The República Dominicana secured the overall first-place finish at the Copa Panamericana Cadete de Judo, capturing eight gold medals, five silver medals, and five bronze medals during the continental tour event. The dominant performance by the young athletes placed them comfortably atop the final medal standings ahead of international competitors.
Medal Standings and Top International Finishers
Following the República Dominicana at the top of the leaderboard, Canada claimed the second position overall. Canadian competitors secured four gold medals, one silver, and two bronze medals, according to records from the tournament. Puerto Rico rounded out the top three teams in the cadet division, taking home one gold medal, two silver medals, and two bronze medals.
Standout Champions in the Cadet Division
Carla Tolentino anchored the local squad’s performance by winning the gold medal in the -48 kilogram category. The victory marked her second top-podium finish of the week, having also secured gold in the Pan American Junior Cup days prior. Tolentino claimed her cadet title by defeating fellow Dominican competitor Yarelis Lucas in the final match.
Additional gold-medal performances for the host nation included Yanivel Candelario Contreras in the -44 kilogram division, Francelis Lapaix Ramírez in the -52 kilogram class, and Lorenny García in the -57 kilogram weight class. On the men’s side, Ezequiel Pérez Michel triumphed at -55 kilos, Luis Simonó González took gold at -60 kilos, Adrián Lapaix Ramírez claimed the -73 kilogram title, and Adriel Paniagua Alcántara won the -81 kilogram division.
Canadian athletes also established a strong presence across several weight classes. Román Semyrozum won the -66 kilogram category, Matthew Molchanov topped the -90 kilogram bracket, Presley Tompkins secured the -63 kilogram title, and Finley Morasch claimed gold at -70 kilos. Additional division winners included Argentina’s Adriana Delgado in the women’s +70 kilogram class and Puerto Rico’s Manuel Mañana in the men’s +90 kilogram division.
Junior Division Results and Institutional Support
In the Copa Panamericana Junior events, the República Dominicana finished second in the medal table with three gold, three silver, and eight bronze medals. Canada led that specific classification with eight gold, four silver, and five bronze medals, while the United States followed with one gold, three silver, and three bronze medals.
The competitions were coordinated in conjunction with the Confederación Panamericana de Judo (CPJ), as announced by Gilberto García, president of the Fedojudo. Organization officials noted that the events received backing from the Ministry of Sports, Senasa, and Creso.
Upcoming Schedule and Senior Open Implications
Competition schedules transition to the Open Panamericano Senior, which serves as a qualifying fixture providing ranking points for the Lima 2027 Pan American Games and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Official tournament proceedings and opening ceremonies were scheduled to begin alongside the senior division bouts.
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