Montreal, June 30, 2017 (Sportcom) – Friday, Canadian judokas Ecaterina Guica and Jessica Klimkait both added a medal to their growing collections, thanks to outstanding performances at China’s Hothot Grand Prix. Guica will stash a sparkling silver in her bags, while Klimkait will be bringing a beautiful bronze in her luggage. Not to be outdone, in Cancun Mexico at the Panamerican Championships – Cadet and Junior, Canadian judokas were also busy earning medals.

Ecaterina Guica plotted a perfect course right up to the U52 kg category final in China. In the preliminary round, she got the better of North Korea’s Ji Un Ha with an ippon, then went on to defeat China’s Wang Xin with a waza-ari. In the semi-final, Guica then took on and beat Mongolia’s Urantsetseg Munkhbat with an ippon.

However the tides turned in the final, when North Korea’s Rim Song Sim surprised the Quebec native with an ippon, leaving Guica the silver.

“Ecaterina easily dominated her competitors in all her matches today, right up to the final. It was a great day for her,” commented Coach Sasha Mehmedovic.

Ecaterina Guica (left) on the podium

Meanwhile, in the U57 kg category, Jessica Klimkait earned one of two available bronze medals. Klimkait started her day well with two preliminary-round victories by ippon against South Korea’s Kim Saeri and China’s Ding Ling.

However, in a tricky and tight semi-final, the Canadian was eventually defeated by Japan’s Momo Tamaoki. “It was a really tight match today until unfortunately Jessica was defeated at the beginning of overtime; she was competing against the same Japanese judoka that she lost to earlier this year,” clarified Sasha Mehmedovic.

In the bronze medal bout, Klimkait won against North Korean judoka Ri Hyo Sun via penalties.

“Jessica worked for her bronze medal today – in fact it’s her third international medal in a row. I’m honestly extremely proud and happy of what these athletes accomplished here today,” added the Canadian Coach.

Quebec’s Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard was also on the tatami in the U57 kg class, but saw her day end after her first bout with Germany’s Viola Waechter.

In Men’s judo competitions in Hothot, Antoine Bouchard (U66 kg) was out of luck after a first round elimination via ippon, dolled out by South Korea’s Kim Limhwan.

Canadians Leave Cancun with Ten Medals

Canuck judokas made the country proud just ahead of Canada Day, at the Cancun Panamerican Championships – Cadet and Junior, earning a total of ten medals, and putting Team Canada just behind number-one ranked Brazil in national rankings.

Sava Antic (U73 kg) will be bringing home a gold after a successful waza-ari against American Liam Wright in the final. Leading up to that fateful final, Antic won his two previous match-ups, defeating both American Jackson Butler and International Judo Federation’s Carlos Paez.

Benjamin Kendrick (U90 kg) had what many would call a perfect day and topped it off with a gold medal after a series of successes: a win via ippon over Costa Rica’s Stuard Chacon, Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Panniccia, and yet another ippon win in the final against Brazil’s Marcelo Fonseca.

In the same category, Ian Ryder finished in third place.

Joel Demaere (U60 kg) kicked off his day in fine fighting form, winning his first two preliminary round bouts via ippon against American Nicholas Rodriguez and Dominican Republic’s Daniel Martinez De Los Santos. He then went on to beat Ecuador’s Byron Guillen with a waza-ari in the semi-final; the Canadian then lost steam in the final, losing by ippon to Brazil’s Wilian Lima.

Dontae De Jesus, also in the U60 kg, won a bronze medal.

Elsewhere on the tatami, Luka Khatelishvili (U81 kg) earned himself a second-place finish and silver. Though Mexico’s Agustin Gil defeated the Canadian with an ippon in the final, earlier in the day, Khatelishvili had a series of convincing victories via ippon himself, against Guatemala’s Moises Cortez Flores and Brazil’s Nuciano Santos Junior.

Arno Blacquiere (U50 kg) will have heavier luggage to take home after scoring a bronze medal, thanks to two wins in three bouts. Kaegan Young (U66 kg) also reached the third step of the podium after a day that featured three wins and one loss.

In the U48 kg category, it was Team Canada against Team Canada in a duel for third place, wherein Cecilia Marie Medilo took the win via ippon against teammate Lea Roy, who had to settle for an eventual fifth place.

Alicia Fiandor and Sierra Tanner also faced familiar faces on the tatami for the bronze medal in the U63 kg class – Fiandor launched a waza-ari, thereby taking the win.

Emilija Ema Tesanovic (U44 kg), Coralie Godbout (U70 kg), Alexandre Arencibia (U81 kg), and Aidos Sapenov (U55 kg) all earned fifth place finishes. In each of their respective categories, Kiera Westlake (U52 kg), Rachel Krapman (U57 kg), and Annabelle Darlow (+70 kg) completed their days in seventh place. Eibhleann Alexander (U52 kg) was unranked after losing her first match.

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Information :
Patrick Esparbès
Chief Operating Officer
(514) 668-6279
p.esparbes@judocanada.org