Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard gives double joy to Canada

The big favourite in the category, Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard, had every intention of imitating her U57kg teammates, Deguchi and Klimkait, the finalists on day one. A bronze medallist in Tokyo in 2021 and regularly present on international podia, Beauchemin-Pinard was not bothered too much by pressure and passed through the elimination phases with ease. At 29 years old and sitting at fifth place in the world, the Canadian judoka seems to have mastered her judo.

Will this be enough next year, to reach the podium again in Paris? It is far too early to answer but Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard will certainly be one of the good chances for the country with the maple leaf, Antoine Valois-Fortier's team.

Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard therefore qualified for the final where she found the Chinese Jing Tang, not one of the favourites of the competition. We were rather expecting Katharina Haecker (AUS) or Renata Zachova (CZE) in this second part of the draw but it was Tang who ruined Haecker's hopes in the quarter-final, before continuing her momentum against Cristina Cabana Perez (ESP) in the semi-final, the latter having beaten Zachova earlier in the day.

The final accelerated steadily from the first hajime, building up to a decisive exchange in which Tang attacked at the hip. Beauchemin-Pinard was ready for it and as if following textbook instructions employed a perfect ura-nage to score ippon and take her fourth grand slam gold. Consistency is her middle name!

It was Nauana Silva (BRA) and Cristina Cabana Perez (ESP) who qualified for the first bronze medal contest. Silva and Cabana Perez began evenly, neither making the space needed to attempt a throwing action. A penalty came for each at the 60 second mark. Still nothing substantial was registered for some time. The Spanish judoka tried one attack with little preparation and then Silva did the same. With one and a half minutes to go the Spaniard began to open up which forced a reaction from Silva. Both were now looking for the big throw and a more dynamic few exchanges took place. Silva earned a second shido which put her in a precarious position. With one second left on the clock and accepting a slower pace had taken over again, both athletes were penalised again, giving the win and the bronze medal to Cabana Perez, her first grand slam medal.

Renata Zachova (CZE) and Lubjana Piovesana (AUT) offered their respective countries a chance to gain a first medal at this grand slam. The contest was led by Piovesana from the outset, not by much but enough to put pressure on Zachova. At a little over halfway the Austrian attacked with a ko-uchi which initially scored but was waved off after review, however it was enough to offer her an advantage in the ground and there she held with sangaku for ippon. This is Piovesana’s first grand slam medal, adding to her first Grand Prix medal, earned in Zagreb in August. Things are looking up for her.