TORONTO (October 2, 2023) – Judo Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced the composition of the Canadian judo team named to compete at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.
Here are the members of Team Canada’s judo team for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games:
Athletes
Isabelle Harris (Abbotsford, C.-B.) – F 63kg
Julien Frascadore (Quebec, QC) – M -66kg
Coralie Godbout (Lévis, QC) – F -78kg
Antoine Bouchard (Jonquière, QC) – M -73kg
David Popovici (Montreal, QC) – F -81kg
Alexandre Arencibia (Montréal, QC) – H -90kg
Shady El Nahas (Toronto, ON) – H -100kg
Marc Deschênes (Laval, QC) – M +100kg
The athletes were selected to be part of Team Canada based on their performances in several selection tournaments held across the continent from April 2022 to July 2023. The team has a mix of judokas who have experience of major Games and athletes who will be at their first Pan American Games.
Shady El Nahas, who took fifth place at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, recently won gold at the Senior Pan American and Oceanian Championships in Calgary, successfully defending the title he won in 2022. He is currently ranked seventh in the world in the men’s 100kg weight class, having won nine IJF Grand Slam medals at that weight. El Nahas will play his first Pan American Games in Santiago in 2023 and he hopes to follow in the footsteps of his brother, Mohab El Nahas, who won a bronze medal at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games.
“Despite my injuries this year, I believe in my judo and my coach Antoine Valois-Fortier is certain that I will be at the top for Santiago. He knows me well enough to know what to make me do for my preparation. My form will be 10 out of 10, but my mind will be 11 out of
10 », estimates El Nahas.
Antoine Bouchard won a silver medal on Canadian soil at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games, then he participated in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where he finished fifth in his weight category. Bouchard won the gold medal at the Pan American Open in Santo Domingo and Guayaquil earlier this year.
Marc Deschênes, who also won silver in his weight category at the Toronto 2015 Games, will be at his third Pan American Games in a row, having also taken part in Lima in 2019. Deschênes won the He won gold at the Pan American Open in Santo Domingo last April, then added a bronze medal at the Senior Pan American and Oceania Championships in September.
Isabelle Harris, Julien Frascadore, Coralie Godbout, David Popovici and Alexandre Arencibia will be at their first Pan American Games, but they have recently successfully experienced major Games. They all returned home with medals from the 2023 Francophonie Games, held this summer in Kinshasa, Congo. Harris, Godbout and Arencibia won silver in their respective weight classes, while Popovici and Frascadore captured gold. They will seek to build on this wealth of experience stored in Congo and to continue their development in the context of the major Games in Santiago 2023.
“As we begin our journey to the 2023 Pan American Games, we recognize that many of our top athletes have made a strategic decision to prioritize the rigorous preparation that was required as part of the Olympic selection process for the 2023 Pan American Games. Paris 2024, said Nicolas Gill, general manager and director of high performance at Judo Canada as well as a double Olympic medalist. Although we will miss them due to their absence, as we have selected a good mix of young and experienced athletes for the Pan American Games, we are confident that our dedicated judokas will rise to the occasion and display their remarkable talent , thereby contributing to our continued progress as a judo powerhouse of the Americas. »
Men’s judo has been part of the Pan American Games program since 1963, with women’s judo added 20 years later. Canada, which is considered one of the best countries in this sport, has won more than 80 judo medals at the Pan American Games.
The judo events will take place from October 28 to 31 (days 8 to 11) at the Centro de Deportes de Contacto of the Parque Estadio Nacional.
“Welcome to the judokas of Team Canada in preparation for Santiago 2023! I look forward to your screenings and ippons, which will tell the story of your dedication and strength,” said Christine Girard, Chef de Mission of Team Canada for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. May your journey of judoka is marked by growth, unity and the quest for excellence, on and off the tatamis. »
Here are the names of the Team Canada coaches and support team members named for the 2023 Pan American Games:
Sasha Mehmedovic (Montreal, QC) – Coach
Marie-Hélène Chisholm (Montreal, QC) – Team leader
Before being confirmed as members of Team Canada, all nominated athletes are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee team selection committee when all nominations have been received from national sport organizations.
You can find an updated Team Canada roster for the Santiago 2023 Games by clicking here.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Patrick Esparbès, Chef de l’exploitation
Judo Canada
Cell. : 514-668-6279
Email: [email protected]
Tara MacBournie
Responsible for sports communications for Team Canada at the Santiago 2023 Games
Canadian Olympic Committee
Cell. : 647-464-4060
Email: [email protected]
2023-10-02 14:06:38
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