BAKU, Azerbaijan — Canadian judoka Christa Deguchi won gold in the under-57 kilogram category Friday at a judo Grand Slam event.
Deguchi won the gold medal in a walkover when her opponent, Nora Gjakova of Kosovo, had to withdraw due to an injury.
The judoka from Lethbridge, Alta., advanced to the final with a semifinal win over Eteri Liparteliani of Georgia.
She started with quick wins against Altantsetseg Batsukh of the United Arab Emirates and Julia Kowalczyk of Poland, but needed overtime to edge out Daria Bilodid of Ukraine in the quarterfinals.
Deguchi, the top-ranked judoka in her weight class, has won three gold and four silver at the last seven events.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 16, 2024.
The Canadian Press
