Montreal, June 28, 2019 – The Canada Cup started on Friday at the Centre Pierre-Charbonneau, in Montreal. 110 athletes from 7 countries fought to win the title in their respective categories. Canada had the biggest team with 87 athletes, who won a total of 40 medals, 10 of which were gold medals.

One of the winners of the day was Amélie Grenier in -52 kg. Despite a long pause since her last tournament, she was able to get her rhythm back and win her three fights. Last year, she had ranked second at the same tournament. “This year, I won gold at Nationals and then here, so it’s going pretty well,” she said. “I feel confident for the Pan American Championships this summer in Columbia, even though it will be my first time competing at such a big event.”

On the men’s side, Victor Gougeon-Gazé (-73 kg) got a bye through the first round before winning three fights in a row. Despite a great performance, he was a little disappointed by the lack of variety of his opponents. “I thought there would be more athletes, and I would have liked to fight against an American or a Mexican, but I’m still happy with today,” he said. He was able to test out a new training plan before the tournament to improve his energy level. “I trained less in judo last week and did more cardio to see if I would feel stronger, and I really did feel good today.”

Canada in Great Shape

Most U16 and U18 athletes competing at the Canada Cup were also competing at the national championships last month in Edmonton. However, the level of competition was enhanced for the Canada Cup with the presence of athletes from other countries. “They weren’t that many, but they were strong,” commented Alexandre Émond, the national training centre coach, about these delegations. Canadians still won 10 of the 15 gold medals to be won today, and several title holders are in the U16 category. “It’s great to see these results with younger athletes. It shows they have a lot of potential and there’s a great depth for the next generation. It’s great news for the future of the national team,” he added.

The preliminary rounds will continue on Saturday at 9 am, and the finals will start at 2 pm. Live results and streaming are available on www.judocanada.tv.

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Written by Sarah Mailhot for Judo Canada