Tianjin Judo Team Dominates Second Leg of 2026 National Youth Championships with Four Gold Medals

The Tianjin judo squad has cemented its status as a powerhouse in Chinese youth athletics, securing four gold medals and one bronze at the second leg of the 2026 National Youth Judo Championships (U18 and U20 groups) and the National Judo Points Competition. The event, which concluded on April 14 in Xiaogan, Hubei Province, saw the Tianjin team maintain a high level of performance following a strong showing in the competition’s first stage.

Competing at the Olympic Sports Center in Xiaogan, the Tianjin athletes faced a deep field of competition. The tournament drew more than 700 athletes from 32 representative teams, including provincial squads from Beijing, Shanghai, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang, as well as various sports institutes.

Clinical Precision in the Women’s Divisions

The women’s side of the Tianjin delegation displayed remarkable efficiency, with two athletes claiming top spots on the podium through dominant performances.

In the Women’s U20 -48kg category, Xie Hongyan navigated her way to the gold with a series of decisive victories. Xie opened her campaign by defeating Ma Yunxia of Jilin via ippon—the highest score in judo, which immediately ends a match. She followed this with a hard-fought win over Guangdong’s Li Xiuhong, scoring a waza-ari (a “half-point” or effective technique), before closing out the tournament with another ippon against Beijing’s Li Yichen to secure the championship.

Even more dominant was Tao Yuying in the Women’s U20 -57kg division. Already a National Games champion, Tao entered the tournament with a target on her back but left no doubt about her superiority. Over the course of four consecutive matches, Tao won every single bout by ippon. Her path to the gold included victories over Song Yanyan (Jiangsu), Wang Meiqi (Guangdong), Jiang Yiqing (Henan), and Basang Lhamo (Guangdong).

Men’s Grit: From Penalties to Golden Score

While the women’s victories were characterized by efficiency, the men’s gold medals were won through a combination of technical skill and immense psychological resilience.

Wang Jiaguang’s journey to the gold in the Men’s U18 -60kg division was a marathon of endurance. Wang fought through six matches to claim the title. He started strong with ippon victories over Wu Zicheng (Zhejiang) and Liu Duoyuan (Chongqing). His middle rounds were defined by tactical discipline, as opponents Peng Yu (Fujian) and Ren Jiajie (Beijing) were both disqualified for passivity.

The tension peaked in the later stages. Wang defeated Nan Ding of Inner Mongolia with a waza-ari to reach the final. In a grueling championship match against Hunan’s Liu Hengyu, the contest pushed into “Golden Score”—the judo equivalent of overtime. Wang eventually secured the gold by pinning Liu with a uchi-mata-gaeshi (cross-four-square hold), a victory that highlighted his mental toughness under pressure.

In the Men’s U20 -81kg division, Pang Zheyuan mirrored this success with a clinical run. Pang began by defeating Yesbaoli Nurballati of Gansu, followed by ippon wins over Liu Jiahui (Hunan) and Chen Junlin (Zhejiang). After a waza-ari victory against Chongqing’s Cui Jianhua, Pang capped off his performance in the final by defeating Henan’s Zhou Haoran with a decisive ippon.

Tournament Context and Wider Implications

The 2026 National Youth Judo Championships serve as a critical barometer for the development of China’s next generation of judoka. Given that this event also functions as a National Judo Points Competition, the results directly impact the seeding and rankings of youth athletes as they eye transition into senior national squads.

While Tianjin stole the headlines with their gold haul, the competition was fierce across the board. Hubei province, the host region, also found success early in the tournament; Sun Jiaxu of the Hubei team captured a gold medal in the Men’s U20 -60kg division on the opening day of competition (April 9).

For global readers unfamiliar with the scoring, the prevalence of ippon victories in the Tianjin camp is a significant indicator of technical superiority. An ippon is awarded when a player throws their opponent with strength, speed, and control, or holds them for a specified duration; it is the gold standard of judo execution.

Tianjin Team Medal Summary

The conclusion of the second leg in Xiaogan marks a pivotal moment for these youth athletes. With the points tallied and the momentum swinging in favor of the Tianjin squad, the focus now shifts to the upcoming stages of the national circuit and the preparation for international youth qualifiers.

Stay tuned to Archysport for further updates on the national judo rankings and upcoming youth championship schedules.