PHOTOS

Date of birth: June 26, 1994

Weight division: 63 kg  –  Height:  161 cm

Hometown: Saint-Hubert, Québec

Residence: Beloeil, Quebec

Judo Club: Club de Judo de Saint-Hubert inc. – Province: Quebec

Training place: Judo Canada National Training Centre in Montreal

National Team Coach : Antoine Valois-Fortier

HIGHLIGHTS

• 2022 World Champion Runner-Up
• Bronze Medallist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
• 5-time Grand Slam Gold Medallist on the IJF World Tour
• 2-time Pan-American Champion (2019,2020)
• 2-time Junior World Championship Medallist (Silver 2013, Bronze 2014)

When Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard was a child, her sister played soccer and her brother practiced a martial art, but Catherine decided she wished to find her own sport. One day at school, she read an article about Nicolas Gill and his love of judo. That was all it took for her to determine that she had found what she was looking for. And so, at the age of nine, she began her life on the tatamis.

She initially drew inspiration from Isabel Latulippe, an athlete at her club, and from the Olympic performances of Nicolas Gill, Marie-Hélène Chisholm, and Antoine Valois-Fortier. Catherine’s junior record includes a silver medal at the 2013 World Junior Championships, followed by a bronze medal in 2014, making her the first female Canadian to have won two medals at the World Juniors.

In the summer of 2014, she won gold medals in three consecutive competitions: the Pan-American Open in San Salvador, the Grand Prix in Mongolia, and the Grand Slam in Russia. One year later, the Québécoise finished fifth at the World Championships.

Catherine then qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, after her excellent results had placed her in the top eight in the world in the preceding months.

Following the 2017 World Championships, Catherine changed weight classes. She has been competing in the under-63 kg category ever since, where she has been equally successful.

Catherine clinched the title of Pan-American champion in both 2019 and 2020. The best results of her career followed: A superb bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and, in 2022, runner-up world champion in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Catherine has collected a total of five Grand Slam gold medals in her career. In addition, she published her book Nourrir son corps, just weeks before the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

For the entire list of Catherine’s results, please consult her JudoInside page

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Date of birth: October 10, 1993

Weight division: 100 kg

Height: 183 cm

Hometown: Brampton, Ontario

Residence: Tokyo, Japan

First Judo Club: Gunma Chuohchu (Japan)

Training place: Japan Racing Association

Personal coach: Masahiro Goto

National Team Coach : Antoine Valois-Fortier 

HIGHLIGHTS

• 2022 – Runner-up World Champion
• 2021 – Pan American Champion
• 2016 – Paris Grand Slam – Silver medallist
• 2014 – Tyumen Grand Slam – Silver medallist
• 2013 – Tokyo Grand Slam – Silver medallist
• 2013 – Junior World Champion

Born in Brampton, Ontario but has lived in Japan since he was 2 years old. Kyle started practising judo in high school, at the age of 12. Quickly found that he was a natural, and that he loved the feeling of throwing his opponents to the ground. His progress has been stellar since. He placed fifth in the 2012 Tokyo Grand Slam at 19-year-old. Became Junior World Champion in the under 100 kg category in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 2013. He reached his first major international achievement at senior level: a silver medal at the Tokyo Grand Slam. The following year brought him another silver medal, this time in Tyumen, Russia. In 2016, he climbed again the second step of the podium this time at the prestigious Paris Grand Slam and qualified for his first Olympic Games in Rio. On October 11, 2022, Kyle experienced one of the best days of his judo career at the Judo World Championships in Tashkent. The 29-year-old judoka was untouchable right through to the grand final, where he was finally bested by local hero Muzaffarbek Turoboyev. Reyes therefore departs Uzbekistan with the title of runner-up world champion. Lives in Tokyo, Japan, and trains under coach Masahiro Goto at the Japan Racing Association. His greatest dream is to win an Olympic gold.

For the entire list of Kyle’s results, please consult his JudoInside page.

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Antoine started practising judo at the age of four at the Club de judo de Beauport. His parents thought the sport would be a healthy outlet for their son’s boundless energy, but they didn’t expect it to become Antoine’s greatest passion. In 2008, Antoine moved to Montreal to train at the Shidokan Judo Club (former Judo Canada National Training Centre). It was during the 2012 London Olympic Games, where he won a bronze medal, that the world got to know Antoine’s exceptional talent. In 2014, Antoine Valois-Fortier won his first medal, silver, at the World Championships, followed by two bronze medals in 2015 and 2019. Along with his athletic career, Antoine graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Intervention in Physical Activity from the Université du Québec à Montréal and a Specialized Graduate Diploma in Sport Management from HEC Montréal. In December 2021, at 31 years old and after a remarkable career of more than 12 years on the national team, Antoine retired from competition. In January 2022 Antoine joined Judo Canada as the Senior National Coach.

Date of birth: May 21, 1986
Weight Division: 57 kg – Height : 162.5 cm
Hometown: Sarnia, Ontario
Residence: Montreal, Quebec
Judo Club: Club de judo Shidokan inc. – Province : Quebec
Training Place: Judo Canada’s National Training Centre 
National Team Coach: Andrzej Sadej

HIGHLIGHTS

• Silver Medallist at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020
• Silver Medallist at the IBSA World Championships 2022
• Bronze Medallist at the IBSA World Championships 2018
• 3-time Gold Medallist at the IBSA Pan American Championships (2017,2018,2020)
• 2-time Silver Medallist at the Para-Pan American Games (2015,2019)

Priscilla Gagné received numerous diagnoses regarding her vision before the specialists finally realized she had retinitis pigmentosa. But the condition never held her back from participating in sports.

Priscilla practiced karate for many years before deciding to try judo in 2008. She became interested in the sport because of its international development at Paralympic level, as well as for its culture. The teachings of judo are just as relevant in everyday life as they are in the sport itself. Shortly after she took part in her first judo competitions, Priscilla fractured her foot and was forced to stay off the tatamis until 2013. When she began competing again, she focused all her efforts on qualifying for her first Paralympic Games. After successfully doing so, she competed at the Rio Games in 2016.

Two years later, Priscilla became the first Canadian woman to win a medal at the IBSA World Championships in Portugal, capturing bronze. In 2019, she won silver at the IBSA Games in the USA.

Since then, she has won numerous international medals, and she enjoyed some of the finest moments of her career at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, where, in addition to winning a silver medal, she also served as flag-bearer for Team Canada during the opening ceremonies. The following year, she secured the title of runner-up world champion at the IBSA World Championships.

The three-time Pan-American champion and two-time Parapan American Games medallist’s, who studied at the Rhema Bible College in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and at Everest College in Barrie, Ontario, continues to train hard, so that she may continue to win medals for Canada in international tournaments.

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Sasha was born in Pancevo, Serbia, and came to Canada in 1993, when he was eight years old. He got into judo by following the footsteps of his father, a judoka who for years was Sasha’s greatest mentor. A fan of contact sports and martial arts, Sasha chose to dedicate himself to judo as a way to pursue his Olympic dream. In his ten years on the national team, he represented Canada in the Olympic Games twice, in the 2008 Beijing Games and in the 2012 London Games. His greatest accomplishment as an athlete was a seventh place in the World Championships in 2007. Throughout his career, he won several medals in World Cups and Grand Prix competitions. In September 2013, shortly after retiring from competition, Sasha joined the Judo Canada coaching staff. Sasha is an assistant national junior/U23 coach.

Janusz Pawlowski was born July 20, 1959, in Sopot, Poland. The former Polish national team member attained remarkable success in his judo career, fighting in the under 65 kg category. Throughout his career, he was six-time Polish national champion, won three European Championship medals, was two-time Olympic medallist and won three World Championship medals. Janusz hold a master’s degree from the Academy of Physical Education in Gdansk, Poland, with specialization in Judo Coaching. In 2013 Janusz was inducted into the Poland Sport Hall of Fame. Since 1991, Janusz has been training athletes from various backgrounds and from different countries, some of whom have competed at the highest levels, including at the Olympic Games. He helps athletes reach their full potential and achieve their best performance by using his extensive competition experience, worldwide travel and decades of coaching. Janusz is also fluent in five languages. He has lived in Poland, Kuwait, Slovenia, and Italy before arriving in Canada in 2014, where he holds the position of Assistant National Coach at Judo Canada National Training Center in Montreal.

Date of birth: January 27, 1998

Weight Division: 81 kg – Height: 180 cm

Hometown: Alma, Quebec

Residence: Montreal, Quebec

Judo Club: Club de judo Seiko – Province : Quebec

Training Place: Judo Canada’s National Training Centre in Montreal

National Team Coach: Antoine Valois-Fortier

HIGHLIGHTS

• 5th place at the World Championships 2023
• Pan-American Champion Runner-Up 2024
• Pan-American Champion 2023
• Silver Medallist at the Grand Slam Antalya 2024
• 6-time Grand Slam Bronze Medallist on the IJF World Tour

François Gauthier-Drapeau, who was born in Alma, Quebec, began practicing judo as a child, and quickly became one of Canada’s most promising athletes. He first made his mark at the national level, where he won several medals at the Canadian Championship, cementing his reputation in the country’s sports community.

François then went on to achieve great success at the international level. In 2021, he won a bronze medal at the Baku Grand Slam in Azerbaijan. The following year, he won bronze medals at the Tel Aviv Grand Slam in Israel and the PanAmerican–Oceania Championships in Lima, Peru. In 2022, he clinched a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

He continued to work hard in 2023, adding several medals to his tally, including a gold medal at the Pan-American Championships and bronze medals at the Tel Aviv Grand Slam, the Antalya Grand Slam, and the Paris Grand Slam. He then capped off his season with a fifth-place finish at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Since the beginning of 2024, he has maintained his momentum, winning a bronze medal at the Paris Grand Slam, a silver medal at the Antalya Grand Slam, and a silver medal at the Pan-American Championships.

The judoka from Quebec is known for his technical fighting style and his determination on the tatamis. He has continued to train hard and hopes to step onto the podium once again, this time at the Paris Olympic Games.

For the entire list of François’s results, please consult his JudoInside page.

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Alexandre started judo at the Varennes Judo Club when he was 6 years old. In his youth, his parents introduced him to all the sports that the city of Varennes offered. Among all the sports he tried, Judo was his favorite and the one he was passionate about.

From a young age, Alexandre travelled with the Quebec team around Canada to compete in the national championships and it was these first experiences that gave him the desire to continue judo.

Alexander became a member of the national team at the age of 20 and participated in the London Olympic Games in 2012.

Since January 2017, Alexandre has joined the national team as a coach for athletes under the age of 18 who attend the Judo Canada National Training Center (CEN) in Montreal on a part-time basis.

Date of birth: October 29, 1995

Weight division: -57 kg – Height: 161 cm

Hometown: Shiojiri, Nagano, Japan

Residence: Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan

First Judo Club: Seishinkan Judo Club, Japan

Current Judo Club: Lethbridge Kyodokan Judo Club – Province: Alberta

Training place : Yamanashi Gakuin University, Japan

National Team Coach: Antoine Valois-Fortier

HIGHLIGHTS

• 2-time World Champion (2019,2023)
• World Champion Runner-Up 2024 & World Bronze Medallist 2018
• Gold Medallist at IJF World Masters 2022
• 3-time Pan-American Champion (2018,2019,2023)
• 11-time Grand Slam Gold Medallist on the IJF World Tour

Christa was born in Shiojiri, Nagano, Japan. Her father, who was originally from Manitoba, hoped she would learn a martial art, so her mother, who was from Japan, enrolled her in a judo club near her grandmother’s house. Christa therefore undertook her long adventure in judo at the age of three and a half.

Initially under the tutelage of Maruyama-Shihan of the Seishinkan Judo Club, Christa excelled in the Japanese judo system. However, in 2017, for the second time, Judo Canada offered her the opportunity to represent her father’s country. After careful consideration, she decided to accept.

Naturally, a brief adjustment period followed, but with her first gold medal at the Paris Grand Slam in 2018. She went on to win a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2018, followed by the under-57 kg World Championship in 2019, becoming the first Canadian judoka to earn the coveted title.

Over the years, Christa’s achievements have multiplied, including three gold medals at the Pan-American Championships and an impressive total of 11 gold medals at IJF World Tour Grand Slams, as well as a gold medal at the Jerusalem Masters in 2022.

However, she has overcome her share of obstacles on the road to success. Christa narrowly missed out on the chance to compete at the Tokyo Games in 2020, but with perseverance, she soon managed to rise back up through the world rankings in her category.

In May 2023, she took part in the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, where she won the second world title of her career. A year later, at the same event, she secured a spot at the Olympics for the first time by winning the silver medal in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Since she first began practicing judo, Christa has dreamed of becoming an Olympic champion. She remains determined to achieve this goal, and she is dedicated to representing all Canadians, both at home and abroad. But most especially at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

For the entire list of Christa’s results, please consult her JudoInside page

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Date of birth: March 27, 1998

Weight division: 100 kg  Height: 192 cm

Hometown: Alexandria, Egypt

Residence: Montreal, Quebec

Judo Club : Bosei Judo Academy – Province : Ontario

Training place: Judo Canada National Training Centre in Montreal

National Team Coach : Antoine Valois-Fortier

HIGHLIGHTS

• 2024 World Champion Runner-Up
• 5th place at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
• 5th place at the World Championships in 2021 & 2023
• 5-time Pan-American Champion (2019,2020,2022,2023,2024)
• 14-time Grand Prix & Grand Slam medallist on the IJF World Tour

Originally from Egypt, Shady is a remarkable Canadian judo talent. He proved as much at his first Grand Slam tournament in Osaka in 2018, where he won the under-100 kg silver medal.
Since then, the Ontarian has established himself as one of the leaders in his category. In fact, he won five medals in International Judo Federation (IJF) events in 2019 alone. In 2021, he won his first Grand Slam title in Tbilisi, Georgia, and finished fifth at the World Championships just a few weeks before the Tokyo Olympic Games. In the Japanese capital, he put in an excellent performance that earned him a fifth-place finish.
For Shady, the Paris Olympic cycle saw him win five additional Grand Slam medals, including two silver in early 2024. As gold medallist at the 2023 Pan-American Games in Santiago, five-time Pan-American champion, and two-time fifth-place finisher at the 2021 and 2023 World Championships, Shady completed his qualification process for Paris 2024 by becoming runner-up world champion in Abu Dhabi in May 2024. He now intends to maintain his momentum in France, where he will have his sights set on the Olympic podium.

For the entire list of  Shady’s results, please consult his JudoInside page

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Date of birth: October 12, 1993

Weight division: 73 kg  – Height: 180 cm

Hometown: Paris, France

Residence: Montreal, Quebec

Judo Club: Shidokan Judo Club – Province : Quebec

Training place: Judo Canada National Training Centre in Montreal

National Team Coach : Antoine Valois-Fortier

HIGHLIGHTS

• 5th place at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
• 5th place at the 2023 World Championships
• 2-time medallist at the IJF World Masters (Silver 2018, Bronze 2022)
• 12-time Grand Prix & Grand Slam medallist on the IJF World Tour
• 2-time Pan-American Champion (2016,2024) 

Arthur was born in Paris, but he now resides in Montréal. He took up judo at the age of six after his father, an enthusiastic lifelong practitioner of the combat sport, introduced him to it. Judo allows Arthur to push his own limits and fosters continual improvement.
Arthur qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, but unfortunately, he broke his wrist during a training session shortly before the event and had to drop out. However, he never gave up. Over the three years that followed, he had great results at the international level, winning silver medals at the Guangzhou Masters in 2018 and the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in 2019, among others, which allowed him to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Games during the following Olympic cycle.
At the 2020 Olympics, the two-time Pan-American champion put in the best performance of his career, finishing fifth in the under-73 kg category. Following those Games, the Canadian continued to enjoy his share of success, including winning bronze at the 2022 Masters in Jerusalem and finishing fifth at the Doha World Championships a year later. Arthur, who won a silver medal at the Baku Grand Slam in 2022 and a bronze medal at the same venue in February 2024, now has his sights set on the Olympic podium in Paris, where he will compete as reigning Pan-American–Oceania champion.

For the entire list of Arthur’s results, please consult his JudoInside page.

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Since the 1990s, Andrzej Sadej has been one of the iconic faces of Canadian judo. His perseverance and dedication have enabled the advancement of judo in the country on many levels. He started as a national coach from 1990 to 1996 and then moved on to the administration of Judo Canada. His desire has always been to lead Judo Canada to the forefront of international competition. His administrative successes include restructuring the human resources of the Judo Canada office to optimize the organization and the successful transition of the NCCP program. He drafts and implements the long-term athlete development model, always pairing the management of national tournaments. In 2014, Andrzej returned to prominent tatami mats as the national coach of the Paralympic program for the blind athletes of Judo Canada. It gives a second breath to this program. In 2018, Priscilla Gagné became the first female world medalist of the Paralympic program in Canadian judo by winning bronze in Portugal. Once again, Andzrej contributed in an exceptional way! Andrzej Sadej has definitely revitalized Canadian judo with passion and devotion, which gives it a place among the builders