Canadians Jessica Klimkait and Christa Deguchi found themselves against each other in the final of a Grand Slam for the third time since the start of 2023. Klimkait won in Tel Aviv in February, while Deguchi emerged victorious from the most recent clash in Ulaanbaatar in June.
Tuesday, at the Grand Slam in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, it was Jessica Klimkait who took the lead in the series between the two maple leaf rivals by winning in overtime to climb to the top step from the podium in the under 57 kg category.
Both knowing each other extremely well, the finalists engaged in a duel that had the feel of a great chess match, while each move was well calculated so as not to leave an opening. At the start of overtime, Deguchi had two shidos against only one on Klimkait’s side.
The Ontarian took advantage of this slight advantage to remain patient and cautious in her attacks, before finally causing a third penalty to Deguchi for non-combativity.
“It was a very close and very tactical fight between the two best under 57 kg on the planet! It’s a good victory for Jessica in terms of points and for her confidence as well,” commented Canadian coach Antoine Valois-Fortier.
To reach the top of the podium, Jessica Klimkait took advantage of a bye in the first round before beating Fidan Alizada of Azerbaijan, neutral individual athlete Daria Kurbonmamadova, as well as the German Seija Ballhaus.
For her part, Deguchi got the better of the French Ophélie Vellozzi, the British Lele Neirne and the German Pauline Starke before crossing swords with Klimkait in the final.
“Both had a great day, winning close fights in the semi-finals. They showed great strength of character and they prove that they are still above the competition in several aspects,” added the coach.
In the under 52 kg table, Kelly Deguchi was limited to a single fight, she who lost in the first round against the Spaniard Ariane Toro Soler.
“It’s a disappointing day for Kelly. She was surprised by a waza-ari at the start of the fight and she was unable to come back afterwards. She will want to get back on track as soon as possible,” concluded Valois-Fortier.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam continues on Wednesday, when Quebecers Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard (-63 kg) and François Gauthier-Drapeau (-81 kg) will be in action.
2023-10-24 23:01:19
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