Club Judo Sant Jordi Wins Gold at Santander Spanish Cup

El Club Judo Sant Jordi traveled to the Palacio de los Deportes de Santander for the Supercopa de España Infantil y Cadete de Santander, competing against more than 1,200 athletes from across Spain alongside international judokas from France, Great Britain, and the United States. Traveling with six competitors and a coach, the club secured a gold medal in the cadet division and a fifth-place finish in the infantil category during the weekend tournament.

Unai Gómez Claims Gold in the Cadet -66 kg Division

Unai Gómez secured the gold medal in the cadet -66 kg weight class on Saturday after winning five rounds of combat. Gómez opened his tournament by defeating Pablo Ots of Valencia, followed by victories over Giorgi Lobjanize of Catalonia in the round of 16, Álvaro Martín of Madrid in the quarterfinals, and Asier San Vicente of Madrid in the semifinals. In the final match, Gómez overcame Valencia’s Hugo Álvarez to claim the divisional title. Following his gold-medal win, Gómez contested a superfinal against Basque judoca Eneko Azpeitia to determine the top ranking points for the Spanish Cup national standings. While Azpeitia won the final showdown, Gómez walked away with the tournament gold medal in one of the circuit’s most demanding brackets.

Cadet Campaign Results for García, Ferrer, and Torres

Competing in the -57 kg cadet division, first-year cadet María García opened with a victory over Galicia’s Emma Fernández before falling to Madrid’s Ariadne Pavón in her second bout, missing out on the repechage rounds. In the -50 kg category, fellow first-year cadet Eric Ferrer defeated Navarre’s Adam Ortega in his opening match before exiting in the round of 16 against Alejandro Carpio of Madrid. Jordi Torres added a similar run in the -73 kg division, defeating Madrid’s Antonio Matarranz in the first round before bowing out to Castile and León’s Aiur Betelu without reaching the repechage.

Carla Pérez Finishes Fifth in the Infantil -57 kg Category

Shifting to Sunday’s infantil competition, Carla Pérez secured a fifth-place finish in the -57 kg bracket. Pérez advanced through the round of 16 by defeating La Rioja’s Adriana Mayo and edged past Valeria Valentina Torres in the quarterfinals to reach the semifinals. After falling to Navarre’s Leía Anaut—who ultimately won the tournament—Pérez moved into the bronze-medal match. In a tightly contested bout, Pérez fell to Galician representative Mara Costa to secure fifth place, adding critical points to her national ranking following a similar fifth-place finish earlier in the season. Elena Menéndez competed in the -44 kg infantil category, dropping her opening match to Madrid’s Lola Gómez before battling through the repechage with consecutive wins over Jimena Camisella of Asturias and France’s Louna Nzombo, eventually exiting in the third round of the repechage against Madrid’s María Mata.

Ranking Implications on the National Circuit

The Santander tournament serves as a key fixture on the Spanish national calendar, offering essential ranking points for both cadet and infantil competitors aiming for national standing. For Club Judo Sant Jordi, the weekend yielded valuable circuit experience across six competing athletes, establishing early-season benchmarks as the national cup series continues.

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