Cadet World Championships kick-off in Santiago de Chile

At the World Championships for cadets the lightweights are ready to gear up for their milestone event of the year; the Cadet World Championships in Santiago de Chile. The IJF sums up the candidates for the titles starting with the girls at day 1. Below each category all winners from the past. Check out those names.

Girls U40kg

The lightest weight category of the competition will feature EYOF winner Jente Verstraeten (BEL), 14-year-old Cadet European Championships winner Anastasiia Balaban (UKR) and 15-year-old tai-otoshi specialist Aiym Zhumagaliyeva (KAZ). The Belgian favourite is her country’s only representative and will expect to compete for a medal in a category which the European nation have had significant success in during the last few years. 

Girls U44kg

Junior Pan American Championships winner Laura Ferreira (BRA) is at her best on her home continent and will be the early favourite in the -44kg category. The 17-year-old won the Cadet Pan American Championships and Junior Pan American Championships in successive days in July and has the skills and experience to find a route past judoka such as Cadet African Championships victor Donia Wueslati (TUN), Cadet European Championships bronze medallist Nikola Szlachta (POL) and 2015 Cadet World Championships silver medallist Baasansuren Oidovchimed (MGL).

Boys U50kg

Cadet European Championships winner Georgii Tretiakov (RUS) is riding a 17-fight win streak which has seen him scoop three Cadet European Cups in addition to his continental crown. The 16-year-old competes outside of Europe for the first time and will also make his World Championships debut. European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) winner Feczko Csanad (HUN) triumphed in his homeland in July but lost the Cadet European Championships final to Tretiakov and both judoka will have a major say in the fate of the -50kg title in Santiago.

Boys U55kg

EYOF and Cadet European Championships winner Mihrac Akkus (TUR) is in pole position for World gold. The 17-year-old has only been beaten once this year and will achieve the best result of his budding career if he can go unbeaten in Chile. Cadet European Championships bronze medallist Abrek Naguchev (RUS) is one of the least experienced and youngest judoka in the competition at 15 years of age but has a world of potential and could go all the way in the U55kg category.

Check the head2heads of all first round matches