The 2004 Junior World Championships will be held in from October 14 to 17 in Budapest, Hungary. The event is open to national junior teams from International Judo Federation member countries and it is anticipated that up to 100 countries will send national junior teams. This event is held every 2 years and competitors must be 19 years old or less as of the 31st of December in the year that the event is held.
New Zealand will send a team of 5 competitors and 2 officials to Hungary:
- 60kg Men – Alister Leat
- 66kg Men – Lee Calder
- 90kg Men – Shaun Caulder
- 48kg Women – Lisa Archbold
- 57kg Women – Vicky Stormont
All team members are current Oceania Junior Champions in their respective divisions and participation in the Junior World Championships is expected to provide an indicator of the next level up in international competition for them.
Currently Alister Leat is training in Europe in his lead up to the competition while the Calder brothers are training in Japan. The team (including the Calder brothers) will depart from New Zealand on October 9.
Commonwealth Judo Championships
New Zealand will host the Commonwealth Judo Championships for the first time over the weekend of November 13 and 14 in Waitakere City. This event will be the first official event to be held at the new Waitakere City Trust Stadium and will be attended by 15 Commonwealth countries.
The Commonwealth Judo Championships are held every 2 years except in years where judo is included in the Commonwealth Games.
New Zealand will have a team size of approximately 20 competitors and this event is a great opportunity for our national team to get high-level international experience without having to travel around the world.
Judo Calendar:
Oct 14-17
Junior World Championships
Budapest, Hungary
Oct 9-10
Senior North Island Championships
Wanganui
Oct 16-17
South Island Championships
Nelson
Nov 13-14
Commonwealth Judo Champs
Waitakere
