Yukon judokas from clubs across the territory faced off on the martial arts mat at the Canada Games Centre in Whitehorse during the Yukon Championships on May 3.
Judo Yukon confirmed that 54 judokas from Whitehorse, Marsh Lake, Faro, Carcross and Alaska competed in the single-elimination tournament. Athletes from across the Yukon were matched based on weight class and skill level indicated by their belt colours.
Fighters shook hands, bowed and scrambled to grab hold of their competitors, attempting to throw their opponents to the ground and secure submission holds. The tournament featured athletes from various age groups, including U8s, U10s, U14s, U16s, U18s and adult competitors.
“Carcross has got a fairly well established club, so they're here. Faro has got a club that we've been working on for the last three years, I think they got three or four, maybe five kids competing. The Carcross club does have some of the older teenagers that'll be competing,” said Judo Yukon’s head coach, Aaron Jensen.
Sophie Ristau from the Hiroshikai Judo Club in Carcross earned first place in the U8 category. In the U10-26kg category, Joshua Dory from Whitehorse secured gold. Kennedy Talsma from Whitehorse claimed first place in the U10-30kg category, while Ethan Wilcox won gold in the U10-35kg category. Ava Mackeigan from the Hiroshikai Judo Club in Carcross won first place in the U10-46kg category.
In the U12 categories, Ava Wilcox from Whitehorse took first place in the U12-45kg category. Ryan Lariviere, also from Whitehorse, emerged victorious in the U12-38kg category. William Callahan from Marsh Lake Judo Club earned first place in the U14-45kg category, and Aaron Kleinhenz from Capital City Judo in Juneau, Alaska, won the U14-48kg category.
Thompson Yeomans from the Golden Horn Judo Club in Whitehorse secured first place in the U16-70kg category. Whitehorse judoka Huxley Briggs triumphed in the U18-73kg category, while Bernard Briggs won the SM-81kg category. Jacob Melanson from the Northern Lights Judo Club in Whitehorse claimed first place in the SM+100kg category.
Judo Yukon will be sending five athletes to compete at the 2025 Open National Championships in Calgary between May 13-18, Jensen told the News.
“Yeah, it's a different level altogether from this. So there are going to be some of the people here that are going to compete later and will be on that team that are going,” Jensen said.
At the 2024 Open National Championships in Montreal, Yukon judokas competed against the country’s top athletes, Jensen said. Jaymi Hinchey secured a podium finish during the 2024 National Championships, gaining valuable experience for future high-level tournaments.
Yukon judokas competed in several tournaments throughout the season, including the Steveston Judo Tournament and the Peak Judo competition at Simon Fraser University in B.C. Yukon judokas then travelled to Manitoba and Saskatchewan for provincial opens before competing at the Edmonton International, and the Pacific International in Abbotsford, Jensen told the News.
Between tournaments, Jensen said athletes attended training camps in Alberta and B.C. to refine techniques and gain experience. Jensen added that last year's season culminated at the 2024 Canadian Nationals in Montreal last May, where Yukon judokas faced highly-skilled opponents, capping off months of competition and preparation for the current season.
"We have a Regional Training Centre, which is my facility. So every weekend we have a competitive competition development two hour class that's open to any any yellow belt or higher, from any club to come to we also provide a grading two hours a week on Sundays, for anybody that's working on their belt levels, that they can come and work with a different coach," Jensen said.
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com
