Jack Yonezuka Finishes Seventh at Tokyo Grand Slam

(Colorado Springs, CO) – Jack Yonezuka (West Long Branch, N.J. / NYAC / Cranford JKC) earned the top finish of the weekend for Team USA at the Tokyo Grand Slam where he placed seventh in the 73 kg division on Saturday as the 2024 IJF season came to a close. A total of 274 competitors from 44 countries and five continents competed in the two-day event.

2024 Tokyo Grand Slam Results

Yonezuka, a two-time Junior World medalist pinned Shintaro Uno (CAM) in the round of 32 and then scored a waza-ari (half-point) in Golden Score (sudden-death overtime) to defeat Bakhitzhan Abdurakhmanov (KAZ) in the round of 16.

In the next round, Yonezuka fought Shusuke Uchimura (JPN) and was thrown for ippon (instant win). Uchimura went on to win a bronze medal in his first IJF Grand Slam.

Yonezuka drew four-time Grand Slam medalist Danil Lavrentev (IJF) in the repechage but lost in Golden Score when he was called for his third and disqualifying shido (penalty). Lavrentev advanced to win his fifth Grand Slam medal, a bronze.

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

Men’s 60 kg

1. Taiki Nakamura (JPN)

2. Ryuju Nagayama (JPN)

3. Ayub Bliev (IJF)

3. Kenta Sekimoto (JPN)

5. Michel Augusto (BRA)

5. Yolk Kazirbyek (MGL)

7. Chong-You Lin (TPE)

7. Iznaur Saaev (IJF)

Also Competed: Jonathan Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / USA Judo National Resident Team / L.A. Judo Club), 0-1; Kyle Tran (Glenville, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center), 0-1

Women’s 48 kg

1. Wakana Koga (JPN)

2. Mitsuki Kondo (JPN)

3. Kano Miyaki (JPN)

3. Hikari Yoshioka (JPN)

5. Anudari Jamsran (MGL)

5. Catarina Cost (POR)

7. Marina Vorobeva (IJF)

7. Anais Perrot (FRA)

Also Competed: Maria Laborde (Kenosha, Wis. / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 0-1

Men’s 66 kg

1. Takeshi Takeoka (JPN)

2. Taikoh Fujisaka (JPN)

3. Obid Dzhebov (TJK)

3. Ryoma Tanaka (JPN)

5. Hinata Ono (JPN)

5. Baskhuu Yondonperenlei (MGL)

7. Iago Abuladze (IJF)

7. Ronald Lima (BRA)

Also Competed: Jay Shimizu (Los Angeles, Calif.), 0-1; Jacob Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / USA Judo National Resident Team / L.A. Judo Club), 0-1

Women’s 52 kg

1. Kisumi Omori (JPN)

2. Kokoro Fujishiro (JPN)

3. Khorloodoi Bishrelt (UAE)

3. Nanako Tsubone (JPN)

5. Rin Takeuchi (JPN)

5. Sosorbaram Lkhagvasuren (MGL)

7. Seyun Jang (KOR)

Men’s 73 kg

1. Ryuga Tanaka (JPN)

2. Tatsuki Ishihara (JPN)

3. Danil Lavrentev (IJF)

3. Shusuke Uchimura (JPN)

5. Abubakr Sherov (TJK)

5. Soichi Hashimoto (JPN)

7. Jack Yonezuka (West Long Branch, NJ / NYAC / Cranford JKC)

7. Karen Galstian (IJF)

Also Competed: Cole Chandler (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri Judo), 0-1

Women’s 57 kg

1. Mika Adachi (JPN)

2. Megumi Fuchida (JPN)

3. Ariunzaya Terbish (MGL)

3. Martha Fawaz (FRA)

5. Momo Tamaoki (JPN)

5. Bianca Reis (BRA)

7. Jessica Lima (BRA)

7. Ana Viktorija Puljiz (CRO)

Men’s 81 kg

1. Sotaro Fujiwara (JPN)

2. Timur Arbuzov (IJF)

3. Francois Gauthier Drapeau (CAN)

3. Yuhei Oino (JPN)

5. David Karapetyan (IJF)

5. Giacomo Gamba (ITA)

7. Yoshito Hojo (JPN)

7. Eetu Ihanamaki (FIN)

Also Competed: Dominic Rodriguez (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 1-1; Davit Aghasaryan (Sunland, Calif. / USA Judo National Resident Team), 1-1

Women’s 63 kg

1. Haruka Kaju (JPN)

2. Megu Danno (JPN)

3. Renata Zachova (CZE)

3. Minami Aono (JPN)

5. Flavia Favorini (ITA)

5. Megumi Horikawa (JPN)

7. Dali Liluashvili (IJF)

7. Jing Tang (CHN)

Men’s 90 kg

1. Sanshiro Murao (JPN)

2. Luka Maisuradze (GEO)

3. Komei Kawabata (JPN)

3. Goki Tajima (JPN)

5. Meiirlan Maxim (KAZ)

5. Klen Kristofer Kaljulaid (EST)

7. Alex Barto (SVK)

7. Rafael Macedo (BRA)

Also Competed: Bryan Davis (Monterey Park, Calif. / Los Angeles Tenri Judo Dojo), 1-1; Oleksandr Nyzhnyk (Los Gatos, Calif. / USA Judo National Resident Team), 1-1

Women’s 70 kg

1. Mayu Honda (JPN)

2. Utana Terada (JPN)

3. Lara Cvjetko (CRO)

3. Rin Maeda (JPN)

5. Giorgia Stangherlin (ITA)

5. Ida Eriksson (SWE)

7. Katarzyna Sobierajska (POL)

7. Aleksandra Kowalewska (POL)

Also Competed: Isabella Garriga (Richmond, Texas / USA Judo National Resident Team / Westlake Judo Team), 0-1; Melissa Myers (Burnt Hills, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center), 0-1

Men’s 100 kg

1. Matvey Kanikovskiy (IJF)

2. Genarro Pirelli (ITA)

3. Dota Arai (JPN)

3. Kyle Reyes (CAN)

5. Leonardo Goncalves (BRA)

5. Koki Kumasaka (JPN)

7. Shady Elnahas (CAN)

7. Enkhbayar Altanshagai (MGL)

Also Competed: Tokuzo Takahashi (Los Angeles, Calif. / Los Angeles Tenri Judo Dojo), 0-1; Jared Causse (Westminster, Calif. / USA Judo National Resident Team / Los Angeles Tenri Judo Dojo), 0-1

Women’s 78 kg

1. Kurena Ikeda (JPN)

2. Minju Kim (KOR)

3. Patricia Sampaio (POR)

3. Mami Umeki (JPN)

5. Shori Hamada (JPN)

5. Mizuki Sugimura (JPN)

7. Migle Julija Dudenaite (LTU)

7. Dandara Camilo (BRA)

Men +100 kg

1. Kanta Nakano (JPN)

2. Hyoga Ota (JPN)

3. Yuta Nakamura (JPN)

3. Denis Batchaev (IJF)

5. Seungyeob Lee (KOR)

5. Woohyeok Song (KOR)

7. Patryk Broniec (POL)

7. Martti Puumalainen (FIN)

Also Competed: Philip Horiuchi (West Covina, Calif. / Los Angeles Tenri Judo Dojo), 0-1

Women’s +78 kg

1. Mao Arai (JPN)

2. Elis Startseva (IJF)

3. Ruri Takahashi (JPN)

3. Chihiro Yamaguchi (JPN)

5. Jinesinuer Ayiman (CHN)

5. Hayun Kim (KOR)

7. Xinran Niu (CHN)

7. Maya Segawa (JPN)