The Mexican judo team finished second overall at the Pan American Judo Open in Montreal, Canada, securing six medals, the International Judo Federation (IJF) reported. Host nation Canada took first place with four gold medals.
The tournament, an international circuit event awarding world ranking points, featured 215 athletes from 26 countries, according to official IJF records.
The Mexican team’s success was anchored by two gold medal performances from established international competitors.
Paulina Martínez in the -52 kg category and Víctor Ochoa in the -100 kg category each secured top honors, IJF records show. Martínez, who competed at the Paris 2024 Games, repeated her gold medal performance from earlier this year in Santo Domingo. Ochoa’s victory capped a strong period for the athlete, following previous medal wins in San Salvador and Santo Domingo.
The Mexican medal haul was completed with three silver and one bronze medal, demonstrating the team’s strength across multiple weight classes.
Kassandra Espinoza earned a silver in the -48 kg class, reinforcing her strong form on the path to qualification for the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima. Gilberto Cardoso added a silver in the -81 kg division, following an earlier gold medal in the Dominican Republic.
Norma Liliana Cárdenas Meléndez also claimed silver in the -78 kg category, reaching the final against Venezuela’s Elvismar Rodríguez. Aylin Ávila rounded out the medal performances with a bronze in the -52 kg class, sharing the podium with teammate Martínez.
Beyond the medalists, other Mexican athletes showed high-level competitiveness at the event.
Jeremy Olivares finished fifth in the -100 kg category, while Ulises Méndez Cobos placed seventh in the -73 kg division, according to the IJF results.
The Open Panamericano de Judo Montreal 2026 is one of the events on the Pan American circuit, offering athletes valuable points toward world ranking. The official IJF records provide the complete and authoritative breakdown of all results and medal counts for the tournament.
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