Kelita Zupancic
Encyclopedia
Kelita Zupancic (born May 9, 1990 in Whitby
, Ontario
) is a judoka from Canada
. Zupancic won a gold medal for Canada at 2010 Pan Am judo championships.
what is town in the Oshawa
metro area. She is of Slovenian origin. Her father Eddie is a judo coach/trainer.
She is member of the Formokan Judo Club and she has been training at the National Training Centre in Montreal
under the watchful eyes of National Coach Nicolas Gill
and Hiroshi Namakura. Through some discussion with Hiroshi Namakura, it was felt that the time was right for Kelita to train in Japan
. Hiroshi Namakura contacted Yoshiyuki Matsuoka
who is a former Olympic Champion and head coach at a private women’s judo club which is sponsored by the company Komatsu. He suggested to Kelita that she should go to train at the Komatsu club. Kelita agreed and Hiroshi Namakura arranged the visit.
January 2010, Kelita visited the club for nearly one month. It was very intense training with some of the top Japanese women in the world. Also coaching at Komatsu is Kazuhiko Tokuno
(Japan National Female Coach) and Mayumi Katsura, both former world class competitors. After her visit, Kelita went on to win medals at a World Cup in Hungary
, and a Grand Prix in Germany
and then a gold at the 2010 Pan American Judo Championships
in El Salvador
.
At the recent Formokan Judo Club’s 35th year reunion (2010), Kelita announced that she has been offered a position on the Komatsu Judo team. According to Hiroshi Namakura, one foreign judoka is selected per year and Kelita was recognized. She was offered a one year contract to train with the team, work for Komatsu and compete for them at team events.
Whitby, Ontario
Whitby is a town in Durham Region. Whitby is located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and is home to the headquarters of Durham Region...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
) is a judoka from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Zupancic won a gold medal for Canada at 2010 Pan Am judo championships.
Bio
Kelita was born in WhitbyWhitby, Ontario
Whitby is a town in Durham Region. Whitby is located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and is home to the headquarters of Durham Region...
what is town in the Oshawa
Oshawa
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
metro area. She is of Slovenian origin. Her father Eddie is a judo coach/trainer.
She is member of the Formokan Judo Club and she has been training at the National Training Centre in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
under the watchful eyes of National Coach Nicolas Gill
Nicolas Gill
Nicolas Gill is a judoka from Canada, who twice won an Olympic medal in his career. He first did so at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he won the bronze medal in the middleweight division...
and Hiroshi Namakura. Through some discussion with Hiroshi Namakura, it was felt that the time was right for Kelita to train in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Hiroshi Namakura contacted Yoshiyuki Matsuoka
Yoshiyuki Matsuoka
is a retired judoka from Japan, who represented his native country at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. There he won the gold medal in the men's half-lightweight division , after having defeated South Korea's Hwang Jung-Oh in the final by Seoi Nage learned from Shozo Fujii, 4...
who is a former Olympic Champion and head coach at a private women’s judo club which is sponsored by the company Komatsu. He suggested to Kelita that she should go to train at the Komatsu club. Kelita agreed and Hiroshi Namakura arranged the visit.
January 2010, Kelita visited the club for nearly one month. It was very intense training with some of the top Japanese women in the world. Also coaching at Komatsu is Kazuhiko Tokuno
Kazuhiko Tokuno
is a Japanese judoka.He was born in Iyo, Ehime, and began judo at the age of 6. He entered the Kanagawa Prefectural Police after graduating from Tokai University.He was good at Seoinage and got medals of world championships twice...
(Japan National Female Coach) and Mayumi Katsura, both former world class competitors. After her visit, Kelita went on to win medals at a World Cup in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, and a Grand Prix in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and then a gold at the 2010 Pan American Judo Championships
2010 Pan American Judo Championships
The Pan American Judo Championships were held in San Salvador, El Salvador from 8th April to 11th April 2010.-Men's events:-Women's events:- Medals table :-External links:**...
in El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
.
At the recent Formokan Judo Club’s 35th year reunion (2010), Kelita announced that she has been offered a position on the Komatsu Judo team. According to Hiroshi Namakura, one foreign judoka is selected per year and Kelita was recognized. She was offered a one year contract to train with the team, work for Komatsu and compete for them at team events.
Achievements
| Year | Tournament | Place | Weight class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Pan American Judo Championships 2009 Pan American Judo Championships The Pan American Judo Championships was held in Centro Nacional de Alto Rendimiento Deportivo in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 26th March to 27th March 2009.-Men's events:-Women's events:- Medals table :-External links:**... |
3rd | Middleweight (–70 kg) |
| 2010 | Pan American Judo Championships 2010 Pan American Judo Championships The Pan American Judo Championships were held in San Salvador, El Salvador from 8th April to 11th April 2010.-Men's events:-Women's events:- Medals table :-External links:**... |
1st | Middleweight (–70 kg) |
| 2011 | Pan American Judo Championships 2011 Pan American Judo Championships The 2011 Pan American Judo Championships was held in Guadalajara, Mexico at the CODE II Gymnasium from April 1–2, 2011. The event is being held as a test event for the 2011 Pan American Games... |
3rd | Middleweight (–70 kg) |