Evelyn Beaton and Charlyse Isabelle Medilo Win Bronze Medals

The three Canadian judokas who were in action at the Jeux de la Francophonie on Wednesday all won a medal in their respective categories in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Evelyn Beaton and Charlyse Isabelle Medilo took bronze, while Julien Frascadore finished on a high note with a gold medal.

“Already, being here in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the Jeux de la Francophonie is a great experience. It’s very different from other competitions, and I was really happy to have the chance to take part. Winning and being the champion feels really good” said Frascadore.

In the -66kg final against Fernand Nkero of Gabon, Frascadore was the first to score after 1 minute and 30 seconds of fighting. In the final minute, he and his opponent were both penalized twice, but Frascadore managed to protect his lead.

“The shidos came quickly, but I was confident. I was in control and my coach told me to keep the strategy and play my cards right. I had the advantage and I had to be intelligent in the way I fought to win,” he explained.

Julien Frascadore first defeated Joe Haddad of Lebanon, Rovernie Pillay of Seychelles, and Mouhamedou Mboup of Senegal on Wednesday at the Tata Raphaël Stadium in Kinshasa, before a particularly noisy crowd.

“I didn’t know what to expect until I got here, and the atmosphere is fantastic! There are a lot of people in the stands, and they were singing really loudly! It took me a bit of getting used to, we’re not used to in judo to seeing so many people shouting and singing non-stop, but in the end, I was able to enjoy this great atmosphere.”

Two Bronze Medals

In the -48 kg category, Charlyse Isabelle Medilo won her first international medal on Wednesday.

“This is my first and I’m winning it at a big event! I’m really happy to have finished the day strongly, even though I think I could have done better. Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with what I’ve accomplished,” said the Canadian, who defeated Natacha Emiliame Razafindrakalo of Madagascar twice rather than once in the curtain raiser.

Her only defeat of the tournament came against Aziza Chakir of Morocco. Despite the disappointment, Charlyse Isabelle Medilo didn’t let it get her down.

She faced Gemina Ntima Mputuilu of the Democratic Republic of Congo in her last match of the day. The British Columbian athlete scored a quick waza-ari, then closed the circle a few seconds later with an ippon. A lot of action in a short amount of time, as the bout lasted only 1 minute 34 seconds.

“I kept visualizing what I had to do and focused on my game plan,” said the bronze medallist. My goal was to get ahead of her before she could attack me, and I think it worked well! The faster I attacked, the more difficult it would be for her to impose her judo style.”

In the -52kg category, Evelyn Beaton got the better of Mireille Ifaliana Andriamifehy of Madagascar. A victory that took her to the third step of the podium.

The two judokas had been fighting for over three minutes when Beaton managed to score a waza-ari. A sequence that will eventually lead her to victory.

“I’m a bit disappointed because I wanted to do better here. I managed to pull myself together despite the loss in the semi-finals and I was still able to finish the job, so I’m happy,” she shared.

The Albertan won her first two duels against Rabilatou Mamane Ali of Niger and Fatime Barka Segue of Chad. A setback to Cameroon’s Marie Celine Baba Matia then steered her to a bronze medal fight.

“I had to put the result of the semi-final behind me. One sequence at a time and I tried to focus on the little details and what I could control,” Beaton emphasized.

The Jeux de la Francophonie will continue Thursday in Kinshasa. Isabelle Harris (-63 kg), Justin Lemire (-73 kg) and David Popovici (-81 kg) will all be one to watch for the occasion.