French Judo Blogs

Montréal, June 26, 2026 –  Laurence Biron , who won gold last week at the Pan-American Open in Buenos Aires, continued her winning streak on Friday, once again claiming the top spot on the podium in the under-63 kg division, this time at the Pan-American Open in Santiago, Chile. In the big final for her weight category, the Canadian found herself up against Creymarlin Valdez of the Dominican Republic. Biron quickly launched her attacks, scoring a waza-ari in the opening moments of the... Read more

Two of Canada’s judokas stepped onto the podium on the final day of the Pan-American Open in Buenos Aires, Argentina, including  Keagan Young , who captured a gold medal at his first competition in over a year. In February of last year, the Ontarian suffered a serious toe injury and, after months without a proper diagnosis, finally underwent surgery. While he was away from the tatamis, he spent a lot of time in the weight room, and eventually decided to move up a weight category. T... Read more

François Gauthier-Drapeau  (-81 kg) finished fifth at the Grand Slam in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on Saturday. Meanwhile, at the same event,  Justin Lemire  (-73 kg) secured the first victory of his career in a competition of this calibre. Gauthier-Drapeau, who is ranked fourth in the world in his weight class, bowed out to number one-ranked Timur Arbuzov of Russia in the bronze medal final. Arbuzov secured the win by scoring two yukos halfway through regulation time. “[François] had ... Read more

Evelyn Beaton  (-52 kg) and  Julien Frascadore  (-66 kg) were the two sole Canadians stepping onto the tatami Friday at the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam, and sadly faced defeated in their first bouts in Mongolia, owing to incredibly tough competition. Beaton’s day came to end after she lost by ippon to Japanese judoka – and eventual gold medallist – Uta Abe. The Alberta-based athlete faced stiff competition from the start, given that Abe has one of the most impressive track records among al... Read more

Judo Canada is proud to recognize Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard, Olympian and Olympic medallist, who has made history by becoming the youngest female Rokudan in Canadian judo history. This important promotion to 6th dan black belt marks another remarkable milestone in Catherine’s already exceptional journey. Known for her determination, discipline, technical excellence and commitment to Canadian judo, Catherine has inspired generations of judokas through her performances on the national and... Read more

Judo Canada is proud to welcome Steelhaus as a new partner and the official presenter of the 2026 Awards and Recognition Gala, held in Calgary on May 17 as part of the Open National Championships. The annual gala is an important moment for the Canadian judo community. It brings together athletes, coaches, clubs, officials, volunteers, families, and partners to celebrate the people who contribute to the growth and success of judo across the country. This year’s edition honoured seventeen a... Read more

After winning five gold medals yesterday in the cadet division, the Canadian team followed up with another strong performance on Sunday at the Junior Pan-American Cup in Lima, Peru.  Anes Mati ,  Amir Temirbaev, Matthew Molchanov , and  Franck David Moussima Ewane Elouti  all ended the day at the top of the podium in their respective weight divisions. Gabrieli Makhatadze  was also a contender for gold, but he bowed out to his countrymate Temirbaev in the big final and will return home... Read more

Team Canada Golden in Lima Canadian judokas swept the podium Saturday at the Lima Cadet Panamerican Cup (Peru). All five Canadians reached the finals, and better still, all five won gold medals in their respective weight classes. Amir Temirbaev  (-60 kg) and  Anes Mati  (-66 kg) both faced and surpassed three opponents, and then went on to claim the top spot on the podium. Temirbaev’s wins were decisive in his first two bouts: in under 90 seconds he was victorious. He capped off hi... Read more

Judo Canada has officially inform all Provincial and Territorial Judo Associations that, effective July 1, 2026, Judo Canada will transition its membership management database from Trackie to Dokume. In addition, the current Shiai tournament management system will progressively be replaced by Dokume’s integrated tournament management software. This transition represents an important modernization initiative aimed at improving the management experience for Provincial Associations, clubs, m... Read more

The NextGen Academy of Judo Canada, in collaboration with the Gender Equity Committee, is proud to announce the launch of a new project aimed at supporting women’s development within the NextGen Academy. As part of the NextGen Academy training camp, which will take place from August 17 to 22, 12 female athletes will be selected to receive free accommodation in residence. They will also be supervised throughout the week by a female coach. Eligibility Criteria Participants must: ... Read more