MA News: Canadian Judo Team Ready for First Official Year at Universiade
June 29th, 2007
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is pleased to announce the athletes and coaching staff that will represent Canada for the official inaugural year of judo at the 2007 Summer Universiade in Bangkok, Thailand. Led by Brazil-native Sergio Pessoa, the team features a complete roster of national champions. The 2007 Universiade runs August 8-18, with the judo competitions beginning on August 13th (heavy weight and half-heavy weight) and ending on August 17th (men’s and women’s team events). Marylise Levésque of the Université de Sherbrooke and Catherine Roberge of the Université de Montréal are expected to perform well at the Universiade, both having qualified for the 2007 World Judo Championships and the 2007 Pan American Games. “It would be a great event if our athletes could repeat their performance from the 2006 World University Championships (one silver, two fifth and one seventh place finish). We would like to have at least one medal and a few athletes in the hunt for another medal. This will be the last tune-up competition for the World Judo Championships for Roberge and Levésque, so we are hoping that they will be in good form for this event,” commented Ewan Beaton, coaches coordinator of Judo Canada.
WOMEN
Marylise Levésque is a three-time national champion and won a silver medal at the 2006 World University Championships. With a decorated season behind her, Levésque will challenge for a medal at the Universiade, with hopes of placing top three to five. She is also looking toward this year’s Pan-Am Games and World Judo Championships. Catherine Roberge is a four-time national champion, winning a silver medal at the 2003 Universiade. The most experienced athlete on the Canadian team, Roberge has six World Cup medals and competed at the 2004 Olympic Games. Looking for a top three to five finish, she will also be entering the Universiade having just returned from the Pan-Am Games, and looking toward the World Judo Championships. Rounding up the women’s side are Laurie Whiltshire of Mount Royal College and Jennie Bonsant of the Université Laval. Laurie Wiltshire is a three-time national champion, placing fifth at the 2006 World University Championships. At 52kg, her goal is a top seven finish. “It will be difficult to repeat her 2006 performance, but Laurie has the experience and throwing ability to cause some upsets,” said Beaton. Jennie Bonsant is a three-time national champion. At 63kg, the Universiade will mark her first competition at this level. “She has strung together some good international results this last year and she can cause difficulties for her opponents, but 63kg is the strongest division in the world for women,” said Beaton. Bonsant is hoping for a top five to seven finish.
MEN
Representing Canada on the men’s side will be Michal Popiel of Concordia University and Aaron Pfeffer of the University of Winnipeg. Michal Popiel has won one Canadian national championship, and was fifth at the 2006 World University Championships. Weighing in at 66kg, Popiel is looking to finish in the top five to seven at the Universiade. “He is one of the hardest working athletes on Judo Canada’s national team,” said Beaton. “He will have his hands full in Bangkok, but he is always a threat because of his work effort during a match.” Aaron Pfeffer has won one national championship, and enters the Universiade with the least experience of the Canadian athletes. Hoping for a top seven finish, “he possesses the ability to throw his opponents for ippons, which makes him a threat to any athlete he faces,” said Beaton.
Head Coach Sergio Pessoa is originally from San Paulo, Brazil, and moved to Canada in the winter of 2004. He was hired by Judo Canada in April 2007 as an assistant coach and to help run the national team program out of the National Training Centre Shidokan in Montreal, Que. This year will mark the first that judo is officially added to the Universiade sport menu, after being an optional sport at several Games (last time in 2003). “This is very important,” commented Beaton. “There is a huge population of judo athletes that are full-time students and take pride in being student-athletes. I think the Universiade is much like the Olympic Games because you are matching the best athletes from around the world in a specific cross section against each other. Any time you can win at the Games, especially when it involves countries from around the world, it becomes a highlight in an athlete’s career.”
Canadian Judo Roster SU Bangkok 2007
MEN 66kg: Michal Popiel (Montréal Que., Concordia University) 73kg: Aaron Pfeffer (Winnipeg, Man., University of Winnipeg) WOMEN 52kg: Laurie Wiltshire (Fort McMurray, Alb., Mount Royal College) 63kg: Jennie Bonsant (Quebec City, Que., Université Laval) 70kg: Catherine Roberge (Montréal, Que., Université de Montréal) 78kg: Marylise Lévesque (Lemoyne, Que., Université de Sherbrooke)
Judo Schedule of Events
August 6-12: Training August 11: Technical Meeting, Draw August 13: Heavy Weight and Half-Heavy Weight August 14: Middle Weight and Half-Middle Weight August 15: Light Weight and Half-Light Weight August 16: Extra Light Weight and Open August 17: Team
Chaterine Roberge on the medal podium at the 2003 SU in Daegu, Korea
