Eli Cooper wins three medals before World Championships in Spain

Ottawa-area martial artist Eli Cooper finished his final tuneup before the 2026 WKC World Championships with gold and two silvers at the Ontario Grand Nationals in London, Ontario. The 13-year-old now shifts to training for Spain, where he will represent Canada later this month.

Why it matters: - Eli Cooper heads into the 2026 WKC World Championships with momentum after medaling in all three of his divisions at his final domestic event. - The results strengthen Cooper’s bid to build on his 2025 international podium finishes and represent Canada again on the world stage. - Cooper’s campaign also highlights the cost of competing internationally, with a community fundraising effort underway to help cover travel, training and competition expenses.

What happened: - Cooper won gold in Weapons (Bo) and silver in Traditional Kata and Point Fighting at the 2026 Ontario Grand Nationals Martial Arts Championships. - The competition took place Sept. 26 in London, Ontario. - Cooper competed in the Advanced Boys 11–12 Weapons, Traditional Kata and Point Fighting divisions. - The Ontario Grand Nationals were Cooper’s final tournament before the 2026 WKC World Championships in Chiclana de la Frontera, Spain. - The World Championships run Oct. 24–30 at Pabellón Ciudad de Chiclana in Chiclana, Cádiz, Spain. - Cooper will represent Canada in Chinese Soft Style and Point Fighting at Worlds. - Cooper is also preparing for Point Fighting Tag Team, Mixed Doubles and 3-Person Team events during championship week.

The details: - Cooper earned silver in Traditional Kata with Chibana no Kushanku, an advanced kata from the Kushanku lineage. - Cooper advanced through four bouts in Point Fighting and reached the final. - He opened Point Fighting with three straight wins by scores of 5–0, 5–1 and 5–0. - Cooper outscored his first three opponents 15–1 before the gold-medal bout. - He lost the final 5–4 and finished with silver. - Across four Point Fighting matches, Cooper posted a 3–1 record and a 19–6 points advantage. - Cooper’s 2026 domestic season included competition across Ontario and Quebec in Point Fighting, Traditional Kata, Chinese Soft Style and Weapons. - At the WKC Ontario Provincial Championships in April, Cooper won gold in Chinese Soft Style and silver in Point Fighting. - Those provincial results qualified Cooper for Nationals in five divisions. - At the WKC Canada National Championships in Ottawa in May, Cooper earned silver in Chinese Soft Style and finished fourth in Boys 12–13 +60 kg Point Fighting with a 3–2 record. - Those national results secured Cooper’s place on Team Canada in both disciplines. - Cooper also earned alternate positions in Classical Kata and Open/Musical Weapons (Bo). - Cooper trains with Douvris Martial Arts Orléans. - His competitive development is supported by Senseis Rose Rhéaume, Ben Clarke, Dante Lorusso and Justin Liu.

Between the lines: - Cooper’s season was built around qualifying for Worlds, and the Ontario Grand Nationals served as the last chance to sharpen his competition rhythm before Spain. - The breadth of events Cooper entered suggests a multi-discipline approach rather than a single-event focus, which can matter in championship week. - His 2025 Worlds results in Niagara Falls, New York, give him a proven international baseline entering this year’s event.

What’s next: - Cooper now shifts fully from domestic competition to final preparation for the WKC World Championships. - He will return to the world stage as a year older and after a full season of competition and qualification. - A community fundraising campaign will continue to support travel, training and competition costs. - Details about Cooper’s Road to Worlds are available through The House of Cooper.

The bottom line: - Cooper ends his pre-Worlds season with a clean sweep of podium finishes and enters Spain as one of Canada’s most decorated young martial artists.