Christa Deguchi Wins Canada’s First Olympic Judo Gold

In an exciting turn of events at the Olympic Games, Christa Deguchi has finally added an Olympic gold medal to her name, making history as Canada’s first Olympic champion in judo.

Deguchi competed in the women’s 57kg category and faced off against Huh Mimi from South Korea in a nail-biting final. The match was intense and scoreless throughout the four minutes of regular time, pushing both competitors into a golden score overtime.

With almost two minutes gone in the golden score period, Deguchi received a second shido, or penalty, putting her in a tense position as both judokas had two penalties each. Just moments later, Huh incurred a penalty for a false attack, which handed the golden victory to Deguchi.

Before reaching the finals, Deguchi took on the home favorite, Sarah Leonie Cysique, from France in the semifinals. This match also went into golden score time, with Cysique ultimately earning her third shido after more than four minutes of extra time, allowing Deguchi to move forward.

Interestingly enough, Cysique had defeated another Canadian athlete, Jessica Klimkait, in the 57kg semifinals during the last Olympics in Tokyo 2020, when Klimkait also received three shidos. Klimkait secured a bronze medal, marking the first Olympic medal won by a Canadian woman in judo.

Deguchi is already known as Canada’s most successful female judoka, having made history in 2019 as the first Canadian to win a world title in judo. She also claimed the world champion title again in 2023 and earned a silver medal at the IJF World Championships earlier this year after losing to Huh in the final.

The thrill of victory was palpable as Deguchi’s triumph not only gave her a coveted Olympic title but also highlighted the strength and talent in Canadian judo. Fans and fellow athletes celebrated this incredible achievement at the Champ-de-Mars arena.