Christa Deguchi Makes History with Gold in Judo at Paris 2024

The dream of Olympic gold for Christa Deguchi has finally come true. The Canadian judoka captured the top honors in the under 57 kg category on Monday at the Paris Games.

Deguchi’s stunning victory not only marks the first gold medal for Canada at these Olympics, but it is also the country’s first-ever Olympic title in judo. She defeated South Korea’s Huh Mimi in the final.

After an exhausting battle, a crucial penalty in overtime determined the match. Huh was disqualified after accumulating three penalties for false attacks.

Initially, Deguchi was bewildered as the referee called an end to the match. It wasn’t until she stepped off the mat and saw the media that the magnitude of her win sank in. “I did it,” she realized.

Born in Japan but joining the Canadian team seven years ago, Deguchi expressed her gratitude to fans across the country for their overwhelming support. “My dream has come true,” said the Olympic champion on Radio-Canada Sports. She also acknowledged everyone who welcomed her to Canada in 2017.

In the early moments of the final, both athletes appeared to study each other closely. The referee even issued penalties for passivity against both judokas as they exchanged few attacks.

As the match progressed, Deguchi attempted to gain points through ground techniques, but Huh skillfully defended against every attempt.

In overtime, Deguchi nearly flipped her opponent but Huh fell onto her knees, resulting in a tense finish. The match concluded after Huh received her third penalty from referee Matthieu Bataille, sealing the victory for the Canadian.

Fans witnessed the former Olympic athlete Antoine Valois-Fortier joyfully cheering from the sidelines as Deguchi triumphed on the tatami of the Champ-de-Mars Arena.

Earlier in the tournament, the 28-year-old Canadian took down French judoka Sarah-Léonie Cysique, who had previously won a silver medal at the Tokyo Games and was ranked fifth in the world.

Cysique eventually secured the bronze medal by defeating Georgian Eteri Liparteliani by ippon.

Deguchi is currently the number one judoka in the world in her category and is the most decorated Canadian judoka, holding two world championship titles from 2019 and 2023, along with a silver medal from the 2024 world championships.

The last time Canada saw an Olympic judo medal was during the Tokyo Games in 2021, when Jessica Klimkait and Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard both won bronze medals.

In the men’s under 73 kg category, Canadian Arthur Margelidon was eliminated by Italian Manuel Lombardo during the repêchage round, finishing the event in seventh place. Margelidon had earlier fought valiantly in the quarterfinals against the world number one, Hidayet Heydarov from Azerbaijan but ultimately lost in the sixth-minute overtime.