Guantanamo.- Guantánamo judoka Jonathan Charón (60 kg) captured gold on the opening day of the Senior Pan American Championships, delivering one of the standout performances of the tournament.
Charón defeated American Jonathan Yang in a closely contested final that went down to the wire. Despite trailing on penalties—two shidos against him to one for his opponent at the end of regulation—Charón secured victory in Golden Score with a decisive waza-ari.
The win earns him 800 ranking points as he builds toward the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.
In the 66 kg division, Orlando Polanco also struck gold, overcoming Ecuador’s Jonathan Benavides in the final to add another 800 points to his tally..
Meanwhile, Artemisa’s Dayanara Curbelo (+78 kg) claimed bronze after defeating Brazil’s Beatriz Sousa, securing 400 ranking points.
At Friday’s technical meeting, organizers confirmed that the mixed team event will take place on Monday, featuring bouts in the 73, 90, and +90 kg categories for men, and 57, 70, and +70 kg for women.
