Junior Competition Opportunity: Flanders Cup in Belgium, October 31-November 1

The Flanders Cup will be held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 in Lommel, Belgium.  This junior tournament includes weight divisions for athletes born between 1990 and 1995 with competition held in age groups for athletes under-20, under-17 and under-15.

Teams from Israel, Poland, Greece, Cyprus, Latvia, Mexico, France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Luxemburg and Belgium are expected to compete.

Athletes interested in competing must contact Alyssa Johnson at JohnsonA@usajudo.us by Oct. 13.

Pan American U13 and U15 Championship Team Slots Available  

The Pan American U13 and U15 Championships for athletes born in 1995-1996 and 1997-1998 have been moved to Livramente, Brazil from Nov. 4-9.   The U.S. Team will need to depart on Nov. 4 to fly to Montevideo, Uruguay and return on Nov. 9. Bus transportation will be provided from Montevideo to the host city and then back to Montevideo for departure.  

The following Team berths have not been filled and if an athlete is currently listed on the age appropriate USA Judo rosters, that athlete may now submit his or her name for consideration for the Team spot. All such requests must be received no later than October 5, 2009. In all cases, the person who is the most highly ranked person who applies from the age-appropriate roster will be designated the Team member.  

Available Team Berths:  

Intermediate 2 Girls (Born 1997-1998)
42kg
+53kg  

Intermediate 2 Boys (Born 1997-1998
38kg
48kg
53kg   

Juvenile A Girls (Born 1995-1996)
40kg
44kg
48kg
53kg 
64kg   

Juvenile A Boys (1995-1996)
36kg
44kg
48kg
53kg
+64kg  

All travelers will be responsible for their own airfare and ticketing. We expect that accommodations will be provided at no cost to the athletes.   To submit your request to be considered for the Team spot you MUST submit an email to judolym@aol.com and Chata29@aol.com before 6:00pm EDT on October 5, 2009.  

The selection among the athletes who apply will be the most highly ranked person who applies based on the rosters that were produced immediately after the 2009 Jr US Open. We encourage ALL interested, rostered athletes to apply.

2009 Jita Kyoei Cup and International Regatas Lima Cup
October 8-11, 2009
Lima, Peru

The Jita Kyoei Cup will be held Oct. 8-11 in Lima, Peru.  Junior divisions will be contested for athletes born between 1990 and 2003.  A senior division also will be contested for athletes born in 1989 or earlier.

Athletes competing in the Junior (IJF-Junior, Born 1990 or later), Juvenile (Juvenile B, Born 1993-1994), Infantile B (Juvenile A, Born 1995-1996) and Infantile A (Intermediate 2, Born 1997-1998) divisions will be eligible for points on the respective USA Judo Junior Elite National Rosters.  This is a point tournament for the aforementioned divisions only in the Junior Tournament Not Listed category with five points awarded for a gold medal, three for a silver and two for a bronze. 

Competition for athletes born between 1995-2003 will be held during the International Regatas Lima Cup on Oct. 9.  Competition for athletes born between 1990-1994 will be held during the Jita Kyoei Cup on Oct. 10. 

A kata competition for the nage no kata also will be held on Oct. 9.  Kata athlete must be at least 15-years-old and ranked as a blue belt or higher.

Athletes interested in participating in the event must register with Alyssa Johnson, USA Judo International Travel Coordinator, at JohnsonA@usajudo.us by Sept. 18.  For more information, click here. 

A complete list of age and weight divisions is as follows:

Pre-Infantile 0 (Born 2003-2004)
Male and Female: 19kg, 22kg, 25kg

Pre-Infantile A (Born 2001-2002)
Male and Female: 19kg, 22kg, 25kg, 28kg, 31kg, 34kg and +34kg

Pre-Infantile B (Born 1999-2000)
Male and Female: 22kg, 25kg, 28kg, 31kg, 34kg, 37kg and +37kg

Infantile A (Born 1997-1998)
Male and Female: 28kg, 31kg, 34kg, 38kg, 42kg, 48kg, 53kg and +53kg

Infantile B (Born 1995-1996)
Male and Female: 36kg, 40kg, 44kg, 48kg, 53kg, 58kg, 64kg and +64kg

Juvenile (Born 1993-1994)
Male: 51kg, 55kg, 60kg, 66kg, 73kg, 81kg, 90kg and +90kg
Female: 40kg, 44kg, 48kg, 52kg, 57kg, 63kg, 70kg and +70kg

Junior (Born 1990 or Later)
Male: 55kg, 60kg, 66kg, 73kg, 81kg, 90kg, 100kg, +100kg and Open
Female: 44kg, 48kg, 52kg, 57kg, 63kg, 70kg, 78kg, +78kg and Open

Senior (Born 1989 or Earlier)
Male: 55kg, 60kg, 66kg, 73kg, 81kg, 90kg, 100kg, +100kg and Open
Female: 44kg, 48kg, 52kg, 57kg, 63kg, 70kg, 78kg, +78kg and Open

Selection Criteria for the
USA Judo Team to the
2009 International Judo Federation Junior World Judo Championships

USA Judo will conduct Trials to select the USA Judo Team to the 2009 Junior World Judo Championships which will be held Oct. 22-25 in Athens, Greece. 

The Trials competition will be held at the conclusion of the 2009 USA Judo National Junior Olympic Championships on July 25 in Orlando, Fla.  

The 2009 USA Judo National Junior Olympic Championships (referred to herein as the "Junior Olympics") shall serve as the selection event for the USA Judo Team to the 2009 Junior World Championships.  The IJF-Junior division of the Junior Olympics will be held in Orlando on July 25, 2009.

Team USA will include athletes from the following divisions for the Junior World Championships: Women's 44kg, 48kg, 52kg, 57kg, 63kg, 70kg, 78kg and +78kg and Men's 55kg, 60kg, 66kg, 73kg, 81kg, 90kg, 100kg and +100kg divisions.  Athletes must be born in 1990 or later to be eligible to compete in the Junior World Championships.

Athletes attending the Junior Olympics shall be seeded according to the established USA Judo seeding protocols.  If the #1 seed wins the Junior Olympics he/she shall be the athlete selected in each category of competition.  If the #1 seed does not win Junior Olympics, then that athlete and the winner of the Junior Olympics shall then engage in a fight-off match.  The winner of that fight-off shall be the athlete selected for that category of competition. 

In divisions where fight-offs are needed, these matches will take place immediately following the completion of all of the Junior Olympic gold medal matches.

The athlete who wins the Trials will be named to the Junior World Championship Team.

All athletes have a maximum of 48 hours from the naming of the Junior World Team to accept or decline their position.

For the divisions in which a fight-off match is held, if the athlete named to the team declines the slot, the nomination will go to the loser of the fight-off Trials.

If the athlete selected, according to the above criteria, declines for any reason, the person who is then ranked highest on the USA Judo IJF-Junior Elite National Roster, reflecting the results of the 2009 Junior Olympics, who participated in the 2009 Junior Olympics, will be the athlete selected.  Subsequent declines will result in a progressive movement down the roster, according to the same criteria.

An athlete who is to be nominated to the Junior World Team may be removed from the nominations for any of the following reasons, as determined by the Athlete Performance Committee:

* Voluntary withdrawal.  Athlete must submit a written letter to Eddie Liddie, Director of Coaching and Athlete Performance.

* Injury or illness as certified by a USA Judo approved physician (or medical staff).  If an athlete refuses verification of their illness or injury by a USA Judo approved care giver, their injury will be assumed to be disabling and they may be removed.

* Violation of the USA Judo Code of Conduct. 

In order to compete in the 2009 Junior Olympic Championships and / or qualify for the Junior World Championships Team, an athlete must be eligible to represent the United States in Junior World Championship competition.

 

2009 Pan American U13 and U15 Championships Selection Criteria

The 2009 Pan American U13 and U15 Championships will be held Nov. 4-9 in Livramente, Brazil. 

This self-funded event is a closed tournament and only ONE entry per country per division is allowed.

The age divisions are for the 2009 event are:

Year of Birth 1995-1996

Year of Birth 1997-1998

The order of eligibility for the United States delegation is:

Year of Birth 1995-1996

The slot will be offered to the highest ranked athlete on the USA Judo Juvenile A Roster published following the close of the 2009 Junior U.S. Open Championships.  If an athlete declines to participate, the slot will be offered to the #2-ranked athlete in that division.  Subsequent declines will result in a progressive movement down the roster, according to the same criteria.

Year of Birth 1997-1998

The slot will be offered to the highest ranked athlete on the USA Judo Intermediate 2 Roster published following the close of the 2009 Junior U.S. Open Championships.  If an athlete declines to participate, the slot will be offered to the #2-ranked athlete in that division.  Subsequent declines will result in a progressive movement down the roster, according to the same criteria.

Each athlete considered MUST be a United States citizen AND a current USA Judo member.

NOTE: Athletes may compete ONLY in their actual age category. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE.