To say that the sport of judo is in the DNA of the Yonezuka family may be an understatement. Although, Jack has made the team for these, his first, Olympic Games, he is treading a path previously walked by his grandfather, Yoshisada, a legendary two-time Olympic coach, and by his father, Nick, a 1980 judo Olympian. Jack’s brother, Nic, is also an accomplished judoka.
In 2022, Jack became the first US man to claim a medal at the Junior World Championships, when he secured the -73kg bronze medal. The following year, he went one better, claiming a silver medal and taking the first steps towards securing a place on Team USA for these Olympic Games.
Ironically, despite the family history, Jack will be the first Yonezuka to actually compete at an Olympics, his father having been a victim of the 1980 US boycott and narrowly missing selection for 1984.
Paris Result:
Eliminated in Round of 32.