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Y Media Big Shot: Christa Deguchi secures Canada’s first Olympic gold in Judo at Paris 2024

July 30: World number one Christa Deguchi has added an Olympic gold medal to her impressive collection, becoming Canada’s first-ever Olympic champion in judo. Deguchi triumphed in the women’s 57kg judo event at Paris 2024, defeating South Korea’s world number three, Huh Mimi, in a tense final match.

The final bout was scoreless through the four minutes of regulation, pushing the match into golden score, or sudden death overtime. Nearly two minutes into the extra period, Deguchi received a second shido (penalty), equaling Huh’s two penalties. With the pressure mounting, any additional penalty would decide the winner. Less than a minute later, Huh received another shido for a false attack, making Deguchi the Olympic champion.

Deguchi’s path to the final included a victory over France’s Sarah Leonie Cysique in the semifinals. Like the final, their match was scoreless in regulation time, extending into more than four minutes of golden score. The match ended when Cysique received her third shido, handing the win to Deguchi, who narrowly avoided a similar fate with two shidos.

In a notable twist, it was Cysique who defeated another Canadian, Jessica Klimkait, in the 57kg semifinal at Tokyo 2020, resulting in Klimkait earning a bronze medal, the first Olympic medal for a Canadian woman in judo.

Deguchi has been Canada’s most successful female judoka, making history in 2019 as the first Canadian to win a world title in judo, and reclaiming the world champion title in 2023. Earlier this year, she secured a silver medal at the IJF World Championships, where she was bested by Huh. Deguchi’s Olympic victory in Paris is a crowning achievement in her illustrious career.

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