Christa Deguchi debuts at multisports Games

A recent victory at the Zagreb Grand Prix has Canadian judoka Christa Deguchi in better spirits as she begins on the long - and winding road to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Deguchi would like for that journey to end with her reaching her ultimate goal: becoming an Olympic champion. For now, that starts with the Commonwealth Games.

The 26-year-old was able to jump six spots in the world rankings with the gold-medal win in Croatia entering her first Commonwealth Games. The Birmingham Games are also be the first opportunity for the former world No. 1 to represent Canada at a multi-sport event.

"It was very nice to win again [in Zagreb] and it made me look forward to an Olympics again," Deguchi told CBC Sports about her latest performance. "I'm excited [for the Commonwealth Games], I want more experience. I want to do the best so I can bring back the gold for Canada.

"This year, to win the worlds will be the biggest goal. In the future, to be a gold medallist in the Olympics – [that's] the final goal for me."

Deguchi, who had competed for Japan prior to joining the Canada team, has made history wearing the Maple Leaf before.

She is the first Canadian woman to medal at the judo worlds when she took bronze in 2018. Deguchi then became the first to win gold at the world championships the very next year.

Her fall in the rankings began when fellow Canadian Jessica Klimkait, the current world No. 1, leapfrogged her with a grand slam victory in October of 2020.

The two were originally on a path to face each other in 2020 for the lone spot to represent Canada in Tokyo, but it never came to fruition after Klimkait suffered a knee injury and competition was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Klimkait – who has lost all six career meetings against Deguchi – eventually secured the spot in the Olympics by winning the 2021 world title. She went on to be the first Canadian woman to stand on an Olympic podium, earning bronze last summer. Klimkait will be skipping the Commonwealth Games to prepare for October's world championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, according to Judo Canada.

Canadian national team coach Antoine Valois-Fortier, who is also an Olympic medallist, says a strong mental game is key to Deguchi's success.

"Christa is an extremely high-level athlete. It will all be a question of being physically fit, and not injured, being mentally ready for the tournament and managing her weight well," Valois-Fortier said.

Having worked on the mental aspect of her preparation – focusing on "not thinking too much" prior to competitions and turning away from self-inflicted pressure – Deguchi looks to carry her new momentum into Birmingham, and the upcoming world championships.