PARIS – Christa Deguchi has won Canada’s first gold medal of the Paris Olympics with a victory in the under-57 kilogram judo event.
Deguchi, the world’s top-ranked female judoka, defeated Mimi Huh in the final when the South Korean was flagged for a false attack in sudden-death overtime, giving her a match-ending third penalty.
It was a measure of revenge for Deguchi, who lost to Huh in the under-57 kg final at the 2024 world championships.
Deguchi, a two-time world champion, is the first-ever Canadian Olympic champion in judo.
She advanced to the final with a win over crowd favourite Sarah-Léonie Cysique of France.
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Cysique went on to beat Georgia’s Eteri Liparteliani for bronze.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2024.