The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN rising young judoka Xavion Johnson certainly didn’t miss a step on the mat after he returned to international judo competition in the United States from a two-year break.

Picking up where he left off as the 2018 US Open judo champion and 2019 President Cup winner in his age group, Johnson began his summer tour with the Black Ice Fitness and Judo Club in Atlanta, Georgia.

And he won a total of five medals in the span of three weeks.

The 15-year-old student of Capstone Academy captured four gold medals in the South Carolina State Championships in Charleston, South Carolina on June 5 and in the prestigious USA Judo Junior Olympics over the weekend in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, he earned a bronze medal.

“It was pretty good. I just moved up to another age group and so I think I am doing very good,” Johnson said. “In 2020, I was going a lot of weightlifting and a little bit of judo, but I got back into it full time in 2021 and it’s now paying off.”

Johnson, who trains locally in the Eastwood Judo Club with Sensei Mackey Munnings, said after his performances so far on this latest tour, he’s confident that he will have a successful showing in the United States like he did before he took the break due to COVID-19.

“The competition was hard, especially at the Junior Olympics,” Johnson said. “I feel pretty good. I feel like I’m prepared for anything that come my way.”

Sensei Joshua White, the head coach of Black Ice Fitness and Judo, who has enjoyed almost 30 years as a martial artist, athlete and teacher, said since Johnson has been coming to his club for training five years ago, he has adopted him like his own son.

“He’s looking fantastic. This past weekend, he had an opportunity to compete against kids who will be competing at the Junior World’s,” White said.

“We let him get a look at the under-21 category and he gave our number one kid a pretty good fight.

“This kids never stopped training or fighting during the pandemic and to watch Xavion give him all he could handle was something to see. So I’m exciting some great things from him in the future.”

Although he was representing Black Ice, White said Johnson also carried the Bahamas banner and the Eastwood Judo Club on the mat.

With his tenacity to fight, White said he doesn’t see any reason why Johnson can’t emerge as an Olympian in the future. “He will definitely be a world beater,” White said. “Xavion has a community behind him. He will definitely make the Bahamas Judo Federation very proud.”

Johnson now his sights set on placing in the 2021 US Judo Open amongst other international tournaments. “We train twice a day and we have a lot of fun after training,” Johnson said. “I believe with the training I’m getting now, I could win a medal. I am very confident that I could win the cadets division.”

He thanked both Black Ice and Eastwood Judo Clubs for getting him to the level where he is right now. He noted that without his persistent mother, Ordain Moss, none of this would have been possible.