Montréal, November 12, 2024 – From November 14-17 athletes from thirty-two countries will gather at the Centre Pierre-Charbonneau to take part in the Montréal Continental Cup, competing in the cadet, junior, and senior categories.

More than forty medals will be awarded over the weekend in the various competition divisions.

Following the resounding success of last year’s event, which was marked by Antoine Bouchard’s victory in the senior under-73 kg category in the final bout of his career, Judo Canada is once again anticipating a highly competitive event, sure to thrill the spectators.

One of the competitions will feature Canadian Olympian François Gauthier-Drapeau, (-81 kg( who will take part in the under-90 kg tournament this week-end in Montréal.

For the senior-level athletes, the tournament is a crucial step in their development, as it has a direct impact on their international rankings—an important component in the qualification process for the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028.

In addition, some of the junior-level athletes will have the opportunity to compete in two tournaments, since they will also take part in the senior events. This is an important aspect of Judo Canada’s vision, which is to provide maximum development opportunities to all of its athletes.

“High-level judo competitions are an essential component of the athletes’ development and preparation. Hosting a Pan-American Continental Cup in Canada provides our local judokas with an exceptional opportunity to discover international judo and, for some of them, to earn valuable points toward the world rankings,” said Nicolas Gill, chief executive officer of Judo Canada.

“Competing in front of family, friends, and the home country crowd is an invaluable experience that can push them to new heights.”

The action will get underway on Thursday at the Centre Pierre-Charbonneau with the cadet competitions, and will continue the following day with the junior events. The senior tournaments will take place on Saturday and Sunday.

Just prior to the four days of competition, the Centre Pierre-Charbonneau will host a training camp for several of the international participants.