Leana Nelson Places Third in San Salvador

SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR —  Martial Arts for Social Transformation Equity and Rights athlete fellow Leana Nelson has taken bronze at the International Judo Federation San Salvador Pan American Open in El Salvador. This is the second senior IJF medal for Nelson this Olympic season, who secured another bronze this past June in Santiago, Chile, just before joining MASTERs as an athlete fellow. It is her fifth overall.

Leana Nelson was one of the MASTERs athlete fellows who participated in the 2026 Japan training camp just this August. Her two International Judo Federation medals are signals of good things to come as the athletes enter the qualification period for the Olympic trials for Los Angeles 2028. Ms. Nelson is now in pursuit of four more medals this first half of the Olympic qualifying season. IJF Olympic rankings are based on an athletes top 6 finishes in IJF tour events in the first year, and then another six in their last year of qualification. Ms. Nelson is now making considerable progress to establish herself as the top seed in the -57kg division for the US Olympic trials.

Ms. Nelson represents Top Game Martial Arts in Connecticut but travels to be part of MASTERs events. Her consistent hard work and results caught the eye of the MASTERs team and she continues to prove herself with each challenge.

For media inquiries regarding MASTERs or High Noon Judo, please contact:
Dr. Christopher Round
Executive Director, MASTERs
roundce@martialartsforsocialgood.org
martialartsforsocialgood.org