] Deguchi becomes first Canadian to win Olympic gold in judo

Heading into the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Christa Deguchi was the clear gold medal favourite in the women’s 57 kilogram weight class. On Monday, Deguchi made Canadian sports history by becoming the very first Canadian judoka to win gold.

Deguchi, at 28 years of age, is now an Olympic champion. It was the one thing left off her remarkable resume. Deguchi had previously won the gold medal at the 2019 World Judo Championship in Tokyo and the gold medal at the 2023 World Judo Championship in Doha. Deguchi’s other achievements include 11 International Judo Federation Grand Slam events, four IJF Grand Prix events, and the 2022 World Judo Masters in Jerusalem.

At the Olympic Games, Deguchi defeated silver medalist Huh Mi-mi of South Korean the final. Huh had three penalties, and once you receive three penalties in a single judo match, you lose. Sarah-Leonie Cysique of France and Haruka Funakubo  won the bronze medal.

In addition to beating Huh in the final, Deguchi beat Kristine Jimenez in the round of 16, Maria Perisic of Serbia in the quarterfinals, and Cysique in the semifinals. Huh came into the Olympic Games as the reigning world champion as she beat Deguchi in the gold medal match of the 2024 World Championship in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.