Member News

October 9, 2007

2008 USA Judo National Junior Olympic Championships to be Held at Disney World  

Cinderella's Castle in the Magic Kingdom.

USA Judo is pleased to announce that the 2008 USA Judo National Junior Olympic Championships will be held from July 25-27 at the Walt Disney World Resort in Kissimmee, Fla.  

“This will be a JOs to be remembered by both athletes and parents alike. There is simply no comparison to the magic of Disney in their expertise of putting on events and making the family experience be a truly magical memory,” said USA Judo CEO Jose H. Rodriguez.  “From the moment that the athletes and families arrive at the Orlando Airport they will be in truly professional hands – not to mention the fact that they will be within walking distance from their rooms to the tatami and then on to any of Disney’s incredible parks.”  

Coronado Springs Resort.

The tournament will be held at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort which also will serve as the tournament host hotel.   

Tournament participants will receive a discounted room rate at the Resort of $129 per night for up to four people per room.  To accommodate families who would like to stay in Florida and visit Walt Disney World, this room rate will be offered to families for three days prior to the event as well as three days following the tournament.  

Disney Sports Attractions also has offered several discounted ticket options for multi-day tickets to the parks including:

• Two-Day Magic Your Way Pass ($105)
• Two-Day Magic Your Way Hopper Pass ($119)
• Three-Day Magic Your Way Pass ($137)
• Three-Day Magic Your Way Hopper Pass ($151)  

These packages are a significant savings on the normal daily one-park ticket price of $71 per person.  

“USA Judo is proud to be a partner with Disney in next year’s Junior Olympics, and I truly hope that families make this a total family vacation,” Rodriguez said.  

The Junior Olympics will be the third, and final, 10-point junior domestic tournament in 2008 for young athletes seeking to achieve junior elite status and is expected to have key ramifications on the rankings for the 2008 Junior World Trials.   

Proceeding the Junior Olympics will be the Junior U.S. Open, July 19-20 in Fort Lauderdale , Fla. , and the inaugural USA Judo Youth and Scholastic National Championships, March 29-30 in Chippewa Valley , Wis.  

“Once again, USA Judo is breaking new grounds as we will start the year off in 2008 with the new Youth and Scholastic National Championships which will kick off the new concept of the Youth Olympic Games in 2010,” said USA Judo Board member Lance Nading.  “In 2010, when many of these same youth will be wearing the Team USA uniform, they will remember 2008 as their banner year, the start of their dreams, and what better way to start a dream than with hosting one of our premier youth events at Disney World!”