From October 5th to 7th, Team USA brought incredible energy and determination to the Junior World Championships in Lima, Peru. We couldn’t be prouder of all our Hatashita and FUJI-sponsored athletes and the entire Team USA for their dedication in the lead-up to the Worlds — and for the way they represented our nation on the world stage.
Jonathan Yang Captures Junior World Bronze!
2024 Cadet World Champion Jonathan Yang delivered a phenomenal performance in Lima, bouncing back from a tough fifth-place finish last year in Dushanbe to capture a Junior World Bronze Medal in the -60 kg category.
Yang opened the day with confident wins over India and Saudi Arabia before falling to Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals. In the repechage, he faced none other than his American teammate and World No. 1, Christopher Velazco, who had earlier lost a tight match to Japan.
What followed was one of the most thrilling matches of the entire competition — a 10-minute-and-9-second golden-score battle filled with heart, grit, and mutual respect. It was truly the fight of the tournament.
Yang eventually scored a wazari to take the win and advanced to the bronze-medal match, where he faced France. After yet another marathon fight that went more than five minutes into golden score, Yang executed a beautiful tai-otoshi for wazari, securing a well-deserved Junior World Bronze Medal.
Christopher Velazco Takes 7th in a Stacked -60 kg Field
Despite a tough draw, Christopher Velazco showed why he’s the current World No. 1, fighting with consistency and heart throughout the day. After his quarterfinal loss to Japan and an unforgettable repechage battle against teammate Yang, Velazco finished 7th overall in one of the deepest divisions of the tournament, a result that speaks to his world-class skill and determination.
Daniel Liubimovski Impresses in the -100 kg Category
In the -100 kg division, Daniel Liubimovski also turned heads with a strong performance, finishing 7th place. He opened with a victory over Belarus and battled hard in both his quarterfinal and repechage matches, showing that he’s one to watch in the years ahead.
Former World Champion and FUJI Sports’ CEO, Jimmy Pedro summed it up best:
“I couldn’t be prouder of EVERYBODY. The entire team fought great as a TEAM! It was nice to see our next generation come together after spending all summer training together in preparation for this event and compete as a TEAM!”
Pedro added,
“Congrats to every single one of you! You have proven that we can compete — and beat — the rest of the world!”
Team USA’s performance in Lima was a powerful reminder that the future of American judo is bright. Congratulations to all our athletes, coaches, and staff, LA 2028 here we come.
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