“Naturally, I wanted to win, but still, I’m realistic” – Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard

Montréal, December 6, 2025 – Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard would have preferred a stronger result on Saturday in her first competition in nearly six months. However, at the iconic Tokyo Grand Slam in Japan, the Canadian was limited to a single test after receiving a bye in the first round.

Photo Tom Taylor – Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard in white

In the under-63 kg category, Beauchemin-Pinard was ousted by Israel’s Gili Sharir, the gold medallist at the Zagreb Grand Prix in November, in a match that seemed to stretch on forever.

After four minutes of regulation combat, the Québécoise and her opponent headed into overtime, where penalties were quickly handed out. The two judokas therefore had to exercise caution to avoid receiving a third shido. More than three and a half minutes into Golden Score, however, the runner-up world champion ultimately made one error too many, receiving a penalty for a false attack that immediately ended the match and, simultaneously, terminated her run in the competition.

“The fight was dragging on, but I felt like I could win it. I felt like I was doing good judo, but in the end, I think it came down to a mental battle. I had the upper hand, but I guess I got a little too confident, and I attempted some attacks without properly preparing them, and that’s what cost me the match,” explained Beauchemin-Pinard.

Although she would have preferred to finish on top of the podium, the 31-year-old judoka takes a positive view of the challenging day, particularly as it pertains to assessing her own fitness level after several months away from elite competition.

“My preparation and weight loss for the tournament went well. I wanted to get a sense of where I stand, since I haven’t competed in several months. I was pleasantly surprised by my ability to handle everything. Now I’m more aware of what I need to work on over the next few months of training,” said Beauchemin-Pinard.

“Naturally, I wanted to win, but still, I’m realistic. I haven’t competed in six months. Sometimes, you need to get through a comeback tournament where things don’t go so well, because it makes you want to do better,” she concluded.

Beauchemin-Pinard will remain in Japan over the next few days to attend a training camp, before heading home for the holidays. She will resume training early in the new year to prepare for the Tashkent and Linz Grand Prix, being held in March.

Two other Canadians were in action in Tokyo on Saturday. In the under-52 kg weight division, Evelyn Beaton bowed out to Nanako Tsubone of Japan in the first round. Tsubone went on to win the category’s silver medal.

For Carla Van Zyl (-57 kg), it was the first Grand Slam of her career. After winning her first bout, the British Columbian was defeated in the second round by Shirlen Nascimento of Brazil.

Canadians Coralie Godbout (-78 kg), Julien Frascadore (-66 kg), Arthur Margelidon (-81 kg), and François Gauthier-Drapeau (-81 kg) will take to the tatamis in the Japanese capital on Sunday.

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Written by Sportcom for Judo Canada

For more information:

Patrick Esparbès
Chief Operating Officer
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(514) 668-6279
p.esparbes@judocanada.org