French Judo Blogs

Montréal, March 24, 2026 – Following a shaky start in round one of the Para Judo World Cup in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Tuesday,  Priscilla Gagné  recovered in fine form, winning her next three matches and securing the third spot on the podium in the J1 under-52 kg category. Gagné’s final bout of the day consisted of a showdown between veterans, where she defeated independent athlete Victoria Potapova, a four-time Paralympic medallist. “The two athletes know each other well. They’ve both... Read more

Montréal, March 23, 2026 – Following a stellar international career, Olympic champion, two-time world champion, three-time Pan-American champion, and multiple Grand Slam and Grand Prix medallist Christa Deguchi has announced her retirement from competitive judo. Photo IJF – Gabriela Sabau Christa Deguchi Born in Japan to a Japanese mother and a Canadian father, the talented judoka has represented Canada on the tatamis since 2017. The final competition of her career was at the Olympi... Read more

Montréal, March 19, 2026 – For as long as she can remember, Charlie Thibault has been spending time on the tatamis, alongside her twin brother Justin. The two siblings were first introduced to judo at the Seïkidokan Judo Club in Trois-Rivières when they were only four years old. More recently, Charlie has been based in Montréal, where she now trains at the National Training Centre. Her goal? To become one of the world’s top athletes in her discipline. Photo IJF – Cadet World Championsh... Read more

Montréal, March 10, 2026 – From her early years in a small village on Quebec’s North Shore to her current home in the capital of Nova Scotia, where she teaches the sport six days a week, Barbara Stary-Brown has always made room in her life for judo. And although her involvement in the sport has waxed and waned, sometimes a person’s love for a particular sport can be rekindled, and that is exactly what happened to her. The Côte-Nord , where Barbara’s judo story began Barbara Stary-Br... Read more

Montréal, March 8, 2026 (Sportcom) – Judoka  Coralie Godbout  (-78 kg) lost in the bronze medal match on Sunday, in a hotly contested fight at the Upper Austria Grand Prix in Linz, Austria, and ended the competition in fifth place in her category. Photo : Sabau Gabriela / International Judo Federation The Québec-based athlete kicked off the bronze medal round in fine form, against Ukraine’s Yuliia Kurchenko. “Coralie was dominant with her grip, was anticipating, and had good atta... Read more

Montréal, March 7, 2026 (Sportcom) – Canada’s judokas won only one of their five bouts on Saturday at the Judo Grand Prix in Linz, Austria. Arthur Margelidon (-81 kg) was eliminated in the round of sixteen, while his three teammates lost their first and only bouts of the day. “This is not what we expected,” said their coach Janusz Pawlowski, clearly disappointed with the results. Margelidon clinched the Canadian team’s only win of the day against Petr Mlady of Czechia, whom he defe... Read more

Montréal, March 6, 2026 – Evelyn Beaton’s day came to an early end on Friday, following her defeat in the under-52 kg repechage on day one of the Judo Grand Prix in Linz, Austria, where she finished seventh. It was an earlier exit than expected, but one that will allow her to make some adjustments in anticipation of her next competitions, according to her coach, Janusz Pawlowski. Photo : Emanuele Di Feliciantonio Evelyn Beaton (in white) Facing Britain’s Tatum Keen in the first roun... Read more

Montréal, March 5, 2026 – As a high-level athlete, dedicated coach, committed training partner, and lifelong competitor, Alberta’s Laurie Wiltshire has embodied the core values of judo—passion, dedication, and discipline—since the earliest days of her career. Her journey has been marked by an undeniable commitment to the sport, both in terms of performance and of passing on her knowledge to others. Originally from Fort McMurray, Wiltshire discovered judo almost by accident at the age of 1... Read more

Montréal, March 1, 2026 – Canada’s judokas enjoyed a successful medal haul on Sunday at the Junior European Cup in Móstoles, Spain. Yehor Paladii (-100 kg), Hayden Thibeault (-57 kg), and Laurence Gagnon (-57 kg) all picked up bronze medals in their respective categories. Photo Judo canada Laurence Gagnon, Yehor Paladii and Hayden Thibeault Paladii won his first two bouts of the day before bowing out to Giorgi Bendeliani of Georgia in the semi-final. In his bronze medal match, he be... Read more

Montréal, February 28, 2026 (Sportcom) – Canadian judoka Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard won the silver medal in the under-63 kg category on Saturday at the Grand Slam in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Her fellow Québécois François Gauthier-Drapeau, however, saw his day come to a halt in the round of sixteen. “I’m really happy because in my most recent competition in Tokyo last December, I lost in the first round, so it feels good to be back on the podium. I had my sights set on the gold medal, bu... Read more