Velazco and Semenenko Medal at Paks Junior European Cup

(Colorado Springs, CO) – For the second weekend in a row, multiple USA Judo junior athletes reached the podium at a Junior European Cup. At the most recent competition in Paks, Hungary, it was Christopher Velazco (Coral Springs, Fla. / New York Athletic Club / Ki-itsu-sai National Training Center) winning the silver medal in the men’s 60 kg and Alex Semenenko (Staten Island, N.Y. / New York Athletic Club) taking bronze in the men’s +100 kg.

Velazco reached the final following four straight match victories over Brazil’s Guilherme Oliveira Araujo Feitosa, Ukraine’s Serhii Kim (by ippon), Belgium’s Amsar Czhamaldinov and Slovakia’s Jozef Tomanek (by ippon). The gold-medal match against France’s Kelvin Ray went to Golden Score (sudden-death overtime) with Ray recording the decisive waza-ari (half-point) 50 seconds into the extra session.

Semenenko lost his quarterfinal match by Golden Score to Brazil’s Andrey Coelho but rebounded with two victories in the repechage over Hungary’s Abel Szekeres and by ippon over Brazil’s Breno Dias Duarte. In the final against Brazil’s Gabriel Dos Santos, Semenenko scored an ippon 3:17 into the match to claim a bronze medal.

Emily Jaspe (Hialeah, Fla./Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) also reached the medal round of the women’s 63 kg division before losing in Golden Score to Austria’s Lisa Tretnjak.

2024 Paks Junior European Cup Results

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

Men’s 60 kg
1. Kelvin Ray (FRA)
2. Chris Velazco (Coral Springs, Fla. / New York Athletic Club / Ki-itsu-sai National Training Center)
3. Davit Kevlishvili (GEO)
3. Jozef Tomanek (SVK)
5. Marko Jorgic (SRB)
5. Alexander Jelic (ITA)
7. Amsar Dzhamaldinov (BEL)
7. Francesco Sampino (ITA)
Also Competed: Jonathan Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / L.A. Judo Club), 0-1

Men’s 66 kg
1. Aron Gabor (HUN)
2. Stevan Maitin (SUI)
3. Federico Ninfo (ITA)
3. Adam Major (HUN)
5. Ronald Lima (BRA)
5. Kylian Noel (FRA)
7. Toma Gelashvili (GEO)
7. Sebestyen Kollar (HUN)
Also Competed: Jacob Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / L.A. Judo Club), 1-1; Bilegt Erdenetsogt (Albany, Calif.), 0-1

Men’s 73 kg
1. Fabrizio Esposito (ITA)
2. Guilherme De Oliveira (BRA)
3. Peter Jean (FRA)
3. Irakli Goginashvili (GBR)
5. Federico Bosis (ITA)
5. Saba Samadashvili (GEO)
7. Daan Pot (NED)
7. Mouhammad Gazaloev (BEL)
Also Competed: Anthony Farnot (Ki-itsu-sai National Training Center), 1-1; Steve Boldbaatar (Bellevue, Wash. / Washington Judo Academy), 0-1

Men’s 81 kg
1. Boris Rutovic (SRB)
2. Felipe Silva (BRA)
3. Aleksandre Loladze (GEO)
3. Dawid Szulik (POL)
5. Noah Christiaens (BEL)
5. Enzo Trombini (BRA)
7. Luan Almeida (BRA)
7. Antonio Madeiros Neto (BRA)
Also Competed: Dominic Rodriguez (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center / New York Athletic Club), 2-2

Men’s 90 kg
1. Luka Karelishvili (GEO)
2. Marko Jovanovic (SRB)
3. Jesse Barbosa (BRA)
3. Ilman Nesirkoyev (BEL)
5. Ivan Chernyshenko (FRA)
5. Archil Mamulashvili (GEO)
7. Levente Kiss (HUN)
7. Luka Turazashvili (GEO)

Men’s 100 kg
1. Milan Bulaja (SRB)
2. Andre Kramer (BRA)
3. Matheus Guimaraes (BRA)
3. Maxence Bordin (FRA)
5. Fares Mekhoukh (FRA)
5. Mate Lakos (HUN)
7. Pedro Henrique Alvarenga (BRA)
7. Alexios Sperlidis (GRE)
Also Competed: Daniel Liubimovski (Staten Island, N.Y. / Colton Brown Training Center), 0-1

Men’s +100 kg
1. Shotiko Gochiashvili (GEO)
2. Matheo Akiana Mongo (FRA)
3. Alex Semenenko (Staten Island, N.Y. / New York Athletic Club)
3. Andrey Coelho (BRA)
5. Gabriel Dos Santos (BRA)
5. Levente Dobos (HUN)
7. Breno Dias Duarte (BRA)
7. Mateja Borojevic (SRB0

Women’s 48 kg
1. Morgane Annis (FRA)
2. Laura Bogdan (ROU)
3. Anna Iovino (ITA)
3. Elena Guarducci (ITA)
5. Victoria Sibille (BEL)
5. Tamara Harsvolgyi (HUN)
7. Eylul Budak (TUR)
7. Mariana Nunes (BRA)

Women’s 52 kg
1. Alyssia Poulange (FRA)
2. Nikolina Nisavic (SRB)
3. Pauline Cuq (FRA)
3. Nicole Marques (BRA)
5. Luca Mamira (HUN)
5. Alessandra Rocco (ITA)
7. Mina Gacic (SRB)
7. Luciana Catana (ROU)

Women’s 57 kg
1. Bianca Reis (BRA)
2. Beatriz Comanche (BRA)
3. Gaia Massimetti (ITA)
3. Kristina Nisavic (SRB)
5. Alya De Carvalho (FRA)
5. Mirja Pollheimer (SUI)
7. Maylis Rozan (FRA)
7. Luca Veg (HUN)

Women’s 63 kg
1. Melkia Auchecorne (FRA)
2. Eduarda Bastos (BRA)
3. Franziska Schloegl (AUT)
3. Lisa Tretnjak (AUT)
5. Loriane Bruhl (FRA)
5. Emily Jaspe (Hialeah, Fla./Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
7. Lenka Tomankova (SVK)
7. Svenja Halbheer (SUI)

Women’s 70 kg
1. Alisa Videneieva (UKR)
2. April Lynn Fohouo (SUI)
3. Teophila Darbes-Takam (FRA)
3. Ilona Depri (FRA)
5. Magda Glubiak (POL)
5. Aqulina Chayeb (LBN)
7. Serena Ondei (ITA0
7. Holly Devall (GBR)

Women’s 78 kg
1. Lila Mazzarino (FRA)
2. Jovana Stjepanovic (SRB)
3. Lorena Perkovic (CRO)
3. Dandara Camilo (BRA)
5. Ema Kolmanko (SLO)
5. Lana Lubura (SRB0
7. Nikolett Sagi (HUN)
7. Cinzia Caponetto (ITA)

Women’s +78 kg
1. Celia Cancan (FRA)
2. Gabrielle Bouvier (BEL)
3. Olivia Oliveira (BRA)
3. Enya Pires (BRA)
5. Evellyn Vitoria Das Chagas Pereira (BRA)
5. Daria Tudorache (ROU)