By Canadian Press

Montreal judoka Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard fights to gold at Tel Aviv Grand Slam

Feb 17, 2023 | 3:46 PM

TEL AVIV, Israel — Montreal judoka Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard fought to a gold medal in the under-63-kilogram category on Friday at the Tel Aviv Grand Slam.

Beauchemin-Pinard won her third career gold on the circuit and first since 2021 when she defeated Cuba’s Maylin Del Toro Carvajal in the grand final.

Del Toro defeated Beauchemin-Pinard in a bronze-medal match two weeks ago at the Paris Grand Slam.

In Friday’s rematch, Beauchemin-Pinard scored a waza-ari by throwing her opponent to the ground one minute forty seconds into the fight.

Then, after several more efforts on the floor, she grabbed Del Toro Carvajal’s arm, forcing her to give up and scoring an ippon for the win.

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“In going for this medal, I felt a bit like I was avenging myself,” Beauchemin-Pinard said. “I could see the error I had made in Paris, and I didn’t want to let it happen again. I avoided contact with her and I kept my distance. I concentrated on my own judo and on avoiding her traps.”

In men’s action, François Gauthier-Drapeau of Alma, Que., earned bronze in the men’s under-81 kg weight category when he defeated Portugal’s Joao Fernando by ippon after two minutes of fighting.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 17, 2023.

The Canadian Press