Montréal, March 8, 2026 (Sportcom) – Judoka Coralie Godbout (-78 kg) lost in the bronze medal match on Sunday, in a hotly contested fight at the Upper Austria Grand Prix in Linz, Austria, and ended the competition in fifth place in her category.

Photo : Sabau Gabriela / International Judo Federation

The Québec-based athlete kicked off the bronze medal round in fine form, against Ukraine’s Yuliia Kurchenko.

“Coralie was dominant with her grip, was anticipating, and had good attacks. However, she strayed from the strategy that was planned, which unfortunately opened the door for her opponent. Her adversary then scored a yuko, with only about 30 seconds left in the match,” noted Coach Janusz Pawlowski.

Yet even in the face of defeat, overall, the event proved positive. “Godbout is able to fight strong opponents, and she approached the medal fight with a winning mentality,” commented the coach.

Earlier in the day, Godbout easily defeated her first opponent, scoring an ippon in the final seconds of her match against the Ukraine’s Anna Kazakova.

In the quarterfinals, the judoka had a more challenging time when faced with the aggressive judo style of Marie Branser (Guinea). The bout went into overtime when Godbout received a third shido, resulting in her disqualification.

However, Godbout rebounded in the repêchage with a quickly-disputed match against Finland’s Emma Krapu. The Canadian’s ippon victory in that round earned her a spot in the bronze medal match.

Canada earns two medals at the Portimao Junior European Cup

Also in action on the tatami this Sunday were Matthew Molchanov (-90 kg) and Rima Bourihane (-52 kg). Each of the judokas won bronze medals at the Portimão Junior European Cup in Portugal. Team Canada Coach Antoine Bouchard was more satisfied with Sunday’s results, than he had been the day before.

“We had three Canadian judokas in the bronze medal matches and won two medals. Those who didn’t win medals went relatively far in the repêchage, so they won a number of fights. So, there are some good elements that can be taken away from today,” the Coach commented.

In her bronze medal match, Rima Bourihane faced Tayla Harani (Israel). Bourihane scored a point midway through the bout, and maintained her lead until the end to win. The Canuck judoka finished the day with a total of three wins and one loss – and a bronze medal.

“In her first two victories, she scored a point very quickly, and was able to maintain that pace throughout her bouts. In the semifinals though, she had to fight a big name. The bout was going relatively well, but then she made a mistake on the ground and her opponent took advantage of it,” explained Antoine Bouchard in reference to Bourihane’s competition.

In the Under 90 kg category, Matthew Molchanov also lost in the semifinals, but recovered well in the bronze medal match, where he defeated Turkey’s Atilla Dinc, to grab a medal.

“He’s still a cadet, and he went on to win a medal in the Junior category, so that’s quite a solid achievement. He looked great all day long. He was in control, minimized risks, and was able to take advantage of the opportunities that came his way in the match,” said his coach.

Laurence Gagnon (-57 kg) was also in a bronze medal round, but sadly lost to Spain’s Odalis Santiago Santana. The Canadian ended her day ranked fifth in her category, with a record of two wins and two losses.

Yehor Paladii (-100 kg), Helena Martins De Oliveira (-52 kg) and Hayden Thibeault (-57 kg) also all stepped onto the tatami, but their progress came to a halt during their second repechage bouts.

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Written by Sportcom for Judo Canada

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