2024 Junior World Championship Team Named

(Colorado Springs, CO) – USA Judo has named its squad for the upcoming Junior World Championships to be held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, October 2-5. The U.S. team of 16 athletes under the age of 21 will compete against more than 430 athletes from 61 nations during the four-day individual competition.

Team USA features six returning members from the 2023 Junior World Team as well as two athletes who fought at the Cadet Worlds in August, including gold medalist Jonathan Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / LA Judo Club / USA Judo National Resident Team) who became the first-ever U.S. Cadet World Champion.

The U.S. squad also boasts six athletes ranked among the top 20 in the world:

• Emily Jaspe (Hialeah, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), World No. 2 at 63 kg and 2023 Cadet Worlds fifth-place finisher
• Christopher Velazco (Coral Springs, Fla. / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), World No. 3 at 60 kg and two-time USA Judo Senior National Champion
• Dominic Rodriguez (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / NYAC / Ki Itsu Sai National Training Center), World No. 4 at 81 kg and 2023 USA Judo Senior National Champion
• Oleksandr Nyzhnyk (Los Gatos, Calif. / Nakano Judo Academy / USA Judo National Resident Team), World No. 15 at 90 kg and 2023 USA Judo Senior Nationals bronze medalist
• Daniel Liubimovski (Staten Island, N.Y. / Colton Brown Training Center), World No. 15 at 100 kg and 2023 USA Judo Senior National Champion
• Nancy Nguyen (San Jose, Calif. / San Jose State University Judo), World No. 18 at 70 kg and 2023 USA Judo Senior Nationals bronze medalist

Complete USA Junior World Roster:

Women’s 48 kg
Kelani Ramos (Bethesda, Md. / Precision Grappling)

Women’s 52 kg
Elianna Abbott (Rayne, La. / Louisiana Judo)

Women’s 57 kg
Jasmine Macias (La Puente, Calif. / Guerreros Judo Club)

Women’s 63 kg
Karlee Carrouth (Oklahoma City, Okla. / NYAC / USA Stars Foundation)
Emily Jaspe (Hialeah, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)

Women’s 70 kg
Nancy Nguyen (San Jose, Calif. / San Jose State University Judo)
Chloe Williams (Stafford, Va. / Wall 2 Wall Martial Arts)

Men’s 60 kg
Christopher Velazco (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
Jonathan Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / LA Judo Club / USA Judo National Resident Team)

Men’s 66 kg
Jacob Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / LA Judo Club / USA Judo National Resident Team)

Men’s 73 kg
Steven Boldbaatar (Bellevue, Wash. / Washington Judo Academy)

Men’s 81 kg
Dominic Rodriguez (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)

Men’s 90 kg
Oleksandr Nyzhnyk (Los Gatos, Calif. / Nakano Judo Academy / USA Judo National Resident Team)

Men’s 100 kg
Daniel Liubimovski (Staten Island, N.Y. / Colton Brown Training Center)

Men’s +100 kg
Armen Akojyan (Glendale, Calif. / Glendale Judo Academy)
Alex Semenenko (Staten Island, N.Y. / NYAC / Generation Judo Club)

Competition schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, Oct. 2
Men’s 60 kg and 66 kg
Women’s 48 kg and 52 kg

Thursday, Oct. 3
Men’s 73 kg
Women’s 57 kg and 63 kg

Friday, Oct. 4
Men’s 81 kg and 90 kg
Women’s 70 kg

Saturday, Oct. 5
Men’s 100 kg and +100 kg
Women’s 78 kg and +78 kg