Janni after winning the final of the brown belt female absolute at the 2013 World Championship. Photo: Erin Herle
We have a new female on the black belt roster today as Janni Larsson earns her final belt rank. The Checkmat team member won double gold at the World Championship two years in a row at both purple then brown belt. After she devoted herself more to Jiu-Jitsu nearly three years ago when she moved to Denmark from Sweden for medical school, her competitive skills were unmatched.
In 2012, Janni won the Europeans in purple belt adult lightweight and the absolute division then achieved the same result at the Worlds after bumping up to middleweight. She began this year as a new brown belt winning the absolute at the Europeans, her division at the Pan American Championship with second in the absolute, and then achieved another pair of gold medals at the World Championship in June.
Janni with her coach at the graduation ceremony. Photo: Arte Suave
She was granted her black belt from her instructor Shimon Mochizuki in Copenhagen, Denmark. This fall she focuses her efforts back on her studies at university but as long as she is studying, her freedom garners much training and competition. We will be sure to see her next year at the Worlds.
Showing off all of her medals from 2013 alone. Photo: Personal Archive