Frank de Wit finally crowned as World Junior Champion

The Netherlands can be proud of new World Champion Frank de Wit. Last year his illusions were destroyed in Fort Lauderdale (USA), but this year he developed amazingly with bronze at the Grand Prix in Dusseldorf, the European Junior title and bronze at the Grand Slam in Paris last week. A good week later he is crowned as world champion U81kg at his third participation.

Dutch super talent Frank De Wit defeated Cadet Asian Championships winner Fujiwara Sotaro of Japan in the U81kg final only a week after capturing the attention of the world after his breakout display in the French capital. De Wit, 19, who will also compete in the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, was penalised for holding onto his opponent's belt for too long while Fujiwara was penalised for passivity. With 64 seconds left in the contest, the Paris Grand Slam bronze medallist countered an ouchi-gari with a ko-soto-gake for a yuko score and that proved enough to win the world title.

In the first semi-final De Wit grinded out a win against former Cadet Asian Championships bronze medallist Bandikhuu Baterdene (MGL) on shido penalties. The Mongolian was penalised on three occasions with the last one as a result of passivity as De Wit, who was penalised once, went through by the margin of two penalties as both judoka failed to register a score. In the second semi-final former Cadet World Championships bronze medallist Viktor Makukha (UKR) was surpassed by Fujiwara by a yuko as Japan’s medal charge was guaranteed to continue into the U81kg category.

The first bronze medal was won by Makukha who dismissed Junior Asian Championships bronze medallist Lee Moon Jin (KOR) by ippon after just 12 seconds. The 20-year-old Ukrainian showed his versatility all day long with his shime-waza, osaekomi-waza and tachi-wazi skills on display and will now turn his attention to the senior stage. The second bronze medal was clinched by Pan American Games silver medallist Ivan Felipe Silva Morales of Cuba who edged out Bandikhuu on shido penalties. The Mongolian was penalised three times with the last indiscretion as a result of passivity while the Cuban youngster was penalised twice in the closing seconds as he looked to avoid his opponent but held on to secure his country’s first medal at the Junior World Championships 2015.

De Wit is the 7th Dutch World Junior Champion. Lightweight Tamara Meijer was the first in 1996, one day later followed by Emmy Schapendonk and Edith Bosch. Ten years later Marvin de la Croes was the first man, and in 2010 Kim Polling followed. In 2013 Do Velema renewed the Dutch hope for the future and Frank de Wit today continued his successful road at the juniors with even one more year to go.