Yang wins bronze in the World Juniors

Jonathan Yang, USA’s first World Cadet Champion (from 2024), is now also a World Junior Bronze medalist.

Yang started well, defeating Sidarth Rawat from India in his first round, winning by a kouch-gari knockdown into juji-gatame. Next, he went up against Abdulrahman Alsairari from Saudi Arabia. Yang threw him with seoi-otoshi for yuko and kosoto-gari for another yuko.

His good run came to a halt when he faced Samariddin Kuchkarov of Uzbekistan, who threw him with an unusual 2-on-1 grip morote-seoi-nage for ippon. Actually, Yang did not land on his back but since he bridged on his head, it was deemed an ippon.

His reperchage match, against teammate Christopher Velazco, was a bruising, long, drawn-out affair. During regular time, there was no score on the board and only one shido (to Velazco). Both players got a shido after more than four minutes into Golden Score. This put Velazco into dangerous territory because one mistake could cost him the match.


At close to the 11-minute mark, Yang got his second shido. Both were now even in terms of penalties. One mistake by either one and the other would win. But shortly after the 14-minute mark, Yang managed to counter Velazco with an ura-nage to score waza-ari. This earned him the right to fight for bronze.

His bronze medal match was against Zacharie Dijol of France. Their judo was somewhat similar in that both liked to do drop sode-tsurikomi-goshi. The first big attack happened midway through their match when Dijol attacked with a drop sode. Yang responded with a drop sode of his own.

After that Dijol attacked Yang with a sumi-gaeshi off the ground. Yang managed to twist out so no score. With less than 10 seconds left in regular time, Yang attempted another drop sode. Dijol responded with another sumi-gaeshi off the ground and straight into a sankaku hold-down. Waza-ari was given and osaekomi was called.

When the buzzer rang, Dijol released the sankaku instead of carrying on with the osaekomi. This proved to be a big mistake because the waza-ari was subsequently cancelled by the video referees. Had Dijol maintained the osaekomi for just five seconds, he would have won the match. Instead, the match carried on into Golden Score.

Around two minutes into Golden Score, they engage in another round of sode attacks. Yang attacked first. Dijol responded with the same. Then Yang attacked with sode again. But no score.


At the five minute mark, there was not much that separated the two. Both had two shidos each and the work rate was about the same. Neither one was being passive. After another drop sode attack by Yang, he followed up with a very low drop tai-otoshi that scored waza-ari. That gave Yang the win.

(Photos courtesy of the IJF)