Ten Hatashita Sports athletes will represent Team USA at the 2026 World Judo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. Individual competition runs October 4–10, with the mixed team event on October 11.
From returning Olympians to athletes making their Senior Worlds debut, here’s who to watch each day.
Day One | October 4 | -48 kg and -60 kg
Maria Laborde is the most experienced athlete on the U.S. team. She won bronze at the 2014 World Championships while representing Cuba and now heads to Baku ranked No. 7 in the world for Team USA. Her 2026 results include bronze at the Tashkent Grand Slam and silver at the Lima Grand Prix.
Jonathan Yang, 19, is the youngest of Hatashita’s athletes on the team. A 2024 Cadet World Champion and 2025 Junior Worlds bronze medalist, he is ranked No. 1 among juniors and No. 16 in the senior -60 kg division. He earned his first Grand Prix medal with silver in Lima this August.
Christopher Velazco joins Yang at -60 kg. The 21-year-old claimed his first Grand Prix medal with bronze in Lima and also reached the podium at the Sofia European Open earlier this year.
Day Two | October 5 | -52 kg
Toni Pepia will make her Senior World Championships debut in Baku. The 27-year-old has earned medals at African Opens in Tunisia and Morocco this season and now takes on the biggest event on the judo calendar.
Day Three | October 6 | -57 kg and -73 kg
Mariah Holguin brings extensive Worlds experience to the team. After dealing with injuries, she returned to competition this year and placed fifth at the Senior Pan American Championships. Baku marks another opportunity for her to test herself against the best in the division.
Jack Yonezuka arrives ranked No. 6 in the world. His season includes silver medals at the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam, Senior Pan American Championships and Lima Grand Prix, plus bronze at the Upper Austria Grand Prix in Linz. He heads into his fifth consecutive Senior Worlds with a strong run of results behind him.
Day Four | October 7 | -63 kg and -81 kg
Emily Jaspe will compete at her first Senior World Championships while still eligible as a junior. The reigning U.S. senior national champion has built momentum with bronze medals at the San Salvador and Santo Domingo Pan American Opens this September.
Johan Silot returns for his second Senior Worlds. He won silver at the Lima Grand Prix in 2025 and followed it with bronze at the same event this August. He also took bronze at the Senior Pan American Championships earlier this year.
Dominic Rodriguez is the reigning Senior Pan American Champion at -81 kg. His 2026 season also includes gold at the Lima Pan American Open and two European Open medals. Baku will be his fourth Senior World Championships.
Day Seven | October 10 | +100 kg
Alex Semenenko closes out individual competition for Hatashita Sports in his Senior Worlds debut. He earned silver at the Senior Pan American Championships, won the Lima Pan American Open and took bronze at the Santiago Pan American Open. He also placed seventh at the Lima Grand Prix in August.
Hatashita Sports and FUJI Sports are proud to support these athletes as they represent Team USA. We provide IJF-approved judogi and gear built for competition at this level, and we’re proud to stand behind the work each athlete has put in to reach Baku.
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