Kanta Ueyama might appear to be just an ordinary sophomore at Burroughs High who happens to be a thrower on the Bears’ track and field team.
But the 16-year-old who recently missed the Burroughs versus Burbank track meet did so for a good reason.
Ueyama represented the U.S. in the Cadet Pan Am-Oceania Judo Championships in Lima, Peru.
He returned home with a gold medal in the 90 kilogram+ division and is now top ranked in the world for his age in his weight class.
“After competing three times, this was my first time getting gold,” said Ueyama, who finished as the runner-up and silver medalist the past two years.
In the final, Ueyama defeated Canada’s Franck David Moussima Ewane Elouti by a yuko, or a quarter point. It was the lone point tallied in the final.
Ueyama said he began practicing judo when he was six years old.
Seeing several cousins involved in the sport got him thinking he could do it as well.
“They invited me to practice judo,” he said.
When school isn’t in session, Ueyama generally goes to practice in his parents’ native country of Japan, where judo has its origins.
“I go to Japan every summer for three months,” said Ueyama, who has also competed internationally in Canada, Cuba and Brazil.
Back in Burbank, Ueyama said competing for Burroughs is meant to help compliment judo.
“I always wanted to try a school sport. I wanted to play a power sport like football,” Ueyama. “I talked with my mom and my mom doesn’t want me to play football because if I get injured, I can’t do judo. I chose track because it is safer.”
Ueyama said it won’t be easy to qualify for the 2028 Olympics as most competitors in judo don’t reach their peak until they get into their 20s.
For now he will just continue to work hard and hope that success duplicates itself for years to come.
