Montréal, September 12, 2025 – The Canadian contingent enjoyed its share of success at Friday’s Pan American Kata Championships in Cancun, wrapping up the event with two medals, including a gold courtesy of Quebecers Isack Berger and Jean-Sébastien Roy.
Teaming up in the under-21 Nage-no-Kata competition, the duo stormed out of the gates with a score of 365.00 points for their display on the tatami. This impressive result propelled them to the top step of the podium, where they were joined by Americans David Hammer and Noe Mesa (301.50).
A few minutes later, Ontario’s Shane Legros and Dan Rusu captured silver in the Kime-no-Kata senior category with a tally of 480.00 points, falling just short of the Venezuelan pair of Junior Jeffrey Hernandez and Christian Camilo Ortiz (486.50). Their compatriots Gustavo Andres Leon and Anyinzan Palacio Giraldo (446.50) completed the podium.
Legros and Rusu returned to the mats at the very end of the day, where they took part in the Ju-no-Kata senior event. This time, their cumulative score of 360.50 points was good for 6th position, with Brazil’s Roberto Carlos Pereira and Nadia Hissaka Hori (400.50) coming out on top.
The only other Canadians competing at these Pan American Kata Championships, Ontarians Allyn Takashi and Tony Walby, narrowly missed the podium in the Kodokan-Goshi-Jutsu senior event. Placing fourth with a score of 486.00, they finished only three points behind Argentina’s Pablo Esteban Surace and Abel Benedetto (489.00), who claimed bronze in this event dominated by two Venezuelan pairs.
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For more information:
Patrick Esparbès
Chief Operating Officer
Judo Canada
(514) 668-6279
p.esparbes@judocanada.org