Olympic Champion Christa Deguchi Announces Retirement

Montréal, March 23, 2026 – Following a stellar international career, Olympic champion, two-time world champion, three-time Pan-American champion, and multiple Grand Slam and Grand Prix medallist Christa Deguchi has announced her retirement from competitive judo.

Photo IJF – Gabriela Sabau
Christa Deguchi

Born in Japan to a Japanese mother and a Canadian father, the talented judoka has represented Canada on the tatamis since 2017. The final competition of her career was at the Olympic Games in Paris last summer, where she made history by becoming the first Canadian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in judo.

For Deguchi, the months that followed the Olympics were difficult, both physically and mentally. After much reflection, she decided to retire from competition. And although the Olympic champion is very satisfied with her achievements, she already misses the sport she has practised since the age of three.

“I’ve been doing judo for 27 years! It’s strange to think that I won’t be training and competing all over the world anymore. I don’t know what’s next for me. I’m not sure what my next professional goals will be. I’m both happy with my decision and sad that this chapter of my life is coming to an end. But I’m very grateful that judo has been a part of my life for so many years,” she said.

One year after her historic triumph in the French capital, Deguchi planned to compete in the Grand Slam in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Something felt different, though, and it seemed that things might not turn out as planned.

“I was training steadily, but I was no longer sure I was up to it. It seemed more difficult, especially the weight loss and everything that goes with it. I no longer felt that spark that helps you push through all the sacrifices you have to make. I felt like [my competitive career] might be over, but I wanted to take the time to be absolutely certain.”

In Japan, the month of April signifies rebirth and renewal. It marks the end of the fiscal and academic years and the blooming of the sakura (cherry) trees. It is for this reason that Deguchi wished to wait until the spring to announce her retirement, even though she made her decision some time ago. She also wanted to retire on her own terms, not because of a serious injury.

And although she will no longer be competing, Deguchi promises she will not disappear from the world of judo. In fact, she hopes to remain as involved as she can.

“During my career, I never had any major injuries, and it was important to me to know when to retire and when to start thinking about my next steps. And now feels like the right moment. But I would never be able to walk away from judo completely. I’m going to remain involved in this wonderful community. I’d like to be able to make a difference to young athletes, to inspire them to take up this wonderful sport and lead an active life through judo.”

“I am where I am today thanks to Canada”

During her early competitions as a representative of Canada, Deguchi struggled. In fact, she was eliminated in the first rounds of the Abu Dhabi and Tokyo Grand Slams in 2017. However, everything changed a few months later, when she defeated Japan’s Tsukasa Yoshida in the final of the Paris Grand Slam in 2018.

“That’s when I really felt the spark,” she explained. “Before I arrived in Canada, I practised judo, sure, but I didn’t really have any specific goals. But when I arrived here, I started to see what was possible. It was hard at first, but after I won in Paris, I felt invincible. That’s when I really started to feel confident in myself. I suddenly understood that podium finishes were within reach, and I wanted to win.”

The rest, as they say, is history. Of all the great victories in her career, the most extraordinary one for Deguchi was her very last one, in July 2024, which she won at the Champ-de-Mars Arena in Paris, defeating Mimi Huh of South Korea in overtime.

“It was Canada’s first Olympic gold medal, and I’ll remember that moment all my life. I was happy for myself, of course, but the best part was seeing that I could inspire so many young people, both in Canada and in Japan. When I began practising judo, I certainly never imagined that I would one day be an Olympic champion. But I latched on to that crazy dream, and it came true.”

Quite unintentionally, Deguchi’s career was marked by her rivalry with her compatriot Jessica Klimkait. The two Canadian judokas often occupied the number one and number two spots in the under-57 kg world rankings, and they therefore competed against each other quite regularly. For the two women, the stakes were often greater than a simple question of victory or defeat, as Olympic qualification was their top priority.

For the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, it was Klimkait who secured the under-57 kg spot on the Canadian team. It came as a blow to Deguchi at the time, but in hindsight, it proved to be beneficial in the long run.

“When I didn’t qualify for the Tokyo Games, I took it hard, and I started asking myself if it was time for me to retire. I was very sad to miss out on the Olympics in the country where I had grown up. But Jessica went, and she won a medal, and I was very happy for her. Were in not for the rivalry between us, I don’t think I would ever have become an Olympic champion. I wish we could have attended the Olympics together and faced each other in the finals. Jessica definitely made me a better athlete,” said Deguchi.

Deguchi was fortunate in that she was able to share her time in Canada with her younger sister Kelly, who also competed at the Paris Olympics. The sport brought the two sisters closer than ever.

“At first, Kelly was in the same weight class as me, but she changed to the under-52 kg category after the Tokyo Olympics. Our goal was to compete at the Paris Olympics together, and we succeeded. It was amazing! It was the most wonderful experience of our entire careers,” said Deguchi, whose sister Kelly also hung up her judogi on Monday.

Christa Deguchi had a message for all the Canadian fans who have supported her over the past few years. Her career reached a level she could never have imagined when she first stepped onto the tatamis in Canada.

“I’m so grateful to everyone who has been a part of my career. I am where I am today thanks to Canada, thanks to my coaches Sasha Mehmedovic and Antoine Valois-Fortier, thanks to Nicolas Gill, and thanks to all the Canadian judo fans. Judo Canada will always be my family. I’ll see you again soon,” she promised.

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Written by Sportcom for Judo Canada

For more information:

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