Jonathan Yang Makes History at Cadet Worlds

(Colorado Springs, CO) – USA Judo history was made Thursday in Lima, Peru, as Jonathan Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Center Team / L.A. Judo Club) became the first American judoka to capture a Cadet World Championship. Yang won the gold medal in the men’s 60kg division on the second day of the 9^th Cadet World Championships.

2024 Cadet World Championships Live Stream and Results

After moving through the round of 32 due to a disqualification of his opponent, Yang faced four-time European Cup medalist Luka Datashvili of Georgia in the round of 16. After the Georgian scored a waza-ari (half-point) with 1:43 to go, Yang responded by throwing Datashvili for an ippon (instant win) with 40 seconds remaining to take the victory and move on to the quarterfinal round.

Up against 2024 Lima Cadet Panamerican Cup champion Anthony Portilla of Colombia in the quarterfinals, Yang forced the Colombian into three penalties to earn a berth in the semi-final round. There Yang faced European Cadet Championships silver medalist Jakub Kurowski of Poland. With the match going deep into Golden Score (sudden death overtime) and both judokas reaching the point of exhaustion, Yang was able to throw the top-seeded Kurowski for an ippon and become the first American to reach a Cadet World Championship final.

In the final against Japan’s Fuku Yamamoto, Yang and Yamamoto fought into the final minute of the contest before Yang scored a waza-ari with 44 seconds remaining and then held on for the historic victory.

“I cannot tell you how proud I am,” said U.S. Coach Jhonny Prado. “Jonathan finished seventh at last Cadet Worlds and this year winning it all is showing that without the help we get from USA Judo and the USOPC (United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee), I don’t think we could have gotten this far. It’s the coaches and clubs all coming together and the mentality we now have traveling as a team, as well as the investment we have made over the past three years in getting our cadets exposed to more international competition. It is paying off.”

Competing in his second Cadet World Championships, Alexander Prado (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) was thrown for an ippon in his opening match of the men’s 66kg division by Georgia’s Vasil Gamezardashvili. Also competing in the men’s 66kg class was 15-year-old Daniel Gonzalez (Schaumburg, Ill. / European Judo Academy). In his first Cadet World Championships, Gonzalez lost by ippon in the round of 32 to India’s Wangthoi Meitei Mayanglambam.

Also making her Cadet World Championship debut in Lima was 16-year-old Zoe Dempsey (New Lenox, Ill. / Cohen Brothers Judo Club) in the women’s 48kg division. Facing European Championships bronze medalist Anastasiia Levchencko from Ukraine, Dempsey lost by ippon in the round of 32. Another first-time Cadet World Championship participant, 15-year-old Aubrey Genereux (Port St. Lucie, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), was thrown for ippon by Kazakhstan’s Fatima Supygaliyeva in her opening round of 32 match in the women’s 52kg competition.

Competition continues on Friday with six more Americans in action: Lily Oh (Ashburn, Va. / Sport Judo) in the women’s 57kg; Jayda Fulp (Fort Worth, Texas / Chandler Judo Academy) and Sika Hounfodji (Houston, Texas / Westlake Judo Club) in the women’s 63kg; Anthony Farnot (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) and Heinrich Hanada (Bethesda, Md. / Sport Judo) in the men’s 73kg; and Daniel Shulgin (Philadelphia, Pa. / Yawara Force) in the men’s 81kg.

Top eight and U.S. results from Day 2 are as follows:

Women’s 48 kg
1. Clarice Ribeiro (BRA)
2. Anudari Jamsran (MGL)
3. Nycolly Carneiro (BRA)
3. Barbara Twarowska (POL)
5. Charlotte Nettesheim (GER)
5. Maria Camila Bermudez (COL)
7. Gabriela Herta (MDA)
7. Sofia Zakharova (IJF)
Also Competed: Zoe Dempsey (New Lenox, Ill. / Cohen Brothers Judo Club), 0-1

Women’s 52 kg
1. Iroha Ol (JPN)
2. Rafaela Rodrigues (BRA)
3. Elise Rustige (NED)
3. Nicole Marques (BRA)
5. Janka Juttner (HUN)
5. Valeriia Kozlova (IJF)
7. Alice Bersellini (ITA)
7. Fatima Supygaliyeva (KAZ)
Also Competed: Aubrey Genereux (Port St. Lucie, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 0-1

Men’s 60 kg
1. Jonathan Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Center Team / L.A. Judo Club)
2. Fuku Yamamoto (JPN)
3. Slava Arkhipov (IJF)
3. Jakub Kurowski (POL)
5. Bence Galo (HUN)
5. Merabi Samadashvili (GEO)
7. Anthony Portilla (COL)
7. Veljko Varnicic (SRB)

Men’s 66 kg
1. Giorgi Givishvili (GEO)
2. Abdullakh Parchiev (IJF)
3. Inoyat Telmanov (UZB)
3. Boris Jankovic (SRB)
5. Baptiste De Araujo (FRA)
5. Vasil Gamezardashvili (GEO)
7. Alexander Marlov (SWE)
7. Reiver Alvarenga Soto (ARG)
Also Competed: Daniel Gonzalez (Schaumburg, Ill. / European Judo Academy), 0-1; Alexander Prado (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 0-1