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Jack Yonezuka was defeated 10-0 by Adil Osmanov of Moldova in a round of 32 fight in the 73-kilogram weight class on Monday, July 29. He lost by ippon (points) after he was given his third shido (a penalty) three minutes and 40 seconds into the match.
Before his fight, the 2021 Shore Regional High School graduate shared Instagram pictures and videos of his view aboard Team USA's boat during the opening ceremony along the River Seine on Friday, July 26.
"Unreal experience!" Yonezuka posted. "My Olympic spirit is high and I’m so ready to leave everything on the tatami. ❤️🔥🇺🇸🥋"
Yonezuka, 21, was one of four judoka to compete for Team USA at the Paris Olympics. The U.S. has won 14 medals in men's and women's judo since the sport was introduced in 1964.
The Brookdale Community College student's father Nick Yonezuka qualified for the 1980 Summer Olympics but he didn't compete due to the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Games. Jack's grandfather Yoshisada Yonezuka was a two-time Olympic coach who ran Cranford Judo JKC, a dojo in Union County.
Jack Yonezuka, who was 20th in the senior world rankings, earned his spot on Team USA after the International Judo Federation's world championships in Abu Dhabi in May.
"Growing up, I was inspired by my father who was an Olympian and I wanted to follow in his footsteps," he wrote in another Instagram post celebrating his Olympic qualification. "As a child, I endured many hardships and suffered many injuries. I broke my shoulder when I was 11 years old which was the most severe of them all. I also suffered from anxiety as a kid. My shoulder injury put me out of judo for six months.
"During this time as a young kid, I took some time to reflect on everything. I realized how much I missed the sport and I realized how badly I wanted to become champion."
Yonezuka was the first American to win two medals at the Junior World Championships, capturing bronze in 2022 and silver in 2023. He won his first World Tour medal by bringing home bronze at the Upper Austria Grand Prix.
Yonezuka's trip to Paris also included a chance to hang out with rapper Snoop Dogg. Team USA's judo team welcomed the hip-hop star on the tatami (mat) and taught him a few judo moves.
New Jersey has 23 athletes for Team USA at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Yonezuka is joined by Bam Adebayo, an NBA player from Newark, Morristown swimmer Nic Fink, Dunellen sprinter and hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Oradell gymnast Hezly Rivera, and No. 1 golfer in the world Scottie Scheffler from Ridgewood.
You can watch Yonezuka's Olympic match on Peacock (it begins around 1:38:30 in the stream).
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