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Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard on tour to revive judo in Canada | You have seen?

Klimkait and Beauchemin-Pinard both won bronze medals in Tokyo. A remarkable feat never before achieved by a Canadian judoka.

The two medalists received a double mission from their national federation: to revive judo, which is going through difficult times in Canada, and to promote women’s judo.

The first stop on their tour is in British Columbia. They will travel to Abbotsford on the 1stOctober, to participate in technical mini-camps with young athletes from the region.

Radio-Canada joined Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard on Wednesday in the heart of Vancouver.

I see the opportunity to promote my sport, to promote sport in general as well, and to promote sport among young girls, explains the Quebec judoka.

I’m here to share my passion, show my techniques, and then hope to see people follow my path in a few years.

Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard on a cross-Canada tour in Vancouver

Photo: Société Radio-Canada

The two Olympic medalists also plan to meet local officials, whether from political or community circles, or even from the business world.

Investing in sport and in young people is very important, in my opinion, she explains. And if I can get this message across, one of my missions will be done.

The other mission is to go around judo clubs, to give advice to the next generation and to encourage young girls to take an interest in judo.

Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard is thus continuing her approach to young people that she has undertaken in schools in Quebec since her return to Canada.

I am always excited to meet young people, to share my story, to explain to them how I started judo, and that it is possible for them, because when I was young, I was really not athletic, she recalls. They are really happy to see me, to see my medal, and when they ask me questions, it’s always very funny.

Replenish the clubs to ensure succession

This Judo Canada initiative aims to stimulate and revive judo across the country in the wake of the Olympics and the pandemic.

In March 2020, all judo clubs stopped, and we quickly realized that this pandemic would last a few weeks, and that it would have an impact on our lives., explains Nicolas Gill, General Manager of Judo Canada.

Nicolas Gill in glasses and t-shirt faces the camera during an interview with Radio-Canada.

Nicolas Gill interviewed on Radio-Canada

Photo: Société Radio-Canada

<q data-attributes="{"lang":{"value":"fr","label":"Français"},"value":{"html":"Et pour un sport de contact comme le judo, l'impact a été ressenti à grande échelle. Si on regarde la saison dernière, on a perdu 65% of our members approximately, we have a hundred clubs which have not resumed their activities since the start of the pandemic. “,” text “:” And for a contact sport like judo, the impact has been felt in large scale. If we look at last season, we lost around 65% of our members, we have a hundred clubs that have not resumed their activities since the start of the pandemic. “}}”>And for a contact sport like judo, the impact has been felt on a large scale. If we look at last season, we lost about 65% of our members, we have a hundred clubs that have not resumed their activities since the start of the pandemic.

Clubs closed during the pandemic, it was a blow, recalls Beauchemin-Pinard.

The world couldn’t really do judo because of the contact. So, Jessica and I, we are here to revive, so that there are more young people who register and so that they like this sport., she adds.

Nicolas Gill admits that it will take two or three years to regain the number of registered members in Canadian clubs before the pandemic, around 23,000.

The important thing is not just to participate, it is also to have a little success, says Nicolas Gill, laughing. To have two spokespersons like that, it was an opportunity that we could not miss to achieve our two objectives, namely to help the clubs on the ground to relaunch their activities, they need it, and to help the young girls to do judo, and we hope that many will decide to follow Catherine and Jessica’s path.

Two juxtaposed portraits

Jessica Klimkait, bronze medalist in Tokyo, has been practicing judo since the age of five.

Photo: The Canadian Press / Adrian Wyld

The bronze medals obtained in Tokyo provide Judo Canada with funding for the next three-year Olympic cycle, in preparation for the 2024 Games in Paris.

We have to make sure that our structure is healthy if we want to maintain the success we had in Tokyo.

Our high performance programs are not at risk directly, but the reality is that everything is connected, says Nicolas Gill. If our network of clubs is not healthy, sooner or later the top of the pyramid will suffer.

Nicolas Gill is already thinking of the 2028 Olympics, in Los Angeles, and those of 2032, in Brisbane.

<q data-attributes="{"lang":{"value":"fr","label":"Français"},"value":{"html":"Si le groupe qui ira à Paris est pas mal en place, le groupe qui ira à Los Angeles, ce sont des jeunes qui ont 16, 17, 18years today, and they have suffered enormously from the pandemic, they have not competed for 18 months. “,” text “:” If the group that will go to Paris is not badly in place, the group that will go in Los Angeles, these are young people who are 16, 17, 18 years old today, and they have suffered greatly from the pandemic, they have not competed for 18 months. “}}”>If the group that will go to Paris is not badly in place, the group that will go to Los Angeles, these are young people who are 16, 17, 18 years old today, and they have suffered enormously from the pandemic, they have not. not competed for 18 months.

In our high-level programs, this is our biggest concern, admits the two-time Olympic medalist. These are the generations of Los Angeles and Brisbane to work on. We think about it a lot.

A judoka raises her arm to celebrate after her victory.

Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard at the Tokyo Games

Photo : Getty Images / Harry How

Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard and Jessica Klimkait’s Canadian tour will take place in stages. It will be built in parallel with their season, taking into account their training requirements at INS-Quebec in Montreal.

Catherine and Jessica have a big mandate on their shoulders that begins this weekend, specifies Nicolas Gill.

Their responsibility is much greater than mine in my time, because we do not experience an autumn like the others, he insists. If the clubs in the community centers do not resume their activities, someone else will take their place.

I am taking this opportunity to do so, even though my season will be busy, because an Olympic medal is a bit short-lived, recognizes Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard. And I want to take the time to do it when it’s time.

Judo Canada plans stops in Moncton, Alberta, Winnipeg, St. Boniface and Toronto. More are to come.

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