Evelyn Beaton caught off guard

Montréal, May 8, 2026 – Albertan judoka Evelyn Beaton lost her first bout in the Under 52kg division at the Astana Grand Slam, Kazakhstan on Friday. A silver medalist at the recent Senior Pan American Championships in April, Beaton was defeated by Kazakhstan’s Meruyert Sarsenova.

Photo: IJF / Tamara Kulumbegashvili

“I think Evelyn was a little nervous today, and because of that she wasn’t able to reach her full potential,” explained national team coach Antoine Valois-Fortier. “She was certainly a little disappointed, but that’s just a part of the ups and downs of experience.”

Kazahk athlete Sarsenova went on to the bronze medal round, and later finished fifth in place.

At 21 years old, Beaton was competing in only her fourth Grand Slam. While she was in a strong position early in the match, an attack by Sarsenova caught Beaton off guard. The Canadian judoka expected to be able to counter it, but the bout was ended with an ippon from her opponent.

“I’m confident over the next few weeks she’ll bounce back, and come out overall stronger from these minor setbacks,” Valois-Fortier said.

The Grand Slam continues throughout the weekend, with other Canadians stepping onto the tatami to demonstrate their skills. François Gauthier-Drapeau – the top seed in the Under 81kg class – received a bye in his category, and will advance directly to the second round on Saturday. Lowan Le Bris will compete in the Under 73kg category in his first-ever Grand Slam appearance, and will face France’s Maxime Gobert in the first round.

In women’s judo action Saturday, world vice champion Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard (Under 63kg) will take on local favorite Samalay Yergaliyeva in her first bout. Coralie Godbout will face Mongolia’s Khuslen Otgonbayar Sunday, in the Under 78 kg division.

“Catherine [Beauchemin-Pinard] and François [Gauthier-Drapeau] are very experienced judokas. Lowan Le Bris is also very talented, and he’s just getting started at this level of competition. Coralie [Godbout], will also be on the mat, and I hope to see her on the podium. I do expect some of our judokas to be in the running for a medal,” noted Valois-Fortier, who was himself a bronze medalist at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

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Written by Sportcom for Judo Canada

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Patrick Esparbès
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