Martial Artist Eli Cooper Opens 2026 Season with Three Gold Medals at Challenge Rive Nord
Eli Cooper displays his 3 gold medals at Challenge Rive Nord
Martial Artist Eli Cooper performs his gold medal winning kata Ohan at the 2026 edition of Challenge Rive Nord
Eli Cooper with coaches Devon Hopper and Sensei Alex Michaud after his gold medal point-fighting performance.
Precision, power, and poise define a three-gold performance as Ottawa’s Eli Cooper launches his 2026 competitive season on top in Quebec.
Competing in front of an enthusiastic crowd against top athletes from across Quebec and Ontario, Cooper captured three first-place finishes in advanced kata and combat categories, showcasing technical precision and competitive composure across multiple disciplines.
Eli trains under Sensei Ben Clarke, Sensei Dante Lorusso, and Sensei Rose Rhéaume, whose emphasis on technical precision, adaptability, and competitive readiness was evident throughout the event.
That preparation translated directly into Cooper’s first gold medal of the day with a powerful performance of Ohan, a traditional advanced Ryuei-ryu kata known for its high technical demands, strength, and dynamic execution. He followed with a sharply contrasting performance in the Open Kata category, delivering a flowing, fluid, and artistic Chinese Soft Style advanced form that demonstrated his versatility and control and earned him a second gold medal.
The same disciplined preparation and adaptability carried over into combat, where Cooper built on additional training with Scotland’s Dean Apicella and Germany’s Stefanie Megerle, who shared their world-class point-fighting experience. Eli carried their clear instruction and tactical insights directly onto the mats, including during a high-level rematch between silver and bronze medalists Eli Cooper and Laurent Lapine from the 2025 WKC World Championships in Niagara Falls, New York. Cooper went on to earn gold in the Advanced +55 kg division, completing a dominant all-around performance across both kata and sparring disciplines.
Challenge Rive Nord 2026 – Eli Cooper Competition Results:
🥇1st Place – Kata (Ages 12–13, Advanced, Traditional Kata – Coloured Belts)
🥇1st Place – Kata (Ages 12–13, Advanced, Open Kata – Coloured Belts)
🥇1st Place – Combat (Ages 12–13, Advanced, Male, +55 kg – Coloured Belts)
4th Place – Kata (Ages 12–13, Elite, Male, Traditional Kata)
5th Place – Combat (Ages 12–13, Elite, Male, +55 kg)
Cooper also qualified for the Grand Champion (Ages 10–13, Coloured Belts – Open / Weapons Open) division.
“The athletic competition at Rive Nord was incredible,” said Cooper. “I’m grateful to Sensei Alex Michaud and World Champion Devon Hopper for their coaching support at the tournament.”
Eli’s results at Challenge Rive Nord launch his 2026 competitive season in exceptional fashion and add to a growing list of strong performances as he continues to build momentum heading into major national and international competitions later this year.
Eli now sets his sights on the Ontario Provincial Martial Arts Championships, the 2026 Pan American Championships in Mexico City, and the 2026 WKC World Championships in Spain, representing Team Canada, Team Douvris Martial Arts, and his community with pride.
Antony Cooper
The House Of Cooper
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