA)
2. Maria Silveira (POR)
3. Chloe Link (GBR)
3. Savita Russo (ITA)
5. Bethany McCauley (IRL)
5. Aurelia Venditto (ITA)
7. Martina Capezzuto (ITA)
7. Faye Hensen (NED)

Women’s 63kg
1. Emily Jaspe (Hialeah, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Site)
2. Serena Maddaloni (ITA)
3. Mariana SImoes (POR)
3. Adriana Torres (POR)
5. Stefania Pede (ITA)
5. Alisia Tombolini (ITA)
7. Giorgia Sibilla (ITA)
7. Jenna Kuosmanen (FIN)

Women’s 70kg
1. Ingrid Nilsson (SWE)
2. Shavon Gonzalez (West Palm Beach, Fla.)
3. Julia Marczak (GBR)
3. Serena Ondei (ITA)
5. Eleonora Giusti (ITA)
5. Daphne De Bock (BEL)
7. Avalon Anskey (AUS)
7. Marielle Bouvier (BEL)

Women’s +70kg
1. Morgana De Paoli (ITA)
2. Julia Dekker (NED)
3. Oceane Baba Boura (FRA)
3. Calypso Debuire (FRA)
5. Giulia Telesca (ITA)
5. Vanessa Asja Heric (SLO)
7. June Moreno Campo (ESP)
7. Brandi Lingley (CAN)