Andy Granda returns from injury with the Florida Pan American Open and Montreal in his sights

October 31, 2026

Cuban judoka Andy Granda, the 2022 world champion in the over-100-kilogram division, is returning to international competition after recovering from the injury that kept him out of the World Championships in Baku, Radio Rebelde reported. The injury worsened during the Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, where the Matanzas native won the gold medal.

Granda will compete at the Florida Pan American Open in Gainesville from October 31 to November 1, where he is the top seed in his division according to the draw published by the International Judo Federation. He then heads to the Montreal Open on November 7 and 8. Both events award points for the world ranking and for qualification to the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima.

"Greetings to the Cuban people. I'm quite recovered, and we'll try to put in good performances at these events," the judoka told Radio Rebelde. "The goal is to go for the gold medal," he added.

Before this trip, Granda had competed in 2026 only at the Paris Grand Slam and the Pan American Championships in Panama, in addition to his Central American and Caribbean title. A two-time Pan American champion who finished fifth at the Paris 2024 Olympics, he remains one of Cuban judo's leading names heading into the next cycle.