If you weren't in Birmingham this past May, you missed a vibe. Honestly, the USA Judo Senior Nationals 2025 felt like a massive family reunion, just with more throwing people onto mats and significantly more sweat. It was the first time the national championships landed in Alabama, and the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) was actually a pretty slick choice for it.
Most people think of Senior Nationals as just another tournament. They're wrong. This wasn't just about medals; it was the unofficial starting gun for the road to the LA 2028 Olympics. Because the U.S. gets host-country spots for those games, every match in 2025 carried this weird, heavy subtext. You could feel it in the warm-up area.
Why the 2025 Nationals felt different
The BJCC North Exhibition Hall was packed from May 24 to May 25. Usually, these events have a predictable rhythm. You’ve got the shiai (sparring) on Saturday and the kata (form) on Sunday. But this year, the energy was just... different.
Maybe it’s because the talent pool is shifting. We saw over 600 athletes show up. That’s a lot of judogi to wash.
The 2025 event was also a major point-earner. If you want to make the Senior World Team or get funded for the IJF World Tour, you basically have to show up here and perform. It’s not optional. If you’re an elite player and you skip this, you’re essentially telling the selection committee you don’t want to travel to Budapest or Tokyo later in the year.
The Names You Should Actually Know
Everyone talks about the big stars, but the USA Judo Senior Nationals 2025 was really a showcase for the "next gen" guys who are tired of being called the next generation.
Jonathan Yang is a name you’ve probably heard if you follow the circuit, but seeing him take the -60kg title in person was something else. He's only 18, which is kind of wild when you realize he’s already a Senior National Champion. He has this technical precision that makes older, stronger guys look like they’re moving in slow motion.
Then you have the -73kg division. It’s always a bloodbath. Jack Yonezuka continues to prove why he's the frontrunner for 2028. He’s got that legacy pressure—grandpa and dad were both legends—but he fights like he’s got everything to prove.
On the women’s side, Maria Laborde remains the standard. Even at 34, her movement in the -48kg category is just crisper than anyone else's. She didn't just win; she dominated. It’s sort of a masterclass every time she steps out there.
A few other standouts:
- Johan Silot (-81kg): Took gold and looked incredibly physical doing it.
- Oleksandr Nyzhnyk (-90kg): Another young gun who secured a title and a spot for the Worlds in Budapest.
- Mariah Holguin (-57kg): Solidified her ranking with a performance that reminded everyone why she’s consistently top-tier.
The Birmingham Experience
Let's talk about the venue for a second. The BJCC is massive. Having a 45,000-seat stadium attached to the complex where you're fighting is cool, even if the judo was tucked into the exhibition hall.
One thing that kinda sucked? The logistics of getting 600+ people through weigh-ins and registration. It’s always a bit of a mess. But Keith Bryant, the USA Judo CEO, seemed pretty happy with how Birmingham stepped up. The city has been hosting a ton of events lately—World Games, Transplant Games—so they knew how to handle the influx of athletes.
The food situation around the BJCC was actually decent too. You've got the Uptown entertainment district right there. Seeing a bunch of elite athletes in tracksuits trying to find healthy-ish food in a city known for BBQ was pretty funny.
What Most People Get Wrong About National Rankings
People look at the results and think "Gold = Best."
It’s more complicated.
The USA Judo Senior Nationals 2025 is a piece of a much larger puzzle. To get to the Olympics, you need IJF points. To get IJF points, you need to go to Grand Slams and Grand Prix. To get sent to those, you need to be top-ranked domestically.
So, if you took silver but had a really competitive match against a top-10 world-ranked player, the coaches are looking at that more than a gold medal in a weak bracket.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're an athlete or a coach looking at the aftermath of Birmingham, here is what you need to do next:
- Check the Roster: If you placed, your name is now on the Senior National Ranking Roster. Keep an eye on it. One bad tournament later this year and someone can leapfrog you.
- The U.S. Open is Next: The cycle doesn't stop. Most of these athletes are already looking toward Fort Lauderdale for the U.S. Open.
- Get Your Smoothcomp Profile Right: Seriously. Everything is moving to Smoothcomp and Sport80. If your profile is a mess, registration for the next big one will be a nightmare.
- Watch the Tape: If you competed in Birmingham, find the video. Even the winners had holes in their game. The level of judo in the U.S. is rising, and "good enough" isn't going to cut it for the 2026 cycle.
Judo in America is in a weird, exciting spot right now. We're three years out from a home Olympics. The 2025 Nationals in Birmingham proved that while the veterans are still holding the line, the teenagers are coming for their spots.
And honestly? That's exactly what the sport needs.
Next Steps: You should check the official USA Judo website for the updated 2025-2026 point standings to see where your favorite athletes landed after the Birmingham results.