Montréal, February 15, 2025 – Jessica Klimkait climbed to the highest of the rostrum on the Baku Grand Slam in Azerbaijan on Saturday, whereas François Gauthier-Drapeau stood on the second.
Within the first worldwide competitors of her profession within the under-63 kg weight class, Klimkait carried out exceptionally properly, successful all 4 of her bouts.
“What a method to make an entrance into her new class!” exclaimed Antoine Valois-Fortier, excessive efficiency director and head coach at Judo Canada. “She couldn’t have requested for a greater final result. And never solely was she a robust contender, however she dominated most of her fights.”
Picture Emanuele Feliciantonio, IJF
Jessica Klimkait
In her first-round match, the Ontarian ousted Brazil’s Rafaela Silva with two waza-ari. She then dispatched of Austria’s Lubjana Piovesana—ranked sixth on the planet—by yuko within the quarter-final.
The Whitby native’s subsequent sufferer was Natalia Kropska of Poland, whom she defeated by waza-ari. Lastly, within the huge last, she prevailed over Japan’s Minami Aono when Aono obtained a 3rd penalty.
Klimkait, a former world champion and Olympic bronze medallist within the under-57 weight class, thus made a formidable debut in her new weight class.
“With an athlete of Jessica’s calibre, we had good motive to be optimistic. However nonetheless, it was a take a look at of kinds, to see if she might maintain her personal. To her credit score, she appears to have made all the mandatory changes,” added Valois-Fortier.
François Gauthier-Drapeau’s drive to win
Two weeks after being topped champion on the prestigious Paris Grand Slam, François Gauthier-Drapeau added a silver medal to his assortment within the beneath 81-kg class.
“I discovered that [today] in Baku, he confronted higher-level opponents than he did in Paris. He had a reasonably robust draw!” stated Valois-Fortier. “His will to win says loads about him. He likes to compete, and he’s all the time searching for methods to enhance. That’s one in every of his biggest strengths. I had no issues about François with the ability to carry out properly once more, solely two weeks after Paris.”
Picture Emanuele Feliciantonio, IJF
François Gauthier-Drapeau
In his round-two opening match, the athlete from Alma, QC, battled onerous towards Nodirbek Mavlonberdiev of Uzbekistan, finally successful by yuko.
After dispatching of the Czech Republic’s Jan Svoboda by ippon, Gauthier-Drapeau ousted Egor Sukhoparov with the identical rating within the quarter-final, following a prolonged six minute and twenty-five second battle.
As soon as within the last 4, the Québécois prevailed by ippon over Bahrain’s Askerbii Gerbekov, who holds the thirty ninth spot within the worldwide rankings. It was the primary time in three encounters that Gauthier-Drapeau bested Gerbekov.
Within the huge last, Gauthier-Drapeau, who’s third within the worldwide rankings, confronted tenth-place Zelim Tckaev of Azerbaijan. Within the first minute of regulation time, Tckaev scored a yuko, and regardless of Gauthier-Drapeau’s makes an attempt to come back again from behind, Tckaev was capable of preserve his slim lead.
“[Tckaev] had an ideal first minute and a half. He was competing at house and he didn’t wish to disappoint his followers. After he scored, it grew to become a recreation of cat and mouse,” defined Valois-Fortier. “François had lots of momentum, however he ran out of time during which to safe the win.”
Additionally within the beneath 81-kg class, Arthur Margelidon misplaced his first bout by ippon to Omar Rajabli of Azerbaijan, who’s ranked twenty third on the planet. For the Québécois, it was solely his second worldwide competitors in his new weight class. Beforehand, he fought within the under-73 kg bracket.
Two medals in Tunisia
A number of Canadian judokas additionally competed within the Tunis African Open in Tunisia on Saturday.
Marie-Lune Turmel gained 4 bouts to say the crown within the under-48 kg division, whereas Laurence Biron secured the silver medal after successful three matches within the under-63 kg class.
Félix Mercier-Ross (-73 kg) and Daniel McCristall (-66 kg) had been each halted within the repechage. Mercier-Ross completed fifth after successful two of his 4 bouts. McCristall clinched his first match earlier than dropping the subsequent two.
Frédéric De Cardaillac (-73 kg) secured a first-round win earlier than being eradicated within the subsequent. Heidi Quach misplaced her first and solely bout within the under-48 kg division, as did Tylor Collin (-60 kg), Daniil Kremerman (-66 kg), and Yanis Hachemi (-73 kg).
On Sunday in Tunisia, Olivier Gagnon and David Popovici will hit the tatamis within the under-81 kg class. Guillaume Gaulin will do the identical within the under-90 kg class.
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Written by Sportcom for Judo Canada
For extra info:
Patrick Esparbès
Chief Working Officer
Judo Canada
(514) 668-6279
p.esparbes@judocanada.org
