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Despite injuring her ankle just two weeks ago, Canada’s Priscilla Gagné still took home silver at the Para Judo Grand Prix in Tokyo, Japan.
The showdowns between these two rivals are always fierce, as they constantly trade victories. The Ontarian defeated her opponent at the Alexandria Grand Prix last March, before Mutia got the better of her in the semi-finals of the World Championships in August.
On Tuesday, Priscilla Gagné first scored a waza-ari at the start of the bout, but the officials reversed their decision a few seconds later. The American then went on the offensive and scored an ippon with just over a minute remaining to win.
“The fact is Priscilla was in control and followed the game plan very well. This was Mutia’s first successful attack from the left side against a quality opponent. She has clearly improved and is now ranked number one in the world”, commented Canada’s coach Andrzej Sadej.
Taking advantage of a first-round bye, Priscilla Gagné began her tournament with an ippon victory over Moldova’s Ina Cernei. In the semi-finals, the Tokyo Paralympic silver medallist defeated Argentina’s future bronze medallist Paula Gomez, once again by ippon.
“Knowing that she hasn’t had the best preparation for this tournament, I’m confident that Priscilla will be able to beat the American at the next Games, where it counts most”, concluded Andrzej Sadej.
