Olympic judo hopeful Jack Hatton has passed away a few days after his 24th birthday, USA Judo announced Wednesday. No cause of death was given.
Hatton was one of the top American men in international competition, ranking 30th in the 81kg weight class. He won two medals in Grand Prix competition and had reached the second round of three straight world championships.
“Along with being a top US Judo athlete, Jack was kind-hearted, caring and an all-around great person,” read a Facebook post from Pedro’s Judo Center, a Massachusetts training center run by the family of former world champion and Olympic medalist Jimmy Pedro. “He was a true role model for students at our dojo and judoka all over the country.”
A GoFundMe for Hatton’s family has rapidly raised nearly $10,000.
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